Blend is a contemporary women’s clothing boutique with a focus on easy to wear weekday to weekend clothes for the gal on the go. Blend is the brainchild of style maven and professional closet organizer, Beth Zehnder.
A: The store is a blend of Orange County life with LA style. I grew up in LA, walking distance from Rodeo Drive in fact. So my aesthetic was shaped by city life and beautifully made clothes but even then I was always on the hunt for the little known designer, the cool bag, the funky necklace. Now that I have been living in Orange County for almost 15 years, I have adopted the laidback lifestyle here and appreciate a great T-shirt more than you know. So Blend is a small boutique for women who want a one-of-a-kind accessory or a stand out jacket mixed with great basics that can be dressed up or down.
A: At Blend, we are focusing on the gal-on-the-go who embraces casual chic. Our clothes and accessories will be a mix of contemporary lines and classic pieces that can be worn during the week or on the weekend. Our goal is to not only provide basics that you can live in but also carry lines that have an edge and uniqueness to them. The boutique will be like a curated closet with clothing you can keep for years like a great dress and jacket, others you can wear everyday like t-shirts, scarves and sweaters. But best of all, I am really trying to keep fashion affordable by carrying items ranging from $30- $300 with very few pieces over that.
Q: What is different and unique about Blend?
A: True to our name, style is best when you blend so we are featuring up and coming designers, popular brands and designers that are unique to Orange County. I’m always on the lookout for different pieces that are new to Orange County. A few of my latest favorites are Bless Lev, who makes really cool, handmade jewelry with stone and leather and comes with a blessing. I am also crazy about the amazing blouses and dresses in bright fun prints from Tucker that will give any outfit the punch of color that you need, scarves from a New York brand called We Are Owls that will make you yearn for a cold day and great jackets from Wren that will look great with a pair of jeans and your favorite pair of boots.
Q: What is your past experience?
A: I have always been visual and on top of the trends. For years, I worked at The Woods designing floral arrangements where I built a celebrity following, including Elton John, Bette Midler and Meg Ryan. This was the perfect place to indulge my creativity and eye for color. After being a mom and knowing how real women wear real clothes, I started a closet organization company called Smart Style where I organize and clean out clients’ closets, as well as help them buy pieces they need to make each outfit special. One of the fun things I do for clients is create a wardrobe book that lays out outfits, almost like a magazine layout, so you can have a reference on how to put together the outfit. It was really these clients, who are friends and family, that inspired me to start Blend.
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Blend/160278977347077
ADDRESS: 410 W. Coast Hwy, Suite C, Newport Beach, CA PHONE: 949-230-8252
HOURS: Tuesday - Friday 11-5 Saturday 11-3 or by appt.
