Q&A with Katwalk Owner Toni James

Toni James opened Katwalk—her Mt. Vernon boutique on West Read Street—in 1999. Her shop is full of edgy and eclectic apparel and accessories.How long has Katwalk been around? We opened in 1997 in Catonsville and relocated to our permanent home in Historic Mt. Vernon in 1999. My husband and I actually searched several areas in Baltimore, but when we came upon Mt. Vernon we thought it was a great fit because of Antique Row, the boutiques of Charles Street, the restaurants/clubs, the hair salons, the colleges, museums, and the numerous festivals each year. Also we were looking for a space with more than one floor and huge windows, and that is what we found,. We love it!What inspired you to open a boutique? As a child I loved the movie Mahogany with Dianna Ross and that inspired me to design and want a boutique. My family all sew and we had a sewing club called the Busy Bees where we made all sorts of shirts and dresses. Also at Western High School I use to design my classmate's prom dresses and was the VP of the Fashionettes Fashion Club.What is the age range of your customers? I'd say 23-35.What is the most satisfying thing about having a store? I can say the most satisfying thing about having Katwalk is building a business with my husband and creating a total new image for my customers that they would not get in a department or chain store. Our customers look to us for guidance for that perfect dress for their birthday or the weekend our with the girls. We have to always be on point with the hottest new designers that the other boutiques or local stores have not gotten wind of yet.How do you choose your merchandise? As the lead buyer for the store, I primary buy for my clients in mind, I kind of shy away from buying for me, I have to keep in mind Katwalk customers love to wear interchangeable pieces, things that will last a lifetime. I wear everything in the store, but I primarily wear Sass & Bide and Cesar Arellanes. Another line we use to carry alot of is MiMi Turner I still wear loads of her items. I promote Katwalk daily—you will not catch me without Katwalk items on. I believe if you sell it you should be wearing in.What are the trends for Spring 2010? Spring is going to be stunning for our Katwalk Customers. Its all about colors, shine, and patterns!What brands do your customers favor the most? Our customers love the Australian designer line Sass & Bide. It is very edgy this season with beaded palazzo pant jump suits, crop studded tees, foil printed dresses, and body suits along with stencil printed tops. Clients also love Cecilia De Buccourt--known for beaded and hand studded scarves and belts. We picked up her new accessory line this spring with python oversized bags, studded bags, and leather studded and chain dripped cuffs. Our other popular clothing lines include Wink, Crash & Burn, and Arynk.Are you bringing in any new lines? We will be carrying Whitney Eve, the designer from the television show, The Hills and The City. Her gold butterfly top is sure to be a big hit. Along with her, we will have Anna Kosturova hand-knit dresses, rompers and emblem t-shirts, as well as luxury leisure wear from brands Alp-n-Rock and Butter.Katwalk also carries items for customers to accessorize with. What are some of the pieces you'll have for spring? Vivienne Westwood's Lady Dragon Heart Shoe and the Wing Gold Platform Sandal will be debuting at our upcoming in store event on March 20th. We'll have crystal animal along with oversized geometric bracelets and multi-colored earrings from Noir Accessories. From Patricia Field, we will be carrying geometric print clutches and silk scarves to match.Do you design anything yourself? Our customers love our exclusive in-store brand Simon Isrial--vintage inspired ruffled puff sleeve tops and dresses.How do you give back to the community? Our boutique has the Katwalk Shoes that Fit program. We have recently donated over 200 pairs of new shoes, boots, hats, scarves, and socks to Baltimore City and County schools with the help of Education Matters and the WBAL Kids Program. Anyone and everyone are welcome to drop off new kids shoes sizes child 11-adult 9 to the Katwalk Boutique during regular business hours to continue with these efforts. —Nikki Reese (intern)