Love, JUDE Clothing & Accessories Opens Spacious New Boutique in Magnolia Springs
MAGNOLIA SPRINGS, Ala., May 15, 2023 – Popular women’s boutique Love, JUDE Clothing & Accessories has opened an eagerly anticipated new 2,600-square-foot flagship store nestled in historic Magnolia Springs, Ala., comfortably situated between Fairhope, Ala. and Alabama’s beaches.
With this new flagship location, founders Judy “Jude” Collins and Carrie O’Connor have designed a welcoming and relaxing space that feels like a breath of fresh air. “When customers walk through the door, we want them to feel immediately at ease,” said Collins.
Beautifully decorated and easy to navigate, the store features a working fireplace with comfortable seating for customers who want to linger over a glass of wine and good conversation, as well as a kitchen overlooking an outdoor patio for catered group events. Natural light flows throughout the space including the boutique's large, custom-built dressing rooms. “Our goal is to build relationships and create a space to connect with customers—while offering a unique shopping experience and helping women fill their closets with clothes they love to wear,” said O’Connor.
Conveniently located at 14906 US Highway 98, the new boutique offers a mix of clothing, jewelry, shoes, resortwear, purses, athleisure, candles, gifts and more. Love, JUDE’s collection of versatile go-to pieces features soft, supple fabrics with simple lines and flattering cuts that customers will reach for again and again. “We want getting dressed to be effortless and fun… no more dreading walking into your closet!” said Collins.
Go-To Style, On the Go Collins and O’Connor are lifelong friends who met in high school after moving to the same small, rural Alabama town. When they hit their mid-40s, they began noticing a hole in the market as they struggled to find flattering, go-to clothing pieces that fit their style and stage of life. They scoured trendy boutiques, online stores, and social media, but rarely found clothes they were excited to wear professionally or socially. In 2022, after speaking with scores of other women in the same predicament, they decided to open Love, JUDE Clothing & Accessories to solve this seemingly universal problem and help meet the needs of women with people to meet, places to go, and nothing to wear. Love, JUDE debuted in November 2022 with the launch of lovejudeclothing.com. From the beginning, Collins and O’Connor felt it was important to bring the online store to life and be able to engage directly with their customers. So, in September of last year, they purchased a beautiful mobile boutique affectionately called “GoGo Chanel,” which they drove more than 1,100 miles from Detroit to its new home in Fairhope. “The mobile boutique gave us 300 square feet to host in-person shopping events so customers could touch and feel the clothes and try on their favorite pieces before purchasing them,” said O’Connor.
The truck also allowed Collins and O’Connor to take part in fun retail events, worthwhile charities, and private parties while helping to promote the online store. Building Community With the success of their pop-up boutique events, and after repeated requests from customers, Collins and O’Connor recognized the need to expand into their new brick-and-mortar storefront. The flagship location is situated on 1.3 acres with ample parking and outdoor entertainment space.
In addition to in-store retail events, the founders are excited to host outdoor markets in the spring and fall months featuring local artisans, gourmet food trucks, and makers from along the Gulf Coast. “We plan to stay open until 6 p.m. on weekdays to give women time to shop after work,” said Collins. “We also plan to host after-hours shopping events to help build community and enjoy getting to know our customers.” The new location fits seamlessly into the founders’ ethos: to value connection over transaction, and to create a true sense of community whether customers visit them at the store, online, or at pop-up locations in GoGo Chanel.
Wherever they go, they want their customers to feel valued, appreciated and seen. “We want Love, JUDE to be the first stop for women shopping for clothing for any occasion because they’re confident they can and will find well made, well-priced clothing and accessories that fit well and look great,” said O’Connor.
Follow @lovejudeclothing on social media for a full calendar of in-store events and pop-up locations across the Gulf Coast, as well as fresh insight and wisdom from the inspiring women Collins and O’Connor meet during their travels across the South in their mobile boutique. About Judy and Carrie The owner of a successful recruiting and HR consulting company, Judy “Jude” Collins also has national retail management and merchandising experience representing brands such as Old Navy, Williams Sonoma, and Pottery Barn Kids, as well as privately owned boutiques. Prior to co-founding Love, JUDE, Carrie O’Connor produced a portfolio of corporate events for the group travel industry. She has also served as associate publisher and sales director for a multi-national, business to business media company.
Connect with Love, JUDE • Store Hours: Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. • Address: 14906 US Highway 98, Magnolia Springs, AL 36555 • Website: www.lovejudeclothing.com • Email: info@lovejudeclothing.com • Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Vimeo For media inquiries, contact Carrie O’Connor at info@lovejudeclothing.com / 251-978-5431
