Jana Boyles and Tiffany Johnson are on the same page when it comes to running their Shops at Legacy boutique Brooklyn + West, but don’t expect them to be borrowing each other’s clothes anytime soon. “We definitely bring a different edge to our fashion and our style,” Tiffany says.
But the owners’ sartorial dissimilarities are their customers’ boon. Jana brings a “loose, comfy, bohemian” sensibility, while Tiffany’s “edgy, rock star chic” aesthetic offers a street-smart counterpoint.
“The store ends up being a fabulous complement of both of our styles,” Jana says.
The store, which opened in March 2015, boasts a well-edited assortment of women’s and men’s apparel and accessories, as well as active wear, outerwear and jewelry. Belle & Henry denim and Jakket vegan vests and coats are just a few of the covetable items available.
It’s these obscure, hard-to-find brands that are a hallmark of Brooklyn + West. Jana and Tiffany provide a shortcut to trends that often take months and even years to diffuse into popular consciousness.
“It takes a couple years for styles to become a distinct part of Dallas wardrobes,” Tiffany says.
Luckily, customers don’t have to make the leap from the familiar to the fashion-forward alone. Jana and Tiffany pride themselves on building relationships with their customers, basically acting as full-time style consultants.
“We’ve built this reputation of knowing what we’re talking about and being experts in our field,” Jana says. “It’s fun to push people outside their comfort level.”
Jana and Tiffany have personal experience with working outside their comfort zones. Jana has a background in performing arts but ended up in New York City honing her fashion chops at Jones New York. She later returned to Dallas and jumped into her own retail venture five years ago with Gameday Cloth, the precursor to Brooklyn + West.
Tiffany is a native Californian who comes from the corporate world, where she was a VP in HR. She got to know Jana as a customer, and the two eventually determined they would be a good match professionally—even if they weren’t always on the same page style-wise.
“We bring different experience to the table and different styles,” says Jana. “It works perfectly for us to be in business together.”
The decision to open up in Plano was a natural one. Jana had been helming Gameday Cloth there and, even though both Jana and Tiffany reside in Dallas, they felt comfortable in The Shops and serving its clientele.
“I wanted the opportunity to reach a different crowd,” says Jana. “We have customers who completely just trust us.”
Their boutique is unique in that it offers a high-low blend of designer pieces and great denim, fashion tops and costume jewelry. It was important to Jana that the store’s offerings not be all high-end or all affordable.
“Most boutiques are one or the other; we try and accommodate both,” she says. “Everything we have is super wearable and super comfortable, but always pushing a fashion envelope.”
She and Tiffany also believe in the transformative power of fashion and its ability to empower the wearer to perceive themselves differently based on what they wear.
“Clothes can change how you feel about yourself,” Jana says. “I believe how you feel on the inside relates to what you wear on the outside.”
Regardless of what they’re wearing on the outside, which in Jana’s case is likely a maxi dress and in Tiffany’s, something black, they’re comfortable in their skin and comfortable in their role on the Plano retail scene.
“We have a very close-knit group of shop owners on the north side of The Shops,” Jana says. “Walking into Coal Vines is like walking into our own personal ‘Cheers.’”
Get 15% off your total Brooklyn + West purchase until February 28 with online code “PLANO15” or when you mention this article in store.
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