DRESSING UP DOWNTOWN. A Trinidad
native, Renata Saurer’s new fashion boutique
in the Phoenix Park development (Renata
Marie’s) is known for vibrant color.

In the age of mass-retail department stores and fast-paced consumer culture, an intimate, local, and trendy boutique may be just what today’s fashion-conscious woman is looking for. Renata Marie’s, newly opened and located in the Phoenix Park area of downtown Eau Claire, offers that pleasantly chic atmosphere reminiscent of shops along the streets of Paris.

Although Renata Marie’s offers some of the latest “must-haves,” none of the products will stretch your pocketbook. Most clothing articles cost between $40 and $100, which most will find very reasonable for the quality of merchandise provided. The initial vision of the shop’s owner, Renata Saurer, was to provide quality fashions for young professional women, without charging the monstrosities of the iconic European boutiques. The fashions are of the latest designs, and customers will find a jewelry line from Denmark as well as lotions from France. The store also provides a $5 credit for every $50 spent and customers are invited to spin “the wheel of saving” for chances at discounts when they visit the store.

Boutiques of this kind are not new to downtown Eau Claire. In fact, their openings are becoming a new trend. Isabelle & Co. and its high-end clothing have gained popularity since its opening a few years back, and now Little L.A. Boutique is preparing its South Barstow store for a November opening. Started by Raquel Geneva, a graduate of the L.A. Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Little L.A. started in Menomonie a few years back, then spent last year in Oakwood Mall before relocating downtown.

With the Phoenix Park area of Eau Claire rapidly developing, shops like Renata Marie’s, Isabelle, and Little L.A. are beginning to add a more lively and upscale flair to the city, not to mention a destination for high-end fashionistas.