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Volume 3, Issue 13
STYLESACRED BONDS
MOTHER AND DAUGHTER CULMINATE FAMILY TIES IN NEW BOUTIQUE 
Mixing business with friends and family is traditionally taboo, but the owners of Denver's newest boutique disagree. Serina Gray Designs Boutique is opening its doors this month at 2412 East Colfax. The partners are Artopia's illustrious designing team; namesake Serina Gray and her mother, Terry Gray. The seemingly obvious fear factor of having your mother as your business partner is lost on Serina. "We each have skills to bring to the business. I have the design and art and she has the management marketing skills. This business has opened a whole new world for us, and together we are able to handle all the obstacles we've ever been faced with. I can't imagine anything greater than working with my mom." "This is so much fun," Terry said. "It's just like working with my best friend everyday." The Grays are about to offer a new niche in the ready-to-wear world of retail. A sort of 'have it your way' men's and women's boutique. If they don't have it, they can-- and will-- make it. "It's a unique and new concept. You can come into our store, have some fun-- and get anything you want," Serina said. "We will alter our designs right there on site so that people can have it in the color they want as well as the exact fit that they want it in." "We could literally make an entire wardrobe," Terry agreed. "We have an edge and were full of great ideas, so we are able to match designs to our customers." Madonna (and maybe even Joe Sakic) may be able to have all of their clothes hand tailored, but to most Denverites the concept is more than foreign. Explained Serina, "A lot of people in Denver don't think they can afford custom clothing. We are able to keep things affordable and provide something unique that not everyone owns." Serina Gray Designs offer a full range of off-the-rack designs that can be custom fit. Women's tops and men's shirts start at $30, with jackets and detailed pants topping out at around $150. Custom gowns or that special evening ensemble you saw in last week's vogue will cost between $300-$350. "Customer service is so important to us. We want to design-- and are able to design-- whatever you want it to be," Terry added. "We have a whole collection of tools and experience to bring to the party." Quality is more than just a buzzword to the Gray team. The manufacturing of their clothing and designs is the heart of their business. "We are both perfectionists by nature," Terry said. "We take the time to make each piece beautiful. All of our products-- even the materials-- are made in the United States, and we want people to turn our clothes inside out and be able to say, 'Look how beautifully this is crafted. '" The doors of Serina Gray Designs Boutique may be barely opened, but the Gray's already have their plans for the future etched. "We want to continue to do custom work, but also want to work wholesale with other boutiques in the Denver area," Serina Gray said. "We want to really develop the ready-to-wear men's line and branch out at some point into plus sizes. Eventually we hope to open several more stores, expanding into the Dallas, L. A. and New York markets." The bond between mothers and daughters has often been the subject of astonishment and debate, but the Gray's have much more than fashion in common. "We are just having such a blast," Terry said. "This is truly the realization of both of our dreams. We are able to bounce ideas off each other, and I am just astounded and impressed with how creative Serina is. Just like a mom I guess É I could brag about her all day." --Kity Ironton Serena Gray Designs Boutique is located at 2412 E. Colfax. Call 303-377-2799 for more information. photos by Sean Hartgrove |