In 2007 Jody Mallonee retired from a 15-year career in law enforcement and opened Swank in North Spokane in March 2008. Shortly around that time the stock market crashed, and the country entered a depression. A lot of people were losing their homes, filing for bankruptcy and tightening the budget for discretionary spending. Jody learned to operate in lean times, often not taking a paycheck or having to choose between a new shipment of merchandise or a paycheck. The store always won. With community support, she grew her business and moved to a larger, higher-profile shopping center on Division in Spokane. The next step was running a mobile fashion truck, taking products on the road to sorority and athletic events in Pullman and Moscow, Hoopfest, Bloomsday and winery events. After visiting a friend in Boise in 2013 and falling in love with the downtown area, Jody opened the Boise store. This November, Swank Boise will celebrate its five-year anniversary.
We asked Jody a few questions about Swank and what Boise Lifestyle readers should know about this great downtown boutique.
What style of fashion can we find at Swank? What do you specialize in?
We pride ourselves on carrying up-to-the-minute fashion in a friendly environment. Our customers follow top brands and social influencers and expect to be able to get those styles locally. Our buyers are in LA monthly scouring the fashion district for style but also for a great value. Our customer is young at heart, fun and open to trying new things. They shop everywhere from Forever 21 to Nordstrom. Our sizes run from XS-XL or 0-12. We also carry a hand-selected array of specialty gifts, candles and accessories. A one-stop shop where you can get a cute outfit and a birthday or hostess gift.
We'd love for everyone to join us on Insta @swankgirl where every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon we go live showing new merchandise and talking about happenings around town.
What is the vision for the future of Swank?
Swank is focusing resources on our social connections with our customers and providing a friendly and shop-able web. We are also in the process of selecting a few satellite partners in the salon and medspa industry for pop-up locations. Our customers would like us to be in convenient locations they regularly visit. We want to make it easy for customers who don’t want to drive across town and fight parking to see our fabulous products.
Tell us about the look you have selected and why you chose it.
We love the open, airy feel of this music festival-inspired shoot. The models and location perfectly capture the essence of our girl who is full of wanderlust with that gypsy soul. It reminds us that sometimes you just need to get in the car and head somewhere with your tribe, that nothing lasts forever, to steal every laugh and appreciate every moment. Many of these pieces you can wear to a concert, to dinner or just to the grocery store. We love to style our pieces up or down depending on where our girl is heading and her lifestyle. You can pack and take them anywhere and style them a number of ways.
Group photo left to right:
Model Mykaela Erb: Soho knot dress, $58; Naja turquoise necklace, $46
Model Jesenia Gutierrez, @jesenia_3: Frenchie tie top, $38
Model Morgan Sample, @morganmarie_13: Sunshine set (each piece sold separately) limited sizes left. Top, $15; skirt, $12; premium acrylic glasses, $18
Model Sydney Kelly, @sydney_kelly (both photos): Raw-hem caftan, $32; crochet bralette, $22; fur fanny pack, $22; Josie frill-bottom pants, $49
We would like to offer Boise Lifestyle readers 20 percent off entire purchase with code "Lifestyle" at SwankBoutique.net or mention it in-store.
Swank Boutique Spokane
4727 N. Division St. Suite 100D, Spokane, Washington, 509.468.1839
Swank Boutique Boise
884 Broad St., Boise, Idaho, 208.331.4126
Photo Shoot Location: Spokane, Washington
Photography: Tiffani Given Photography, @tiffanigivenphotography
Styling: Jesenia Gutierrez for Swank
Hair: Heather Schmick, @heatherhairandbridalstylist
Makeup: The Beauty Baes, @thebeautybaesartistry
Voxn Clothing
Designer Erica Becker was born with an entrepreneur’s spirit and realized her dream of owning her own company when she created Voxn Clothing in 2016. What started out as an online boutique has continued to grow with the flagship store opening in downtown Boise in August 2017. Currently, Voxn carries a variety of brands but plans to phase out other lines and carry exclusively the Voxn collection. The first collection, which Erica has been designing here in Boise for the past two years, hit the stores last month.
Voxn stands for "valley of extreme nature" and has multiple meanings. Erica started her design career working for major sportswear companies in California. With her background in contemporary sportswear, the active, outdoor Boise lifestyle is a perfect fit for Voxn Clothing. Erica describes the Voxn collection as clean, minimalistic and classic with attention to detail and high-quality fabrics.
Currently, they operate a hybrid space, with the store up front and the design space in the back. This allows them to do runway shows and connect with the community, partnering with local models and photographers. With each show, Voxn partners with local charities. Past partners include The Women’s and Children’s Alliance and Dress for Success.
Tell me about the looks you have selected to feature and why you chose them.
The looks I selected are from the Voxn Fall 2018 Collection: Urban Terrain. I choose these pieces because they embrace the adventurous, chic women in Idaho which is where our brand was founded and operates. Each piece is designed with lots of attention to detail and high-quality, breathable fabrics.
Look 1:
Burgundy chic hat, $40; Dreamer necklace, $19, Voxn Fuse sweater, $50; Resort jogger, $45
Look 2:
Voxn braid bra, $48; Voxn open-back sweater, $70; Voxn Wander legging, $60
Photo Shoot Location: Tablerock
Photography: Ruth Novella
Model/Makeup: Brittney Bolt
Voxn Clothing
778 W. Broad St., Boise, Idaho, 208.392.1112, VoxnClothing.com
Voxn label is available for wholesale to qualifying retailers.
Robert Comstock
Robert Comstock, the award-winning designer of luxurious men's sportswear and outerwear, is to adventure travel what Switzerland is to dark chocolate. Casual, detailed and always original, his elegant collections derive inspiration from two very different sources: exciting personal experiences in some of Mother Nature's most stunningly beautiful environments and the gorgeous, technically sophisticated, uniquely finished skins and fabrics created by Europe's finest, most skilled, innovative textile and tanning artisans. Sourced in Italy and Spain, Robert Comstock Signature men's sportswear and outerwear are made in Italy, from first to last stitch and often by hand. Highlights include exquisite 100 percent cashmere knits and sweaters, beautiful brushed cotton flannels, subtly handsome baby alpaca blazers, tissue-thin goat suede jackets, butter-soft glove lamb blousons, and featherweight Spanish baby merino and entrefino shearlings.
A fifth-generation Idahoan, enamored of nature and wildlife since early childhood, Robert's wanderlust and affinity for outdoor adventure are lifelong. When I asked Robert about his connection to Idaho in general and the Boise community specifically, he said, “I love the sincerity of the people, I like the accessibility to the outdoors, and I think the latter influences the former. I once summed it up this way for an ad campaign: ‘It’s the openness that clothes you.’ Idaho is a very special place.”
He first explored South America in his late teens and 40 years later, continues traveling the world. An avid conservationist and outspoken advocate of endangered raptor species, natural habitat and native cultures, Robert is a 30-year board member of the scientifically acclaimed Peregrine Fund and World Center for Birds of Prey and has financed cottage industries for American Indian craftspeople. A longtime resident of New York City currently living in Dallas, Robert also maintains a cabin on the banks of Idaho's Henry's Fork of the Snake River, a world-famous blue ribbon trout stream, where he canoed and fly-fished as a boy. With his own two sons, he spends as much time there as possible each summer, soaking up the natural wonders of the Yellowstone Basin.
Robert is as charming and engaging as his stories are vivid and real. In its 25th anniversary edition, MR Magazine named him one of fashion’s “25 most interesting characters.”
Look 1:
Wild Austrian deerskin with horn buttons and detachable Spanish Lancon shearling vest, worn separately, $8,500
Five-pocket calfskin jean with laser-distressed finish, machine washable and dryable, $2,400
Heavy cable knit long-fiber cashmere sweater, $2,000
Look 2:
African Springbok combined with super lightweight Spanish Merinillo lamb shearling, $8,500
Extra-long fiber cashmere (fleece finished) with hand blanket-stitched baby lamb shearling elbow patches, $3,000
Robert Comstock
765 W. Idaho St., Boise, Idaho, 208.888.4055, ComstockApparel.com