Queen of Hearts: Hot, Local Fashion Pops Up in Downcity

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Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Camilla Hawthorne, GoLocalProv Arts Correspondent

Westminster Street has a new neighbor. Walk into Queen of Hearts, and you will be immediately greeted by bright colors, gorgeous fabrics, and lots of other deliciously tempting goodies. Uniquely among the high-priced boutiques of downtown Providence (and in the world of fashion generally), Queen of Hearts offers an elusive combination of affordable, unique, and high-quality fashions, giving tight-budgeted shoppers with an eye for design the opportunity to own one-of-a-kind designs by local artisans.

Queen of Hearts began as a series of holiday pop-up shops in 2004, the idea of Karen Beebe and Devon King. The mini shops were well received, and in 2006 Beebe and King moved the store to a permanent location on Union Street (just down the street from Tazza Café). Beebe took over the boutique in 2007, and in March the store moved to its current location on Westminster, where it is currently nestled among similarly hip stores like Oop!, Heir Antiques, Calico, and Craftland.

For Beebe, Queen of Hearts was originally conceived as a venue for her to sell her clothing. She has been designing apparel since 2001 and has her own fashion label, Lucille Clothing, Jewelry, and Accessories. Inspired by a love of vintage and unique fabrics, Beebe designs collections that are delightfully feminine with a modern, avant-garde twist. Naturally, her passion for design made her an avid supporter of other local artists, and so Queen of Hearts quickly developed into a showcase of some of the best fashion design Rhode Island has to offer.

Beebe describes the store’s aesthetic as young, hip, and versatile—dresses in Queen of Hearts can be worn with sandals for an afternoon strolling about town, or dressed up for an evening gala. The unique feel of the store is guided by Beebe’s keen eye for interesting and quality design: “I only choose things that I would wear myself,” she says.

When Queen of Hearts moved to its new location, Beebe did make a few changes: the boutique now carries makeup, vintage, and wholesale items from national designers, in addition to the store’s much-loved handcrafted and homegrown items. But Beebe remains ever committed to keeping her store affordable, offering items in a range of prices. Says Beebe: “When someone says to me, ‘I love your store but I could never afford anything there,” I tell them, ‘Well, you’ve never been in my store!”

There is much more coming from Queen of Hearts. Beebe hopes to expand the store to include more shoes. Queen of Hearts will also have a presence at the Rock and Roll Yard Sale (May 22), the Providence Art Festival (June 12), and IndieArts Fest (July 31).

Queen of Hearts Boutique, 222 Westminster St, Providence. Tues-Sat 10 am- 6 pm; Sun noon-5 pm, www.queenofheartsprovidence.com

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