It's hard to tell where to set your eyes at Cry Baby Couture:
The pink-and-yellow checkered tile, the metallic gold-confetti print on the ceiling, or the blazing blue curtains concealing the dressing rooms.
And then we have the high-fashion clothing and accessories.
The feast for the eyes and the fashionistas started in 2004 when mother-and-daughter team Moni and Gabrielle Miller opened the boutique, originally specializing in cosmetics. The clothing and accessories were added in 2007.
"Designing was always a part of our family," Moni said. "My mom was a designer and you can see that some of our clothes are a reflection of a different time."
The Cry Baby Couture style features a combination of bright colors, unique patterns and mixed materials that tie together to create a vintage look.
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"Our style is very defined and fun, yet simple," Moni said. "We try to keep a level of fashion that can still be accessible."
The makeup line consists of more than 100 custom eye-shadow shades as well as a variety of lip glosses and foundations.
In addition to clothing and makeup, Cry Baby Couture offers a wide variety of accessories, such as sunglasses, headbands, brooches and shoes.
"We went to Paris last year and decided to pick up some brooches for something a little different," Moni said. "Some are available now and others will be added to the fall line," Gabrielle added.
The two work together to keep the store running both technically and creatively.
"I am the vision and Gaby is the brain," Moni said. "We both have a very meticulous eye for what we do, though."
While much of the clothing appeals to the college-age crowd, there are also options appropriate for multiple generations.
"We get so much of everybody of all ages," Gabrielle said.
As a family team, Moni and Gabrielle are keenly aware of the numerous mother-daughter shoppers their store attracts.
"It always seems like the mothers are the ones who know exactly what their girls should wear and they are the ones who make them get the fun, colorful pieces," Moni said.
The store, which used to be at East Sixth Street and North Tucson Boulevard, just recently moved to a new location closer to the University of Arizona campus.
"We are still unpacking and making it feel like home," Moni said. "But we wanted to be in one of the main shopping areas of Tucson and it is a lot more modern and busy."
If you go
Cry Baby Couture
Where: 943 E. University Blvd., Suite 145, 323-6868
Hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturdays; noon-5 p.m. Sundays.
Price ranges:
Tops: $20-$30
Slacks: mid-$30s
Jeans: $48-$68
Shoes: Under $32
"We try to keep a level of fashion that can still be accessible."
Moni Miller,
Store co-owner
Erica Coleman is a University of Arizona student who is apprenticing at the Star. Contact her at 573-4128 or at starapprentice@azstarnet.com
