Passing the Torch

Nicole Montanez Took Over Vivian’s Boutique on Via De La Paz

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

One Via De La Paz store may have recently seen a change of hands—but it has not seen a change of heart.

Nicole Montanez took over women’s clothing store Vivian’s Boutique, revamping the space and its offerings, but paying homage to the original owner for nearly 40 years, Vivian Foster.

Montanez, who lives near El Medio Bluffs, described Foster as “an integral part of this wonderful community.” She renamed the store as Vivian’s Boutique by Nicole at the start of August.

“I’ve known Vivian for about two years,” Montanez explained. When Foster wanted to sell the store, Montanez said she was originally interested because of her background and the “passion for fashion” that she has always had.

“I thought, ‘What a great opportunity,’” Montanez recalled. “I spent a lot of time training with her and learning what she did.”

While Montanez was in college, she worked in retail and one of her master’s degrees is in business, she explained, so she “always had an entrepreneur kind of mindset.” She also was looking for an avenue to give back to the community.

“I have a passion for helping our community,” Montanez added. “We’ve done, and are going to do, projects with the community where we can give back. I wanted to place myself in a position where I was able to do all of those things that really bring meaning to my life.”

The decision to keep the name and add her own on—Vivian’s Boutique by Nicole—was made for two reasons, Montanez said.

“One, I thought it would be nice to keep the name because it is part of the history of the Palisades, to be here almost four decades is just pretty fascinating,” Montanez said. “And then also, because I wanted to show [Vivian] honor and respect because I was so grateful for the opportunity.”

When it comes to what is for sale in the store, Montanez said she planned to keep “a lot of the same great brands,” including Skies Are Blue and Hanky Panky.

“I think the most important thing [we’re keeping] is all of the great prices,” Montanez said. “It’s still very affordable to have fun fashion and things that are trendy, that are good, sustainable pieces, yet for reasonable prices.”

One change Montanez has brought to the store is “cultivating more brands that are coming in,” offering items like underwear, bras, lingerie and pajamas.

“As somebody who works and lives in the Palisades, I don’t like to leave our little community of paradise,” Montanez described. “So I was thinking to myself as I took over the store, what are some things that I would like to see and be able to purchase without having to go outside of our community?”

Montanez said that since she took over the store, there has been “a lot of curiosity” about it and what it has to offer.

“A lot of people were curious as to what happened with the store,” Montanez said. “We remodeled it … I put up paper on the windows and I think that created like, oh my gosh, what happened?”

Now, two months in, Montanez is now looking to the future—noting the importance of continuing to support small and local businesses.

“I think it’s important to continue to support small businesses, and I would love to see more of the community come and check us out, see who we are,” Montanez said. “We have a lot of fun stuff planned for the upcoming holidays.”

As Montanez continues to build on Foster’s legacy, she hopes to create a welcoming space for everyone in the Palisades.

Vivian’s Boutique by Nicole is open at 875 Via De La Paz Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit viviansboutique.com.