For all those who drive down to Santa Fe to shop for clothes (or who do our shopping online, late at night, shame-spiraling quietly at each American Apparel purchase) there’s at least one new light in the darkness for women’s fashion in Taos: La Paloma Boutique, newly-opened store just off the plaza.
22-year-old Taos High grad Jeneé Trujillo has always wanted to run a shop like this here — to bring great, affordable clothes to the women and girls of Taos. And boy, is she doing that. I must admit that my kneejerk reaction when I walked into her lovely, bright, tastefully-decorated shop yesterday was to assume that everything would be way, way out of my price range… so imagine my surprise when the first price tag I looked at (on a beautiful, startlingly-contemporary blouse) read a mere $11.99!
“What’s the deal with all this, then?” I asked, honestly shocked. “Are you doing consignment of some kind?” Nope, she smiled, everything is new — she just goes to a lot of shows, and does a lot of research, and makes a concerted effort to find the very best deals and pass them along to us. “I’m shooting to find things that are different, for Taos… and styles that are really modern,” she smiles shyly. Amen, girl.
The young Ms. Trujillo also seems to be having no trouble fitting into the neighborhood. Her father owns several of the shops on the plaza, so she says she basically grew up there, and she’s working hard to keep that family-feeling alive. La Paloma’s walls are decorated with art from the Michael McCormick Gallery, and she’s already spoken with The Art Den (a new gallery, just across the way) about putting some of their pieces in there, as well. “We’re all definitely trying to help each other out here,” she said.
She also makes a point to say that she’s hoping to attract locals just as much as she will the inevitable foot traffic of tourists, in what really must be one of the best retail spots in town. Based on the full bag I personally walked out with (and I’m nobody’s super-shopper, but hell if I was going to get out of there without some sweet wardrobe updates), if she keeps her prices as reasonable as they currently are and her stock as refreshingly modern, she won’t have any trouble bringing locals back time and time again.
To top it all off, she’s open every day from 10 – 6. Get down there, ladyfriends — you won’t be disappointed.