point of interest
flight of fashion Story | Elizabeth Exline
The Little Bird
F
orget trawling through racks of musty clothes. Abandon the idea that resale is only for finding outrageous Halloween costumes. These days, luxury consignment is the best-dressed ticket for sourcing a one-of-a-kind gown or making some extra cash off last season’s bag. And in Houston, the place to do it is the effortlessly chic The Little Bird. The reason why The Little Bird is at the head of the consignment pack is, essentially, its inventory. Shelves are expertly stocked with vintage and new pieces, which can sometimes surprise passersby who drop in.
“It’s a really meticulous, beautiful store where people don’t really know that they’re in a consignment store,” explains The Little Bird’s founder, Keele Loyd. That people have to ask is a testament to Loyd’s accidental expertise in retail. She graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in mathematics, but decided to spend a year in Aspen, Colo., before returning to teach. During that year, she found her true calling in retail and opened The Little Bird in Aspen in 2007. Life brought her to Houston the next year to undergo successful treatment for thyroid
cancer at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Wanting to divert her attention to something positive during her treatment, she began contemplating an expansion into her adopted city. Loyd guessed that in Houston, “there would be some big closets to clean out.” She was right. Last year, Loyd opened the 3,200-square-foot shop, where patrons encounter everything from new designer denim and casual pieces by the likes of Tory Burch to showstopping statements of elegance by Chanel, Carolina Herrera and Dior. It’s also become a sort of hunting ground, Loyd notes, for finding treasures like the Fendi Baguettes that fly off the shelves. Of course, The Little Bird is only as desirable as its inventory and for that, Loyd relies on finding pieces that have a certain timelessness. “It’s thinking about how we would want to dress a woman and have her say that she got that at our store,” she explains. For all her careful vetting and time-tested experience, the secret to Loyd’s success may just boil down to a kind word. Loyd intentionally eschews the coastal cities in favor of the Midwest, where opportunity
the little bird 1735 post oak blvd. 832-767-4483 thelittlebirdinc.com
cocktails & conversation.
and friendliness coexist like nowhere else. “You can never be too kind, and you can never do too much to help people,” Loyd opines. And there’s no price tag on that experience.
A Good Vintage Houston proves it’s got a highend (consignment) habit with these delightful boutiques.
Cheeky Vintage
Opened in 2008 by best friends and veteran vintage hunters Tina Davis and Denise Hazen, Cheeky Vintage infuses its inventory with a dash of iconic glamour via crown molding, chandeliers and homages to its muse, Audrey Hepburn. 2134 richmond ave. 713-533-1121 cheekyvintage.com
Twice New Consignment Couture Boutique There’s something to be said for experience, and Twice New has been a community fixture since 1989. Featuring all the desirable labels—Chanel, Escada, Gucci and more—the 2,500-square-foot shop is full of carefully culled goods. Claim to fame: Giving back. What doesn’t sell isn’t wasted: Twice New donates inventory to a women’s shelter. 2005-d w. gray 713-523-2212 twicenew.com
September/October • 2012
13