Nov. 22, 2019

A new online boutique has opened a pop-up shop for the holiday season.

Alicia Engelking started Boutique 818 in August and said the goal is to have a storefront someday.

“This gives me a little trial run to see how it goes,” she said of the temporary space she’s leasing in a retail center near Olive Garden on West 41st Street.

The boutique carries women’s clothing that’s “comfortable casual wear,” she said, along with shoes, accessories and purses. Clothing sizes range from small to 3X.

“I want women of any size to come to the boutique and find something that they love,” said Engelking, who works full-time as a pediatrics nurse at LifeScape Children’s and teaches nursing clinicals for Dakota Wesleyan University at Sanford USD Medical Center.

She has been sourcing most of her inventory online from vendors and manufacturers in the LA Fashion District, looking for merchandise that is consistent in quality and sizing.

The name of the boutique comes from the birth date of her adopted daughter. Amber had a significant illness as a baby that left her with limitations for activities, Engelking said.

“But she always enjoyed clothing shopping. She died in 2010, and that’s when my idea for the boutique was sparked.”

Engelking said she hopes to expand into children’s clothing someday.

The boutique’s merchandise also includes bath bombs and shower steamers made locally by Mom’s Night In. The temporary space is next to the Art Moms holiday pop-up store in the south building of Park Place Center.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 29-30, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 6-7, and Dec. 13-14.