As a former member of the USA national gymnastics team, Liz Marino isn’t afraid of a little competition. Although she admits to being camera-shy, she’s fearless talking about her tactics to be the best boutique owner in California’s Ventura Harbor Village. She’s even more enthusiastic about her ability to put together a good jewelry display. And none of her ideas involve conventional fixtures.
“I like the displays to almost be like an interactive piece of art where customers feel like they can take a piece of jewelry from the art display and take it home with them,” Marino explains. “I have never been one for the manufactured form displays. I like to be a little more unique.”
From mermaids covered in sea glass rings to iron pipes and driftwood designed for dangling necklaces, there’s no telling which props will be used at Barefoot Boutique.
Her creations aren’t limited to jewelry. Barefoot Boutique covers a lot of ground from apparel and accessories to home decor and gifts.
“I try to be nautical because I’m by the beach and people really want that when they come to the beach,” she explains. “And plus, it’s just so fun.”
Trading in her leotards
After a stint as head gymnastics coach at UC Santa Barbara, Marino opened a gymnastics school in Malibu, California, where she also opened a sports boutique on the side, offering leotards and leggings. As the store grew to include other apparel, so did its popularity among her celebrity clientele.
“And then I just had this thing where I wanted them to take their shoes off when they would come into the gym because I didn’t want their high heels going through the mats,” Marino explains. “So, they would take their shoes off and then they would kind of shop around in the boutique. That’s when I started calling it the Barefoot Boutique.”
Since 2013, Marino has been pulling together trend-setting looks that compel guests to wear their new digs right out of the store, she says.
Sparklers that sizzle
When it comes to accessorizing those looks, larimar jewelry ranks among the most popular in Marino’s collection. Also called the dolphin stone, larimar speaks to the carefree attitude of vacationers who fall in love with the stone’s varied hues of blue.
Marino first discovered larimar in a ring worn by a client she became friends with.
“I had never heard of it. It looks like turquoise, but it’s not,” she says. “My friend said, ‘I get it from a local artist. I could introduce you.’”
She made the introduction to Steve Jones. “He brought all this jewelry over and I fell in love with it,” Marino recalls.
Sea glass is also a mainstay at the Barefoot Boutique. Whether in rings, necklaces, earrings or bracelets, there’s no mistaking this coveted sea treasure. Marino looks to Betty Belts and 1247 Studios for her most popular pieces, she says.
And healing stones are never far away from the top of the lineup, according to Marino. Turquoise, smoky quartz, rose quartz, moonstone, amethyst and others all turn heads at Barefoot Boutique.
Go for good energy
Originally a 700-square-foot store, the boutique expanded a few years after it opened to include the neighboring unit that became available after another tenant moved out. A second location is also located in nearby Santa Barbara, California.
With as much joy as building her stores brings to Marino, it never overshadows her love for people. Whether her staff members or customers, Marino is most passionate about those who support her dream.
“We get a lot of compliments, and there are a lot of wonderful people that have a really positive outlook about the store,” Marino says. “They might leave wearing an outfit and they’re so happy. That might turn into an online customer or ‘We’ll see you next year when we’re back on vacation again.’ We get a lot of those. The No. 1 thing for me is the people I get to meet and making them happy.”
She adds that she’s not afraid of other establishments trying to emulate her success; instead, she takes it in stride as a flattering gesture that she must be doing something right.
“My motto is, ‘do what you do, stay in your lane.’ See what comes to you, what you’re drawn to, and bring it into the store,” she explains. “I think it’s a nice clean energy to have.”
And whether it is the jewelry display, the jewelry selection or the jewelry customer, Marino gets a perfect score every time.
