Minouchic Boutique, full of sparkling dresses and vibrant patterns, is the manifestation of owner Mary Toussaint’s dream. 

Toussaint went to school in Haiti before moving to Evanston at age 12 with her younger sister, Marie Lynn Toussaint. Mary Toussaint then went to fashion school and worked in the modeling business. She said she has fashion designs that she would love to see created, though that’s not her strong suit.

“I’m not good at (sketching),” Mary Toussaint said. “But I can visualize and tell somebody to make it.”

Instead, she fulfilled her aspirations in fashion by opening Minouchic Boutique in November 2013. The Asbury Avenue boutique’s vintage clothing reflects Mary Toussaint’s love for unique pieces. 

Even though it was her dream, she said her sister supported her in creating the business. 

“We had been planning, finding a space and collecting clothing,” Marie Lynn Toussaint said. “It was a team effort.”  

Marie Lynn Toussaint’s 15-year-old son, Mardochee Jean-Charles also helped start the boutique. When the boutique first opened, Jean-Charles said he would come to the boutique from school and see a new wall built in the boutique, creating a fitting-room or storage space. 

Now, he said he finds pieces within the store that he loves and takes home to build his own wardrobe.

“Sometimes I just go around browsing,” Jean-Charles said. “I get jackets, pants and shoes.”

The boutique is split into two sides. Mary Toussaint said the vintage side contains clothing such as blazers, shoes and other items she found online or in estate sales, while the new side fills the room with colorful African-patterned pieces. 

The boutique’s walls are covered with artwork, mostly by Haitian artist Herold Alvares, who paints with his hands and feet. Mary Toussaint said she wants to support Haitian art and culture around her store.

Mary Toussaint said she implemented African-patterned clothing in the store about four years ago because customers were showing interest in those patterns. Though she doesn’t have a lot of customers from Haiti, she said she found Evanston residents really enjoyed her selections. 

Mary Toussaint said she loves the vintage side, especially the dress slips. Minouchic Boutique features a whole section dedicated to embroidered white slip skirts and dresses. 

“(My mother) always said, ‘Put a slip under your dress,’” Mary Toussaint said.

Now, Mary Toussaint said she enjoys wearing slips alone as skirts, something of which she said her mother would disapprove. 

Mary Toussaint said COVID-19 is still influencing the boutique’s business, as the number of customers has decreased in recent years. Even though she loves the location, Mary Toussaint said foot traffic has decreased significantly.

Coming out of the pandemic, she said she is trying to bring customers back to the boutique by using social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook and Yelp. 

The boutique will celebrate its nine-year anniversary during the upcoming Black Friday weekend, so Mary Toussaint said she hopes business will pick up again.

“Lately it’s been pretty slow, very slow, too slow,” she said.

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Twitter: @divsgupt

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