Voila Boutique 10 years
For 10 years, Voila Boutique has brought European-inspired style to Birmingham. sisters Pascale Forster and Carole Viadero first opened the women’s fashion boutique in Grosse Pointe in 2011. With many of their customers traveling from Birmingham to shop at the store, the sisters saw an opportunity to bring Voila closer to them. In 2016, they opened a second location at 395 Hamilton Row in Birmingham, where the boutique has since become a destination for shoppers seeking distinctive, elevated everyday wear. Two years ago, Viadero moved back to France, and the Grosse Pointe location eventually closed. Forster, however, has maintained relationships with many of the store’s longtime Grosse Pointe customers by hosting twice-yearly trunk shows in Grosse Pointe, allowing them to continue shopping the unique collections they have come to love. Born and raised in Paris, Forster’s appreciation for fashion began early, inspired by her mother, whom she remembers as always being impeccably dressed. At Voila, she brings that European sensibility to a carefully curated collection of clothing sourced through buying trips to Europe and New York. The boutique features apparel from Italy, Spain, Poland, Croatia, Denmark, Japan and Germany, along with handbags, jewelry and shoes. Viadero continues to play an important role in the business from France, serving as the store’s European buyer. For Forster, the appeal of Voila is not simply about fashion—it’s about discovery. She says customers appreciate finding pieces they won’t see everywhere else. “They say, ‘Oh my gosh, this is like coming to a museum. There is always something unusual to discover,’” Forster said. “I have customers who come here every week because they are afraid that they may miss something.”
The boutique is open Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Business Matters for the Birmingham - Bloomfield area are reported by Gigi Nichols. Send items for consideration to GigiNichols@downtownpublications.com. Items should be received three weeks prior to publication.
