Women’s clothing boutique Vogue Society opens this weekend in downtown St. Pete
/Downtown St. Pete’s newest women’s clothing boutique, VOgue Society Boutique, debuts on Saturday, August 26th at 212 2nd Street North in downtown St. Pete | St. Pete Rising
A women’s fashion boutique that’s owned and operated by a mother-daughter team is coming soon to downtown St. Petersburg after finding success at Sarasota’s University Town Center.
Vogue Society Boutique will be located at 212 2nd Street North, next to the newly opened Dirty Shirley restaurant and bar and across the street from the Sundial retail, dining, and entertainment complex.
Founders Sharon and Kait Yoniski are planning a Saturday August 26th grand opening and they’re stoking interest in the debut of their second location with an Instagram contest that will award the lucky winner free clothes for a year.
Founders of Vogue Society Boutique, Sharon and Kait Yoniski | Vogue Society Boutique
“I’m trying to spread the word to people in St. Pete,” Kait Yoniski said. “I want a lot of people to be there on Saturday. We’re also doing these VIP bags with gift cards for the first 15 people in line that day.”
The Vogue Society Boutique website describes the store’s aesthetic as for the “girl who wants to wear Insta-worthy outfits while feeling comfy because she’s got things to DO! Our style is trendy yet comfortable for everyday wear!”
Some of the brands they carry include Natural Life, Judy Blue, and Dolce Vita, and the product lineup includes tops, bottoms, dresses, rompers, jumpsuits, dresses, shoes, jewelry, and accessories, as well as a selection of candles.
Kait uses terms such as “trendy and everyday … with a touch of Bohemian” to describe the store’s offerings.
Kait and her mother hail from Pennsylvania but moved to Jacksonville, Florida, in 2017, soon after Kait graduated from Penn State University. Kait’s boyfriend, however, landed a job in Sarasota, so she and Sharon relocated to the Gulf Coast after about six months in Jacksonville.
Vogue Society’s roduct lineup includes tops, bottoms, dresses, rompers, jumpsuits, dresses, shoes, jewelry, and accessories, as well as a selection of candles | Vogue Society Boutique
“My mom and I didn’t really have any ties to Jacksonville,” Kait said. “We did launch our business there, but it was online only. We launched our website in July 2017 and had a few items of inventory. But we had no idea what we were doing. I Googled everything!”
Sharon added, “We were trying to open a brick-and-mortar store but we just didn’t narrow down a location. Then we just decided, ‘Well, we’ll go to the Sarasota side.’”
In Sarasota, the Yoniskis opened a series of pop-up shops, partnering with conventions, restaurants, and other venues before opening a brick-and-mortar retail store in summer 2018.
“We were doing well online at that time,” Kait said. “But it was taking over our house, like three rooms. And so, we were like, ‘OK, we need to maybe get an office space or a warehouse.”
Kait and Sharon soon found out, though, that they could get a small storefront space in a small strip mall for about what they would pay for an office or warehouse.
Founder Kait Yoniski modeling the Too Hot To Handle Maxi Dress | Vogue Society Boutique
“It wasn’t in a great shopping plaza,” Kait said, “just a random little plaza with, like, a nail salon.”
However, in 2021, thanks to consistently strong online sales, the Yoniskis moved Vogue Society Boutique to prime real estate in Sarasota’s University Town Center.
And now, buoyed by the success of their Sarasota location, Kait and her mother have decided to expand Vogue Society to the Sunshine City.
Be sure to visit Vogue Society for their grand opening this Saturday August 26th at 10:00 a.m. at 212 2nd Street North. For updates and more information, visit their website and follow the them on Instagram.
