It’s impossible to open magazines like People and In Style and not notice the celebrities carrying trendy totes, tees, and too-cute things for baby. While we usually write off such fashionable stuff as extravagant, our shopping scene is about to change. Luckily, Minnesotans can find those treasures-or affordable alternatives-right in the Twin Cities, thanks to one local woman with a whole lot of style.
Quyen “Wing” Tran is the owner of Pacifier, a baby boutique located throughout the Twin Cities. She’s up to date on all the trends and stocks her store with unique gifts and goods in all price ranges. The concept began when Tran was looking to buy a baby gift for her new niece, Thalia, and couldn’t find something locally that was just right for the occasion.
“I thought there was a niche that could be filled here,” says Tran who always dreamed of opening her own boutique with husband Jonathan Witthuhn.
The spacious, bright shop offers everything from clothing to furniture and decor. Tran does most of her buying from online trade magazines but often takes recommendations from customers on what’s hot, hard to find, or in demand. Pacifier overflows with tables of toys, walls of adorable outfits, and displays featuring playsets, cribs, and even skincare accessories. Her variety makes it easy for friends to find the perfect little gift for a shower and for Grandma to find the best big present to spoil her grandbaby.
In one quick scan of the store, those images from the media come flashing back. Pacifier has the “Ugly Dolls,” which started in Barney’s New York and the quick-to-fill-in, beautiful baby book named “Coco” after Courtney Cox and David Arquette’s daughter. Tran isn’t surprised that celebrities impact this market and thinks it’s mainly because of “the sheer number of celebrities having babies these days.”
Who could forget when Ellen DeGeneres gave an expecting Gwyneth Paltrow the shiny Silver Cross Kensington pram? Tran doesn’t display the $2,200 carrier but she does offer the Bugaboo Frog stroller, a hip and versatile alternative. The all-in-one, car seat-compatible, easy-to-maneuver ensemble is a bassinet, a two-wheeler, and a jogger for those strolls around the lake, complete with mosquito netting and rain shield. This is what such A-List celebrity moms like Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Madonna, and Cynthia Nixon’s character, Miranda, on “Sex and the City” push when they’re not prepared for the paparazzi. Though Tran admits her priciest piece is not cheap at $729, “it’s worth it for those who can afford it,” and is one investment for baby from birth to age 4.
Another display is an array of chic diaper bags, cuter than most purses seen on the street. The stunning green silk Petunia Picklebottom carried by Reese Witherspoon is on the rack for $138. So is the Oi Oi messenger bag favored by Cate Blanchett. The latter is $100 but Tran displays a cute, practical alternative next to it for half the price.
While no Minnesota baby would be complete without boots, most moms aren’t going to spend $150 on miniature Uggs or the Little E.D.A. sheepskin booties that Madonna sent to David Letterman when he became a dad. But Pacifier’s fleece footsies seem appropriate at a mere $13.
And if you don’t have thousands to spend on a playhouse-like Chris O’Donnell who purchased the “Storybook Bungalow” from Posh Tots for almost $5,000-Tran suggests a solid wood grocer’s set with drawers and wooden accessories like cheese and veggies. The playhouse is $350 and plus, who doesn’t want his or her kids picking out avocados and eggplants by name?
Once a customer laughed at the store’s name, created by Tran’s husband, because there really aren’t many pacifiers, if any, in the store. More likely you’ll find the latest trends set by such celebrities and Tran herself. One of her favorite finds is inexpensive tees and onesies with phrases like, “Got Milk?” or “Party in my crib tonight: 3am.”
Says Tran: “The whole store is a pacifier-it makes everybody happy.”
