Was opening a retail store always a dream, or did it occur by accident?
"A little of both. I called it a quarter-life crisis at the time. I was planning on quitting my corporate job for a while, and I had saved up quite a bit of money. I was interviewing around, but I only had experience for a sales job — and making a career change would prove difficult, as it was the start of the recession."

"I always wanted to work in fashion and retail, but I thought I needed to prove myself in some way and pay my dues. So, it was surprising when my father asked me out of the blue, 'Why don’t you open your own store? Isn’t that what you want anyway?' It seemed so simple then. The next thing I knew I was signing a lease and cold calling brands. Truthfully, I had no idea what I was doing, and I spent my time researching and making educated guesses. My first big break was getting a well-known brand that was represented by a college friend of mine, which ultimately opened a lot of doors."

Mallory is wearing Hudson Nico skinny jeans, a Fluxus t-shirt, Sisley coat, and Valentino shoes.