I approached the crisp white storefront decorated with hints of lilac in the middle of Annapolis’ Main Street repeating the mantra “I will not buy anything, I have a house payment.” The store had just opened for the morning as had many downtown, leaving the brick streets exposed and the stores ready to be pillaged. Contrary to my frequent trips downtown, this particular trip sent me to Annapolis for a chat with local business owners, Fern Elliott and Beth Haschen-Ingham. You may know them as the brilliantly fashionable and friendly owners of Lilac Bijoux, arguably the most eclectic yet stylish store for women downtown. If you’ve visited the store, you know why I had to restrain so seriously from purchasing anything. If you haven’t seen Lilac Bijoux, read on to learn about the owners and the hand picked clothing, jewelry, and handbags from Maryland all the way to Brazil.
Lilac Bijoux, from the French word for “jewelry,” started up in 2005. The history of the store is truly as interesting and progressive as its creators, Elliott and Haschen-Ingham. Elliott, who grew up in Brazil, understood the ways of fashion at an early age thanks to her fashion designer mother who had ten stores in Rio de Janeiro (talk about a little girl’s dream!). Eventually, Elliott got to try her own hand at fashion as an accessories buyer for White House Black Market. Elliott stayed with White House Black Market for five years where she relied on her fashionable Brazilian roots, as she still does today.
“Being from another country gives me a wider range of tastes,” Elliott begins, clasping her hot pink nails together, “And Brazilians have a lot of charm. Everyone there is always well put together.” True to form, the Brazilian native loves tropical prints and vivid colors. She comments that people come into the store and love to see the assortment of patterns and colors together. In fact, it’s Elliott’s intriguing sense of style that she credits for aiding her in the purchase of merchandise. When I posed the question about knowing what to put in the store, both Elliott and Haschen-Ingham laughed. “Somehow I know,” Elliott starts, “I think I’m lucky that I know what people like and would wear.” Haschen-Ingham follows up in the kind, business partner kind of way, with “She’s very good at spotting trends.” Even so, Elliott explains she and Haschen-Ingham don’t only stock Lilac Bijoux with items they adore. Rather, the trendsetters seek the different styles women like, proving fashion can be inclusive and oh-so approachable.The ladies also follow trends and fill out the store accordingly.
Haschen-Ingham’s life before Lilac Bijoux was just as social as Elliott’s, but didn’t involve fashion. She worked in event planning and management for several years. Though her career now includes working with floral dresses and trendy jewelry, Haschen-Ingham does use her managerial skills to keep Lilac Bijoux running smoothly. Even still, Haschen-Ingham goes with Elliott on buying trips and helps bring Brazilian taste to the Annapolis store. The contrast of the owners works well not only because Elliott does the purchasing and Haschen-Ingham manages the store, but also in terms of understanding the customer. “Fern is very exotic and cultured and I’m very conservative,” Haschen-Ingham says as she tucks a piece of dirty blonde hair behind her ear, “And somewhere in the middle is our customer.” Intertwining the wild and exotic with something put together makes for a bold statement, which is exactly what you’ll make sporting clothes or jewelry from Lilac Bijoux. 
The collaboration of Haschen-Ingham and Elliott manifests itself on the shelves and hangers of Lilac Bijoux. Though the store began with just accessories, it’s full of dresses, tunics, tops, clutches, and handbags now. Designers like Cheap & Chich, Rena, Betty Carre, Big Buddha, Bohm, Jennifer King, Melie Bianco, Towne & Reese, and Delvecchio populate the Main Street store. Just like the clothing, the jewelry is colorful and ever-so feminine. Most of the jewelry features a harmonious blend of metal and a gem, either colorful, pearly white, or onyx black. You can find silver, gold, and metallic pieces in the store as well. Right now, Lilac Bijoux has a lot of neon colors on anything from chunky bracelets to crossover bags. Nail polish by Butter London and Lippy Lip Gloss are also available for purchase in the store. Elliott and Haschen-Ingham wanted to reach women of all ages with the products, and the agelessness of jewelry allows them to do so. As far as the clothing goes, the owners say they target women in their thirties and forties. However, the clothes are so bright and flowy, anyone from teenage years to eighty can wear the fashions well. Visit the site at http://www.lilacbijoux.com/store/ or the store at 145 Main Street to view the beauty for yourself. Friend Lilac Bijoux on Facebook and discover sales, new items, and trends!
Since Lilac Bijoux is located right downtown, Haschen-Ingham experience a healthy mix of customers. “We love being here and we get a lot of foot traffic,” Elliott says. Haschen-Ingham adds that she loves the Main Street location because of the constant customer change. “We have a core of Annapolitans that come in as our frequent buyers and others who just visit,” she comments. Haschen-Ingham looked out the window and revisited the topic: “And it’s such a beautiful place!”
As for the future, Lilac Bijoux has plans for improvement in two areas: the website and expanding to second location. The new website will launch in August. Elliott and Haschen-Ingham didn’t offer a timeline for the new store. However, the prospect of a second Lilac Bijoux is exciting enough for now. Shop for a friend, a boss, a family member, or yourself. The important thing is to shop, which is why I comprised on my mantra and bought some gold and black earrings on sale. They were $12 and so worth it, as is every trip into Lilac Bijoux. They’re open seven days a week. Visit them today!
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