Make a statement with new accessories

Published 6:00 am Wednesday, December 7, 2005

New boutique Kennedy and Kate offers some fashion eclectica.

With all due respect to diamonds, accessories are really a woman’s best friend.

“Fashion accessories give an updated look without (you) spending a fortune,” said Sarah Wen, owner of the newly opened boutique Kennedy and Kate.

Situated at the corner of Winslow and Madison, Wen’s first foray into the fashion business, she says, “is like hanging out in the closet of a Hollywood starlet with a finely edited selection of trendy pieces and must-have basics.”

Wen and her husband, Sen, a software engineer, moved to Bainbridge from Orange County, California a year ago. After working in corporate marketing for a managed health care company, she was ready to delve into something new.

Her husband hails from Federal Way. On a visit back to Washington, the couple spent the day on Bainbridge; one look was all it took for them to decide to make the island their home.

“I grew up in Northern California, in the wine area. I’ve always liked little tiny towns with a little tourist industry and fun restaurants,” Wen said. “(Bainbridge) is a fabulous community, close-knit and friendly. People say hi to you in the grocery store and the schools are fabulous.”

Wen knew she wanted to open her own business, but wasn’t sure which avenue to take. Fashion seemed like a natural fit. She always loved dressing up and would join her brother in raiding the tool shed for props for their runway shows when they were young.

Last March Wen joined the Seattle chapter of Women Who Launch, where – mentored by successful businesswomen and others like herself who wanted to become entrepreneurs – she laid out a business plan.

“It was such a great experience, great to be around like-minded women. They were positive and encouraging and saying, ‘Go for it. You can do it,’” Wen said. “I left there with some really good energy and decided a retail store is a better fit for me. Once I decided, it went really, really fast.”

The Wens turned the former rug shop into a bubblegum pink and white cocoon with a decidedly fashion-forward vibe. The vivid abstracts by islander Taylor Tan make the space look as if it were designed around them. In truth, the artist approached Wen about displaying the art after the wall color was applied.

The light-filled space features two dressing rooms and room to browse. Fun yet sophisticated, it is the perfect backdrop for the accessories and clothing Wen selected, which reveal her love for vintage, classic and contemporary styles.

“I have eclectic taste. Vintage and preppy are mixed in with ’70s funky,” Wen said. “I like to have a little bit of everything.”

Wen possesses a keen fashion sense and the ability to appeal to a range of fashion-savvy females. She offers vintage scarves, chunky ceramic bead necklaces and earrings in jewel tones for day or night, cluster bracelets and delicious chocolate and black bags that are professional and polished – not dreary.

Priced from $5 to high double digits, her jewelry pairs well with existing wardrobes and the pieces Wen offers.

From funky retro T-shirts ($28) to the chic little Theory black dress (at $380, the most pricey item in the place), the shop showcases a collection that won’t be found anywhere else on the island, Wen said.

“A lot of this is statement pieces,” she said, including fine cashmere sweaters and fashion-forward Italian tops and jeans by Miss Sixty.

Wen bows to whimsy with designer Hello Kitty rings. Hip Lee Roi necklaces – leather cut-outs of the words “rock” and “love” and feathers in gold and rose gold hues – require closer observation: They look like gold metallic.

Kim White handbags are fashioned from the material used in American cars from the ’70s and ’80s. Wen currently has a circa 1975 Gremlin fabric clutch in stock and more styles on order.

“It’s another way to bring in vintage and make it fun and modern,” said Wen, who encourages customers to try things on and stands ready to offer suggestions.

She also is prepared for the inevitable question: Where did you get the name for your shop?

“Kennedy and Kate are my two favorite girl names,” Wen said. “I was saving those names for my (future) children. They’ll know they were named after the store.”