Flair deal: Marco woman opens Mexican-flavored clothing store

A pretty dress she found in her native Mexico led Maby Alvarez to open a clothing store inspired by surrealist Frida Kahlo.

The store, called Frida, is stocked with women's apparel — hand-painted cotton garments, casual wear and sterling-silver accessories — mostly from the Oaxaca and Chiapas Pacific regions of Mexico.

Photo by QUENTIN ROUX, Marco Eagle

Maby Alvarez adjusts a scarf for display at Frida, her new store in the Mission Plaza. The former attorney sells Mexican clothing for women, as well as jewelry and accessories.

Alvarez believes her cotton-only clothes will appeal to Marco Island women because they're breezy and practical.

"Why wear nylon in heat like we have here?" she said.

Associate Carol English, a former customer, said she thinks Alvarez made a good business move.

"The clothes are well-made.

They're 100 percent cotton, so are easily laundered," she said.

"They're fresh, different and can be casual or dressy. So far, customer reaction has been really positive."

After a "soft" opening in late January, Alvarez has a fairly aggressive marketing and publicity strategy. A comprehensive Web site is under construction.

Born in Mexico City, Alvarez was an attorney in her home country for two years before developing a dislike for the profession.

"I was working for the government on social housing issues, and I didn't like it," she said. "Everything was corrupted."

After coming to the United States in 2001, she attended a culinary school in West Palm Beach. Though she decided not to go into that profession, she considers herself a good chef.

She has been married for more than a year to Erik Tamayo, also a Mexican immigrant who runs a cleaning and maintenance business and also works for an island mortgage company.

Photo by QUENTIN ROUX, Marco Eagle

Alvarez says Marco women will enjoy the store's breezy atmosphere and cotton clothing.

Alvarez recalls buying the fateful dress with some amusement.

"I bought the dress in Ixtapa (a resort area), and whenever I wore it, someone would ask me where I got it," she said. "Eventually, even though my husband said he hated the dress, I thought there would be a niche for this kind of clothing on Marco Island."

On a trip to Mexico in September, Alvarez intuitively connected with a clothing company and brought home a variety of items.

"I bought plenty of stuff. We lived among boxes," she said.

When Island Breeze vacated its space in the Mission Plaza, Alvarez decided to open her store there.

She didn't have to do much renovation because the previous store was in good shape, she said.

Alvarez plans to return to Mexico occasionally to stay current with the fashions. She'll bring back anything she thinks is appropriate for the Marco market.

She also plans to produce brochures, advertise in newspapers and maintain an attractive window display.

During season, her hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.