Local curated pop-up State Line and Friends is making use of a vacant storefront once occupied by Houston-based accessories designer, Elaine Turner, at CityCentre.

Houstonians can now shop these usually online-only retailers and physically interact with the female entrepreneurs, including the State Line Designs apparel and gifts. Shoppers can also expect to find Nomadic Home + Co., eco-conscious products and handcrafted soy candles; bright and bold jewelry, accessories and handbags from Dae & Night Boutique; and A Leap of Style, “everyday fearless style for the culturally curious.” Karissa Lindsey, the owner of A Leap of Style, is bringing the brand’s vintage capsule collection featuring vintage kimonos and one-of-a-kind pieces.

Shoppers can celebrate and meet the local entrepreneurs, creatives, and designers during the grand opening party Friday, April 19 from 6-9 pm. Expect a photo booth, DJ, dessert bar and boozy popsicles. Children and four-legged friends are welcome.

“Houston has some amazing women-owned businesses,” says Ellyse Espinoza, owner of State Line Designs. “We are so excited to bring the shop local movement to such a diverse district like CityCentre.”

As owner of a “super dope Texas brand,” — HTX Boss Babes, Houston’s first female community of creatives and entrepreneurs — and co-host of the It Was All A Dream podcast, Espinoza is no stranger to temporary retail outlets. In 2017, during Super Bowl weekend, State Line Designs was featured as a Houston designer. The graphic designer and owner of the Texas-centric apparel and accessories asked LAUNCH, the pop-up boutique sponsored by Houston First if she could host a party.

With the green light given, Espinoza went to work and invited 8th Wonder to donate beer, a visual artist for live painting and a group of teens from Louisiana to play the drums and allow passersby to take pictures with their pig. “Yes, a pig,” says Espinoza. Throughout the party, and even after Super Bowl weekend ended, Espinoza told CultureMap her friends referred to the party as ‘State Line and Friends.’

“Every time Sydney Dao saw me, she’d say, ‘Hey, State Line and Friends,’ and it just stuck,” Espinoza says.

Fast forward to the fall of 2017, Espinoza curated and opened make(her) boutique, a 13-month pop-up, at GreenStreet with local beauty, apparel, accessories and home decor brands. Espinoza was selected to enter a Shark Tank-inspired competition, and she, along with three other female founders contestants, was given the opportunity to turn their online-only businesses into a brick-and-mortar setting.

Brenda Grands (jewelry), Camellia Alise (skincare), and State Line Designs teamed up to leverage their online customers and meet new customers at make(her). Throughout the 13-month pop-up, various female-owned businesses were added to the boutique, including Onata Fragrances, a candle + home and body fragrance brand.

After make(her) closed its doors, Espinoza was approached with the opportunity to open a pop-up at CITYCENTRE. Her selfless and supportive personality asked the property managers if she could collaborate with other local female-founders. Again, she got the green light, and in deciding on a name for the pop-up, Espinoza remembered what her friends called the party she hosted during Super Bowl weekend.

“It’s not about me or State Line Designs,” Espinoza says. “It’s about supporting Houston’s community of small women-owned businesses.”

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State Line Designs; 800 Town and Country Blvd., Suite 170; Monday-Saturday, 10 am- 7 pm; Sunday, noon - 6 pm.