In 2014, Sophia Lucas and her husband, Colton Joseph, decided it was time to create a brand that exudes style from the soul. The result was Meraki Moon, an online and mobile boutique based in Denver. In anticipation of the opening of their RiNo flagship store we talked to Lucas about her style, the inspiration for Meraki Moon and her thoughts on the Denver fashion scene.
Photo Credit : Noah Berg of Noah Berg Photography
303: Meraki Moon is such a memorable name. What’s the story behind it?
Sophia Lucas: We struggled to come up with a name that was fitting for the store we wanted to create for the longest time. It seems like such a simple task but it was truly one of the hardest parts about starting a store. It’s like trying to name your child! We hadn’t come up with anything we loved until I stumbled upon the word Meraki on Instagram. Meraki is Greek for “ the soul, creativity and love you put into you work.” It seemed like the perfect word to encompass everything we were doing and hoping to accomplish! To be honest, “Moon” just sounded cute paired with it.
Photo Credit : Noah Berg of Noah Berg Photography
303: Being a Colorado native, how do you think the fashion and style has changed over time?
SL: I was born and raised in Boulder where I feel like style is pretty eclectic. There are so many different types of people all over Colorado whether they be athletes, hippies or entrepreneurs – so it’s definitely a pretty diverse mix of fashion and personal style. Moving to Denver in the past few years and watching the city become such a new hot spot has definitely been amazing. The fashion scene here has really started to blow up and style has started to follow suit by catching up with some of the big fashion cities in the country! I can finally go out downtown in a cute dress and pair of heels without getting looked at like I am lost in the wrong city!
Photo Credit : Noah Berg of Noah Berg Photography
303: What are some of your favorite fall pieces currently on the mobile boutique?
SL: I love that question! Since I do all the buying I seriously love every single piece in the truck for a different reason but a few of my must haves would be the For Love and Lemons Safron Mini Dress and the Brown Fringe Jacket. For Love and Lemons creates pieces you will never find yourself selling to Buffalo Exchange in years to come. They are a little higher priced but totally worth it because they are so timeless and unique. I also have the most amazing faux-suede fringe jacket that I will be wearing all fall. It looks super cute thrown over a mini dress or styled more casual with a tee and jeans!
303: Why did you decide to start the mobile boutique?
SL: I have wanted to open my own store since I was a little girl. My husband and I started with just a few items in an online store a few years ago and as our business started to grow online we realized opening a brick and mortar was a real possibility! We were doing tons of local events in Boulder and Denver and had seen a few of the mobile boutiques around the area. We decided to take a leap of faith with the box truck as a next step for our business and it has helped us grow immensely. Not only is the mobile boutique a great marketing tool but it is an amazing opportunity to bring our store directly to our local customers to get our name and brand out there.
Photo Credit : Noah Berg of Noah Berg Photography
303: What are five staples you believe every Coloradan should have?
SL: Oh that’s a tough one! Let’s see –
- I would definitely say a nice leather jacket is a must have. I have had the same one for YEARS! They never go out of style and are a staple piece for every season.
- A good pair of jeans. Whether your “perfect” pair is a boyfriend fit, boot cut, distressed or flared -having a pair of jeans you love is a must.
- Boots! Colorado-native’s all know how fickle the weather is in our beautiful state and the only way to survive is a comfortable and cute pair boots you love and trust to keep your toes warm!
- A knit sweater is another favorite of mine that I end up wearing all fall and winter. I love big slouchy sweaters that can be worn as a dress with over the knee boots or that can be switched up to pair with jeans! You will definitely get your money’s worth of wear from a good knit from September through April!
- The perfect tee shirt. Whether it be an old band tee, a graphic or just a plain white tee – it is an essential piece to have in your closet. We sell some seriously soft graphics in the store and I pretty much find myself reaching for them to throw on with jeans or printed bells 7 days a week!
303: If you could style one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
SL: I have to go with Stevie Nicks. I am a huge fan of 70’s fashion and since she is basically the queen of bohemian style I would love to go back in time to play dress up with her. So many of the elements of fashion she has always been seen rocking are some of my favorites – flared jeans, fringe and lace never go out of style in my book!
303: With your new flagship store opening in the heart of Denver, what can we expect?
SL: We have been working so hard on getting everything ready for the store front and cannot wait to get our doors open to share it with the Denver community! You can definitely expect a very similar vibe to the mobile boutique with all the same designers our online/mobile customers love. We really wanted to create a space for our girls who need a quick outfit update for the weekend or big event but also a place our customers want to just come hangout with their girlfriends! We will be picking up some imported housewares and small gifts from Bali as well as more gorgeous accessories and handbags that we know our girls are going to love!