Hey Queen! Getting Fabulous at X & O Boutique

Last summer, my friend J.G. called me from New York and asked, “Have you seen that new X&O shop on Bellevue? Is it cool? What’s the vibe? Should I check it out when I roll into town?”

Me: “Yes, I have. Yes, it is. I get ‘on-trend-clothing-for-women-who-aren’t-in-their-20s-nor-do-they-want-to-be-but-still-want-chic-on-trend pieces’ vibes. Yes you should, and I’m coming with you.”

Leslie Cathers, owner of The Groovy Gator and Groove Newport, partnered with longtime Newporter Michaela Gouveia to open the Bellevue Avenue boutique…smack dab in the middle of the pandemic. They affectionally calls their shoppers “queens” and if you follow X&O on Insta, you know shopping here means you’re up for some FUN.

Almost ready to mark their one-year anniversary, I chatted with Leslie and Michaela to learn more about X&O:

What was the inspiration for X&O…and how did you pull off opening a new store in a pandemic?

Tunic by Meghan Fabulous, carried at X&O Boutique

Within 5 days of signing our lease, at the beginning of March 2020, we went into mandatory lockdown which obviously threw us for a loop and delayed our opening until July 1. We faced enormous challenges during this time, most especially because factories across the globe had closed down and our expected inventory coming in for spring/summer 2020 completely changed as much of our collections were never manufactured and many others were delayed significantly. We were in panic mode as we tried to find vendors and clothing lines to fill our brand new boutique. Needless to say, it was not the “grand opening” we had in mind but nothing was going to stop us from creating our vision for X&O.

The inspiration for X&O came together quite unexpectedly during a fun afternoon conversation between friends. Leslie had asked me [Michaela] if I would consider opening a store with her, to

which I laughed thinking she was kidding. I had ZERO experience in retail, but it ended up becoming a common theme in our chats and then I told her ‘LET’S DO IT!’

That was in December of 2019. As we sat with our husbands discussing ideas and planning our dream, we talked about a name for the store and couldn’t come up with anything. As Leslie and I walked into my kitchen, we looked at my stove where my X&O letters were perched, Leslie looked at me and said, “Let’s name it X&O!” — a perfect name for the two girls who signed their names with x’s and o’s and hearts. By February of 2020, we were in NYC buying for a store we didn’t even have yet…never dreaming a global pandemic would sideswipe

our energetic and excited momentum. Our inspiration was fueled by Michaela’s love for Miami and high fashion after living there for several years. With Leslie’s retail background and

Michaela’s flair for fun and style, we knew Bellevue Avenue was the perfect location for our upscale and unique vibe.

Who is the X&O customer?

The lines we carry at X&O are varied and diverse. We love to curate and select our collections from designers across the world, from Mumbai to Milan to Miami and even local designers from our own backyard. Some of the collections we are becoming known for are the ones that we keep going back to; lines that are either incredible basics that

Josie Bruno military jacket

Customized Josie Bruno military jacket with NEWPORT embroidery

we reach into our closets for time and again or our custom military jackets that we design and have made for us in Miami. These coats are some of our favorites because they are truly one of a kind showstoppers; pieces that no one else will have. This spring will bring in more of our favorite designers: Vilagallo, Kerri Rosenthal, Good American, Commando, and Alashan cashmere. We are also excited to bring in our favorite summer straw hats, jewelry, bags and even some shoes! We love to find unique pieces and only bring a few sizes of each so that there aren’t too many queens rocking that same look…each queen being unique!

Shop X&O Boutique 10am to 5pm daily.

And per the ladies: Follow us on social media to get our full queen vibes @xandobellevue

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