Monkee’s of Mountain Brook

Melissa Cunningham-Campbell didn’t set out to own a boutique. It happened by accident.

While visiting her children at Furman University one January, Cunningham-Campbell happened upon a small store called Monkee’s of the West End. There, she and her children shopped for hours and enjoyed relief from what Cunningham-Campbell refers to as the “winter blah.” 

“We took our time and reconnected,” Cunningham-Campbell said.

Cunningham-Campbell told her husband about the trip and the boutique once she returned home, which was then in Wisconsin. Surprised by the variety of clothing and the fun his family had experienced, Cunningham-Campbell’s husband suggested that she run her own Monkee’s. 

“He said, ‘I think this is something that you would be good at,’” Cunningham-Campbell said.

Although Cunningham-Campbell had not had any professional experience with fashion before opening her Monkee’s franchises, it had long been her passion. As her children were growing up, she designed and made all of their clothing. She even modeled for a time.

“I’ve always had a finger on fashion,” Cunningham-Campbell said.

Caroline, Cunningham-Campbell’s youngest daughter, had plans to attend Auburn University. Much to Caroline’s dismay, Cunningham-Campbell said, her parents followed her there. The family had always wanted to relocate to the South in order to be closer to family. Cunningham-Campbell started her first franchise, Monkee’s of Auburn, shortly after relocating. Monkee’s of Mountain Brook opened after requests from customers in Auburn to open a Birmingham location.

Now, she runs the English Village store while her daughter runs the store in Auburn. After several years of experience, the family tries to keep the same feeling that they had on their first trip to Monkee’s alive in their locations. Most importantly, they try to keep their clothing multigenerational. This, Cunningham-Campbell said, sets their boutique apart. When buying for their store, she keeps community events of all age groups in mind.

“[In the fall] a Mountain Brook woman has a lot of events to go to,” Cunningham-Campbell said.

The store is not only for event wear, however. Monkee’s of Mountain Brook tries to carry on-trend clothing for day-to-day wear. Cunningham-Campbell often finds that customers want a certain look that they’ve seen in a movie or on TV. This fall, statement coats and capes are on trend, much due to the fashion of characters such as Olivia Pope from Scandal. Customers enjoy taking these looks and making them their own, Cunningham-Campbell said. 

If customers are not sure what they are looking for or how to complete an outfit, the boutique offers suggestions. Cunningham-Campbell encourages customers to bring in a necklace, blouse or other piece of clothing that they are not sure how to wear, and she will help build an outfit around it. Monkee’s also offers a closet consultation, which includes a visit to a customer’s closet to help assess what they need and what they no longer wear. After clothing is deemed no longer necessary, Cunningham-Campbell encourages donations to local shelters. Having formerly worked with a shelter, Cunningham-Campbell knows that donations are often essential to help women with interviewing for jobs.

“It’s a little gluttonous to hold onto these things when they’re no longer needed,” Cunningham-Campbell said. “I know how important it is that these things are recirculated.”