Photo by Lexi Coon.
Anna Lawley, an Alabama native, opened Annabelle’s Southern Boutique in Lane Parke in late November. This is her second storefront, with the first located in Greystone.
Sometimes it isn’t always obvious what you’re meant to do in life, or what career will make you the happiest; sometimes, it takes a small journey to figure that out. That’s the case for Anna Lawley, who opened Annabelle’s Southern Boutique in Lane Parke in late November.
This is the second location of her storefront, with the first being in Greystone.
Lawley is an Alabama native and went to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. While there, she earned her undergraduate degree in kinesiology and opened her shop online. She said she “kind of did it on the side.”
“Really, when I first started and I was in college, my goal was just to make a little extra money,” she said. After UAB, she worked in the medical field for a bit and “did every show and festival you could think of” for her online store, Lawley said. It was around then she realized she had found her passion.
“[I thought], I need a store. This is what I want to do,” she said. “I love clothes, and I love talking to people.” And being her own boss would be a perk, too.
So she opened her first storefront in 2016 at the age of 25, named for the nickname her family calls her: Annabelle. That soon grew to two storefronts, with the second located at 210 Rele Street in Lane Parke. Lawley said her mother owned and operated a boutique in Lakeview, and when she was younger, Lawley would go to work with her.
“I think that has a lot to do with it,” she said.
Not long after her first jump into running a brick-and-mortar shop, Lawley said she knew she wanted to expand. She landed in Mountain Brook about a year after she began her search for a new place.
“This is probably the fifth surrounding city of Birmingham that I looked, and I just loved the atmosphere,” she said. “And I didn’t feel like there was anything like my store in this area. I really felt like I could bring something to Mountain Brook, and they were ready for it.”
Lawley describes the clothing, accessories and shoes as “a lot of unique pieces” and said her style can lean towards “loud.”
“You go somewhere, people are going to notice you,” when wearing items from her shop, she said. “… Most of the things you can get here, I feel like you’re not going to find anywhere else.”
Her boutique carries brands such as Kristalize Jewelry, Cassie Lynn Jewelry and Matisse Footwear, she said, and other lines shoppers might not commonly find. She also said the store caters more toward a younger crowd, but it does have options for people of all ages. The store is a reflection of Lawley’s own style and brand, too.
“I do pick out all of the clothes, so if I don’t love it, I’m not going to get it,” she said. “Everything in here I would wear. I like things that stand out. I don’t play it safe.”
While her first store has the same vibe and there may be a little overlap in wares, she plans on keeping the majority of the content different between the two. But, she said she still wants to form the same strong relationships with her customers that she has done at her Greystone store, and will be splitting time between the two locations to remain hands-on.
“This is my thing, I can totally pick you out an outfit for anything … and I feel like people that shop with us get to really know us. We know your name, we know your kids’ names, we know what you’ve got going on in your life,” she said. “I think that says a lot about us.”
Annabelle’s Southern Boutique is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. For more, go to annabellessouthernboutique.com.
