Meet Patricia Luna,  co-owner and the logistical side of WearLuv consignment boutique in North Palm Beach.  Her partner and co-owner, Maria Elena specializes in the retail and customer service aspects of the business.   and play a part in saving a little piece of the world.   It may come as a surprise, but the fashion industry is the second most polluting industry in the world following the oil industry.  Clothing manufacturing has a huge impact on our environment.  To counteract that, they sell gently used, high-quality merchandise that has a lot of wearable love left in it.  To them, fashion Sustainability is not a trend – It is a much needed cultural shift.  They advocate buying quality goods that will last instead of the “fast fashion” that falls apart after a couple of washings.

They sell a variety of mid to high-end bags, shoes, clothes, and accessories.  It’s a personal experience from the time you walk in to consign your goods, make a purchase or just browse.   A customer who buys an item will take something once worn and give it a whole new life.  As they say, “Clothes mean nothing until someone lives in them.”

Read on to learn why she feels at home in The Palm Beaches!

Questions:

Q: What inspired you or led you to your current career?

A:  “A breakaway. Maria worked with Nordstrom and we wanted to start our own business so we used her background and said, “let’s do it and make a difference.”  We could have opened a jewelry store, a candy store or any number of things.  Maria has 4 daughters so she was always in consignment stores.  Also, we had a good support system in our family.  Everybody came in here and started tearing down walls and painting.  We wanted to get away from the mainstream consignment stores that are tight and crammed with stuff.  Some people love that.  It’s the thrill of what you’re going to find.  We wanted to give it a little bit more space and ’boutique’ it.   People walk in here and say it looks like a SoHo shop.   We wanted that comfortable feeling and we offer the wine on Fridays.”

Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Palm Beach, and what do you love there?

A: We have so many:  Spoto’s in Palm Beach Gardens for oysters, The New Vegan in Del Rey for vegan food, Katy’s Lovebites has the best desserts ever, Lynora’s for Italian food and Dina’s Vegan Deli & Desserts has the best vegan Philly cheesesteak and vegan gyros.

Q: How long have you lived or worked in Palm Beach?

A: “It has been 7 or 8 years already and I will never leave the County.  I worked in Broward County but I commuted from Dade.  Palm Beach County feels like home to me.”

Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in Palm Beaches?

A: “I worked in Fort Lauderdale so I would meet people there. The most interesting person there is Sheriff Tony, the new Sherrif in town.   What a dynamic guy from the way he speaks, to his mission, and his background.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? And why?

A:  “Paris. I would eat, I would go to the museums and I would definitely visit the Eiffel Tower.”

Q: What is your favorite movie OR what is the first movie you remember seeing in a theatre?

A:  “I’m a Star Wars kid!  Their mission, their story.  And then The Great Gatsby.”

Q: What advice would you give a crowd of people?

A:  Be kind and zone out all the stuff that bombarding your head.  You don’t have to know exactly what you want to be and what you want to do as long as you are happy and you can support yourself.”

Q: What is something on your bucket list?

A:  “Paris and the next one is Aurora Borealis. To travel is on my bucket list.”

Q: What is your favorite music/ 3 bands you would like to see (dead or alive)?

A:  “I do all genres except country music.  I want to see Andrea Bocelli and I know he’s coming up in February at the Hard Rock.”

Q: What current/former local business makes you the most nostalgic about The Palm Beach?

A:  “The beaches makes me feel nostalgic.  Just walking the beaches and they’ve been untouched.   The architecture remains mostly the same.”

Q: Choosing anyone alive and a non-relative with whom would you love to have lunch? Why and where would you have lunch?

A:  “I’d like to have lunch with Oprah Winfrey, Ellen, and Mr. Buffett.  I will take them to one of these places that I mentioned, and why not because it’s casual.   They don’t look stuffy, they’ve been through so much, they have a lot of experience and I want to gain knowledge and learn from them.  The more you learn, the better person you become because you are more knowledgeable and it opens your mind to things.”

Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about Palm Beach?

A:  “Our favorite thing is the beach. We can walk it day or night.  It feels so good going over a bridge to the beach.  It’s true you leave your worries behind.”

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?

A:  “We want to branch out, open more stores.  The next store will probably be a unisex store.”

Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?

A:  “I want to know my astrological mapping.”

Q: What 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?

A:  “Love, Comfortability and Safe.”

Q: If you had a full-time staff member that was fully paid for, who would you choose? Chef, Housekeeper, Driver, Coach, Physical Fitness Trainer, or Nanny?

A:  “I would have a really, really good coach.”

Q: If you were cast into a major motion picture and had your choice of anyone to be your co-star, who would you choose?

A:  “I would do Katharine Hepburn.”

You can visit WearLuv at 801 Northlake Boulevard, North Palm Beach, Florida  (561) 249-0194

The Faces of The Palm Beaches is a project to showcase the amazing people that live or work in our community.  Who do you know that should be nominated?