Bliss in Hudson held its grand opening this week.

Credit: Andrew popik

I’ve shopped at about every mall in the northeast Ohio area worth looking at. I’ve been to Legacy Village and Beachwood and Summit malls, to name a few. And, if you want to wear the shirt from Express everyone else and their dogs have, no problem.

But, for the avant garde, stores like Express, Gap and American Eagle Outfitters leave one wondering how much creative genius it takes to design a tank top with a logo on it. After all, as much as we like to look like each other and want to belong to our group, sometimes we want something that will get us noticed. Not necessarily Christina Aguilera’s outlandish style but more like Audrey Hepburn or Gwyneth Paltrow.

When I heard a new boutique called Bliss (located at 46 Park Lane in Hudson) was opening up, I had to go and check it out.

As I walked through the door, I immediately liked it. It had nice pale yellow walls with a gigantic chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Each style had about four to five items neatly arranged on wooden hangers. Fifties-style cocktail dresses hang on a staircase, as well as paintings from local artists on the wall.

Has it finally come? Is this somewhere unique and upscale to shop? Some moments after I entered the store, a woman in her mid-thirties with curly black hair greeted me.

Bliss’ owner, Nora Giorgi opened her store to the public March 25. She grew up in Hudson, and after turning 18, she went to college in New York City where she studied Fashion Design at both Parsons and the Fashion Institute of Technology.

She lived in New York for 12 years where she had her own line and worked in many retail stores.

“It was my dream to come back to my hometown and open my own store,” Giorgi said.

The boutique is a specialty store featuring one-of-a-kind clothing items.

“I wanted to bring that New York flare back with me,” she said.

She carries clothing for both men and women. For women, her clothing focuses on two major design labels, Theory and French Connection. Other name brands include Mondo di Marco, Corey Lynn Calter, Tenka 24 and more.

The clothes are trendy but not so trendy that they would be out of style by next season. I thought there was a nice selection for both younger and older women alike.

A lot of the clothes are very detailed with intricate beading patterns, stitched designs and wrapping details. Although she was going after the New York look, I noticed a lot of spring colors as opposed to being bombarded by black throughout the store. (New Yorkers love to live in black, even in the summer) Of course I don’t think that’s a fault at all, since oranges, lavenders, yellows and pinks are in this year.

There’s also a nice array of unique jewelry and accessories.

“I am supportive of local artists. I have three different local artists who do our jewelry and scarves,” Giorgi said.

On the wall behind the cashier counter, she had four colorful scarves hanging each with their own design. Their prints were so unique, I’d consider hanging them on my wall.

If you are in the neighborhood of Hudson, I recommend you give this store a go. If anything, there’s nothing like it in this area, and you’ll be in for a real treat, just don’t forget to bring your wallet. Designer names mean designer prices.

The best part of all — if you are a Kent State student, you can get 20 percent off your total purchase in the store (offer excludes artwork, jewelry or sale items).

JaLynn Hardy is a senior broadcast major who studied fashion. Contact her at [email protected].