ShawneeDispatch.com

The market for hip, high-end clothing has expanded in Shawnee.

Top Shelf Couture, 5832 Monrovia, had its grand opening Saturday, and owner Anna Beyer said she hopes the store will bring some of the high-end clothing lines worn by movie stars to Shawnee. In addition to many different brands of denim that the rich and famous list as their favorites, the store also offers fashionable tops and accessories produced locally.

Beyer said clothing always has been an interest of hers, and she first launched her business with trunk shows and online sales at topshelfcouture.com in January.

"It's been my dream since when I could play dress up," Beyer said.

She said though she didn't plan to open a storefront location so quickly, she found many clothing lines would only supply clothing to vendors with a storefront. Though she now lives in Bonner Springs, Beyer grew up in Shawnee and wanted to find a location in her hometown rather than compete with the hectic nature of growth in southern Johnson County.

"I thought it would be cool to have a boutique like this, with high-end fashion with a country twist to it," she said.

She said her idea always had been to find a location that had formerly been a house to give it some character, so the older house just north of Johnson Drive was the perfect spot.

"It honestly was like a godsend; it was too good of a deal," she said.

Beyer said she likes the mix of country and high-end clothing because she doesn't like anything too "girly-girl or snooty." So while the store is painted with hues of pink and chocolate brown, items like a bull longhorn hanging over the fireplace give it a tougher edge.

The country aspect includes the store's fixtures; there are no typical clothing racks at Top Shelf. Clothes are found hanging from an oxen yolk or a ladder propped up on posts, or folded and stacked on tables, bookshelves and antique benches. Many of these items came from a farm Beyer and her husband own in Parker City, Kan.

The store carries denim lines like MEK Denim, Red Engine, Miss Me and William Rast. For T-shirts and other tops, it also carries local clothing lines like Junky Munky and national lines like Snorg Tees.

Beyer also has formed a partnership with fellow area entrepreneurs Kathleen Schwart, whose Simply Charming line includes jewelry and shirts, and Jacque Maher and Kristie Bowen, whose JNKS line includes purses, jewelry, shoes and shirts. Both lines will be carried regularly in the store.

Beyer said she's not sure what the future holds for Top Shelf. If the store grows, she hopes to move into the upper story of the house, currently an office, before she is forced to move.

"I live day to day; I always say that I'll just think about it tomorrow, and we'll figure it out then," she said. "If we grow out of it, that's great, but I don't know where we'd go. I don't think I'd want to move out of Shawnee."