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Business & Tech

A New Resale Shop, and an Artist's Work at the Ritz

Laguna Niguel Biz Briefs centers around several local women this week.

Women in business are the focus of this week's Laguna Niguel Biz Briefs including a local artist selling her work to a major resort, and a new resale shop.

Native Showing Art at Ritz

Artist Lórien Eck is exhibiting her seven of her latest pieces of artwork at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. The local native creates unique mixed media paintings that are rich in texture, color, light, sparkle and dimension. The collection is inspired by images captured through the Hubble Space telescope.

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"Each painting is a one-of-a-kind creation, preserving the touch of the hand and the pure energy of spirit," Eck said.

Her inspiration comes from the quest for beauty, truth and the Divine in all beings and things, she said. The prices range from mixed media on paper framed at $200 (for 9 x 12 inches ) and $950 (for 22 x 30 inches). Works on canvas cost more depending on size, starting at $2,600 and up.

After graduating from the local high school, Eck went on to study art at San Francisco State University. She has spent the last 10 years teaching art to inner city children in Los Angeles, and is now focusing on her own fine art career.

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Resale Shop 

The Collective Habit has opened at 28985 Golden Lantern St., Suite B106, in The Grove shopping center at Crown Valley Parkway and Golden Lantern.

Owners Ashley O'Leary and Jene Raes opened the 1,000 square-foot shop recently, selling women's clothing, accessories, and shoes, both new and used.

"We carry all the top brands. We will hopefully be adding men’s in the next few weeks," said O'Leary. 

O’Leary grew up in Dana Point and said she was working as a hairstylist but that it wasn’t her passion.

"A friend asked me to be her partner in opening a clothing exchange, and I fell in love with it," she said. "Life was too busy and I had to leave that partnership and my cousin Jene and I decided to open our own."

As for Raes, she has 10 years of sales and marketing experience, as well as three years of management experience. 

They opened the store in Laguna Niguel, according to O'Leary because, "It was kind of a serendipitous how this spot came to be. We had been talking about doing our store for a while but money was tight and we hadn't found a great location yet. I went to visit my friend who owns the and he told me about the vacant space and how great the center was."

She scouted the spot, watched the traffic through the area, and thought that it was meant to be.

"Not only would I be in a great center close to friends but the women of Laguna Niguel have a great sense of fashion and aren't opposed to saving a couple dollars," she said. 

If you would like to drop clothing at the store, O'Leary said they will go through all the clothes and very carefully pick out only the items in the best condition and cutest styles.

"We offer 50 percent of our retail price in store credit and once we have established a steady clientele, we will be offering 30 percent cash," she said.

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