Love for Libby

Libby Andress’ life is all about jewelry. She holds a degree in Jewelry Design from The Fashion Institute of Technology and always knew she wanted to develop a business of her own – either a jewelry line or jewelry studio, she says.

Andress spent 13 years on the east coast, 11 of them in New York City, and moved back to her hometown of Cincinnati two years ago. Within a few weeks of moving back to the Queen City, she began eyeing the development on Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine.

“It was inspiring to be in the middle of all the activity on Vine Street,” she says. “After brainstorming, looking into storefronts on Vine Street and bouncing some ideas off other people, my plan began to look like the store that I have now.”

Andress opened LIBBY Boutique in the fall of 2013 as a clothing store and jewelry studio. The boutique can be found on the corner of Main Street and Orchard Avenue, at 1420 Main Street in Over-the-Rhine. She says she got lucky with the location after taking a second trip on the market to find the perfect storefront for her new boutique. “It’s a business venture I never would have been able to have in New York City,” she adds.

The inspiration for LIBBY Boutique is a mixture between her experience with urban cities and Cincinnati style. “I never realized how much my personal style was influenced by Cincinnati until I came back,” she says. After deciding she would open her own jewelry store in Cincinnati, she wanted a place that would offer customers the feeling of growth and rebuilding that matched what’s going on in Over-the-Rhine and the Central Business District.

When you shop at LIBBY Boutique, you’ll find contemporary women’s clothing and accessories. There’s also an equal emphasis on jewelry, of course, because of Andress’ background and passion for all things jewelry. There’s even a jewelry bench in the store, where Andress can do custom designs and repairs, which includes resizing and gold plating. She says she’ll soon carry small home goods and other gift items to make an experience in her store even better. “My jewelry selection is fantastic,” she adds. “I have something for everyone.”

She’s heard from others that the store is very New York. “Brooklyn more specifically,” she adds. Andress admits that LIBBY Boutique has an outsiders perspective. “But who doesn’t want to add a little New York City flair to their jewelry and accessory collection?” she smiles, adding that it’s great for customers to have the big city inspiration at their fingertips and beats having to make the trek to fashion meccas such as New York City or Los Angeles to get the goods.

Prices at LIBBY Boutique range between $15 and $100, according to Andress. You’ll find accessories including sunglasses, necklaces, rings and bracelets as well as clothing such as skirts, dresses, tops and shoes.

Andress says to keep an eye out for an eCommerce site in the future. But for now, you can check out LIBBY at 1420 Main Street in Over-the-Rhine or visit her Etsy store, Facebook page or Instagram.