Bella Boutique features only the fabulous in accessories

If you can put a price on fabulous, chances are Lena Kilic and Annie Ciszak already have it tagged and on display. The local jewelry designers open Bella Boutique today. And "fabulous" is the buzz word behind Anchorage's newest accessories shop.

"We want to try to keep it as local and fabulous as we can," Ciszak said last week as she and Kilic spent an afternoon looking over last-minute details at the store.

Everything is handmade, and most of the products are crafted by local designers. If you define fabulous as feminine, playful and charming, then Bella easily has a corner on the market.

The boutique is sort of a gallery of wearable art, which is why Kilic and Ciszak like the Ship Creek Center location. Home to several galleries, including the new Gallery of Modern Art, the old Post Office Mall is transforming into a downtown art hub. It's fitting that Bella's grand opening will take place during March's First Friday event, and right away Kilic and Ciszak are offering workshops as a resource for other accessory-focused artisans.

Pale-green paint covers most of the walls inside Bella. The space is modest, approximately 150 square feet, and figuring out what to carry and how to display it all was a challenge.

"We tried to keep it under the category of accessories," Ciszak said. "Rather than a clothes boutique, this is where you come after that."

Pillows designed by Kilic sit high on a shelf. Funky silver and copper pins are arranged with assorted necklaces that are beaded with gemstones and pearls on waist-high displays. Gretchen Cicotti handbags made from original vintage fabrics hang in rows on the wall. Sugar Lips body lotions and scrubs, lip balms and body butters are grouped near hair toggles and retro-inspired compact mirrors. Ciszak's knit hats, complete with knitted horns, that sell under the label Parka Project are positioned by the door, and a basket of coffee-scented sachets with appliqued alphabet letters are next to the register.

"In case you need your coffee fix," Kilic said with a smile.

Jewelry is, of course, a main feature at Bella, and the store has four local lines. Kilic started her brand, One World Design, three years ago. Her jewelry is hearty without being too chunky or overbearing. Necklaces, earrings and bracelets incorporate a variety of stones, such as Korean jade,jordan heels, amazonite, mother of pearl, turquoise and amethyst. A new bridal line features hammered silver elements and gray pearls.

Annie's Arts and Follies, Ciszak's line, is a blend of copper and silver pieces often accented with pearls or intriguing elements, such as coyote teeth.

"I like things antique and industrial," Ciszak said. "That's how I approach things: I make it shiny, and then I rough it up."

In addition to their own jewelry, Kilic and Ciszak brought in Greta Lewanski's Arctic Silver Designs and pieces by Minerva Orduno.

Paying attention to the details is important for both designers. It's a practice they've observed in their own jewelry making and have also used it to carefully craft a store full of fabulous products.

"That was the big thing when we were looking at what to carry in the store," Kilic said. "We want to make sure it's a quality item. It's not just a craft show in here. It's stuff we would buy." Related articles:

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