All The Rage Baby, a baby fashion boutique at Crystal Cove Promenade, is looking to open another store.
The store caters to the luxury baby set. That’s right, baby outfits that go for $300 to $2,000.
Most customers who shop at the Newport Beach store don’t even look at the price tag, said Jacqueline Chase, who opened the store two years ago.
“We’re a store that people come to when they want the best money can buy,” she said.
Celebrities are among All The Rage Baby’s customers, though Chase declined to give names. Locals make up most of the business.
Moms from Newport Beach to Coto de Caza visit, looking for something different, according to Chase. Newport moms prefer the latest trends,what they read in the gossip magazines. Coto de Caza mothers tend to be transplants from back East, she said. They look for trendy, yet classic clothes.
You can get custom accessories for every outfit.
“I buy a shoe to match the outfit,” Chase said. “It’s one-stop shopping.”
Chase carries two primary lines: Blumarine and Moschino.
The store has baby shoes by Dolce & Gabbana and diaper bags by My Flat in London.
Chase has a retail and design background. She was an interior designer and a general manager at Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. for several years.
All The Rage Baby has a tropical feel. Jimmy Buffett plays in the background. It feels like you’re in Tommy Bahama, Chase said.
There’s even a parrot, Cheerio, Chase’s pet.
Story time is on Monday.
Chase said she got a Small Business Administration loan to start the store. The paperwork was grueling, she said. Her husband, an attorney, did hours of research.
No word yet on where the second store will be.
South Coast Exclusives
South Coast Plaza saw 12 stores open in 2005. Ten were exclusives with the retailers agreeing not to open elsewhere in Orange County.
Auto Tech Competition
A dozen high school seniors are set to compete on Saturday in the 13th annual Orange County Auto Dealers Association’s Automotive Technology Competition.
Students are given 90 minutes to diagnose and repair a car with “bugs.” They get points for fixing malfunctions.
The competition, held at Hyundai Motor America Inc. in Fountain Valley, pairs students with local dealers, which lend a car for the competition.
Participating dealers: Allen Cadillac GMC Truck in Laguna Niguel, Phillips Buick Pontiac Mazda in Laguna Hills, Tustin Chevrolet, Connell Nissan in Costa Mesa, Crevier BMW/Mini in Santa Ana and Theodore Robins Ford in Costa Mesa.
“Our guys won last year,” said Mark Ranauro, general manager for Connell Nissan.
The goal: encourage more kids to become auto technicians, who are in short supply.
Many dealers said they’ve resorted to extraordinary perks to lure technicians. Dealers have wooed students with signing bonuses, paid education and loaner cars. Technicians can earn as much as $100,000 a year.
Many high schools have nixed auto programs because of budget cuts.
Connell Nissan has its own training program, according to Ranauro. Technicians start out making more than minimum wage, Ranauro said. A master technician can make $25 an hour.
