There’s an electric experience in store at Carly Hlinko’s Lilla Cavallo boutique
Written by Kristen Hampshire
Photography by Pamela Aquilani and Carly Hlinko
Fashion inspo and styling, recipes and beauty hacks — the blog Carly Hlinko built through the years grew a loyal following and seeded an idea for a more tangible way to reach the world. So, the women’s boutique Lilla Cavallo was born, initially as an online venue. It quickly escalated to warehouse proportions with global sales and now, a shop located at 403 Rehoboth Avenue in Rehoboth Beach.
“The growth organically put us in a position where my husband and I were looking at each other and said, ‘We need a store,’” Carly says of the boutique, which opened in May. Inside is a treasure trove of clothing from Parisien brands like Choklate with their contemporary, globally inspired pieces, Just Black denim, “which is the most phenomenal pair of jeans you will slide on,” and Lilla Cavallo brand accessories that Carly designs.
Other sought-after lines include Julie Vos and BuddyLove, with its bold, tiered maxi dresses that speak to Carly’s personal style. In fact, every garment, accessory and décor item in the shop is a reflection of her taste, which she calls classic and colorful. “I love to mix tailored classic designs with fantastic charismatic pieces,” she relates.
Her aesthetic is equally electric — her word choice. “I’ll wear a neon yellow blazer with green pants,” she says.
TREND SETTER
Carly Hlinko’s downtown Rehoboth Beach boutique is filled with a robust combination of classic, colorful and charismatic pieces.
“I wear what I want, and I think that is inspiring.”
Carly has a passion for helping guests push the boundaries a bit to find the perfect outfits. “We pride ourselves on helping women, and we really do transform the way people shop,” she says, noting that she carries items in sizes XS through five-XL.
An inviting, “Try this on,” leads into storytelling and building friendships with customers, who return to visit with Carly and find out what’s in store. “When you come in, you’ll leave with items that are curated by me,” she says.
As for the name, Carly tells the story of how Lilla Cavallo came to be. She was cruising down the highway, brainstorming potential names that would speak to her Italian heritage. Lilla means lilac, her favorite color and meaningful to her husband as a memory of his mother.
STATEMENT PIECES
Carly has created a lifestyle brand that incorporates a mission to help women that’s infused with her personality and family heritage.
Horse culture and the equestrian lifestyle resonate with Carly, who says, ‘I have a large admiration for it — I love the chicness, the outfits and it’s so classic Americano, so I wanted to encompass that in the brand.”
Ecco, Lilla Cavallo.
Aside from Lilla Cavallo accessories, Carly expects to introduce a clothing line and continue a robust online business. The boutique and all it stands for is a passion project, and her contagious enthusiasm is the ultimate accessory.
Carly encourages, “There is a whole experience waiting in store for you!” CS