A Boutique for Bags, Back Talk and More

Sassy clothes are sold at almost every shop on Los Angeles’ Robertson Boulevard. But Alison Muh wanted to give the fashionable street something with a little more bite when she opened her boutique on Nov. 30.

The 32-year-old entrepreneur’s shop is called Surly Girl. She said the store’s name wasn’t entirely meant to shock. Rather, it was meant to get people to take notice of the boutique, which will be the flagship for her 3-year-old accessories label, also called Surly Girl.

Offering purses named Director Case, The Starlet and Madison Clutch, the Surly Girl label is sold in more than 80 specialty stores in the United States. Price points range from $25 for canvas bags to $1,000 for evening bags embellished with Swarovski crystals. The materials are produced in Italy. The accessories are assembled in Los Angeles.

Muh sought to debut her own retail division as a way to build her brand, but growth will come slowly. She hopes to open five stores in the next decade. She forecast the individual stores could earn $2 million annually.

She financed the company after working five years as an investment banker. She left the field because she wanted to run her own company and to realize a lifelong dream to design. Her company title is president/chief fashion officer, but she said her business training has been invaluable.

“You can be the best designer, but if you don’t have a business background, you’re going to have a hard time making it,” she said. “Whether it’s negotiating a lease or balancing financials, it’s very easy to be taken advantage of.”

And business woes wouldn’t mesh with the credo of Surly Girl. “It’s doing what you want, when you want. And looking cute while doing it,” Muh said with a smile. —Andrew Asch