New Owner for Neil's Apparel
Neil’s Apparel, a longtime fixture on Palm Desert, Calif.’s tony El Paseo Drive, has changed hands for the first time in its history. Businesswoman Karen Billings recently purchased the 36-year-old boutique for an undisclosed sum.
The store had been owned and operated by Meg Firestone, daughter of the original owner, Neil McElrath, who passed away a few years ago. Firestone sold the store to concentrate on running the adjacent J. Russell Salon & Spa, which also has been one of the family’s longtime holdings. McElrath, a former Bullock’s buyer, opened the store in 1972, being one of the few at the time to envision the potential for Palm Desert. He carried primarily one line, Da-Rue of California Inc., which he later acquired. McElrath’s surviving family members are still principals in the Los Angeles–based company.
Since taking over, Billings has augmented the store’s product line with updated and contemporary labels such as Alberto Makali, Hippie Ink, Harari, Margaret M. and others. The store still sells Da-Rue and German label Lucia.
Billings said the tweaking of lines and the winter tourism in the desert have kept business strong. The store also participated in the recent Palm Desert Fashion Week.
“El Paseo has a season, and the economy hasn’t affected it as much out here,” said Billings, who has the distinction of being a former Little Miss Sunbeam model for the baked-goods company. —Robert McAllister
