Love and Whiskey | Irvine, California

Love and Whiskey / blog.jchongstudio.com

just discovered this new gem in irvine – love and whiskey. a great boutique in tucked away in park place. yes you heard me a cute boutique in irvine! they carry an assortment of women’s and men’s clothing – a mix of local and domestically produced and even cause-driven brands like 31 bits and krochet kids. one of my favorite things they carry is tanner good – the most incredibly crafted leather goods. i had the pleasure of chatting with owners sarah and mike on my recent visit. such a pleasure visiting their shop!

tell us a little bit about love vs whiskey and how it began, what were you doing before you opened your own retail space?
sarah – before opening our own retail space, i worked 19 years in retail management for companies like nike women, d & g, bally, st. john and tse cashmere. love & whiskey began when we were asked to expand our first location deer lovely/whiskey tango 1977 into a 2nd location. we believe in evolving as a company, so we didn’t want to do the exact same thing as our first retail space. we wanted it to be refined. we combined the names of our original stores into love & whiskey and began curating our favorite brands… some old and some new.

what can people find at love vs whiskey, what makes you different than other retailers?
a unique selection of nicely curated items from a variety brands and local artists that changes and is updated frequently. people can also find whiskey tastings at our store every third thursday of the month. guests can pop in, enjoy a whiskey cocktail, and shop!

whats the most important thing you’ve learned since opening your business?
that i am a really good buyer and to be confident when i feel strongly about new styles or when i want to take a risk.

what has been your favorite moment so far?
our favorite moments are when clients comment that there is finally a “cool” shop in irvine. irvine is known for everything looking boring and the same. we set out to be different so it is nice to be noticed for that exact thing.