The other day I was walking in SoHo and passed by an adorable boutique called Miss Hoe. I was in a hurry but I couldn't resist stopping in to see the curiosities that laid within. Not only was everything on the rack irresistible, but the decor was to die for! The saleswoman was so awesome and let me snap some pictures. I e-mailed the designer, Abby Hoe, to see if she would answer a few questions for me, and she obliged! Here's what she had to say...and let me say that I was so pleased to learn that she's being eco-friendly by using vintage materials and antique furniture! Brava!



Describe the person who you think is your target customer.
Miss Hoe is about a lifestyle where one is still in touch with their fantasy childhood dreams, playful, and quirky. We have people from as little as 3 years old to 60 years old that cannot resist to just come in with a smile.


Why did you feel that it was important to use older vintage materials in a new way within your boutique?
I have always had a love of collecting used or abandoned things since I was in college, some people called it "junk." I picked them up on the street and love going to garage sales and very recently I like to go to the auction in England. I think it's fun and also showing people how they can be creative , playful and to be green at the same time.





Where do you find the materials for your toys?
Materials for the toys are left over inventory fabric from suppliers that I have known for years in Japan and Hong Kong.





Do you use sustainable materials to make your clothes?
My clothes are all made from left over inventory from my suppliers in Japan and Hong Kong. Sometimes, I also mix in vintage lace and buttons that I find at auction.





Did you put the pieces that include doll parts together yourself? What made you think to do that?
I saw the baby doll parts at a garage sale and I just felt like I needed to make them live again. So, I brought them home and cleaned them. With all of the books I was collecting, I immediately thought that the arms and legs would be a lovely bookend and the head would be good as a lamp. So, with a little help from my contractor Tony, I was able to put the doll arms and legs into the books.





What's your favorite piece in the store and why?
It's so hard to say which is my favorite, because they are my dreams. But, if I had to pick, I would say the baby doll arms and legs bookend, and the book stack up from the floor to the ceiling...





What's the last book you read?
I have to say, I am not a reader. The last book I read was The Great Gatsby.





How did you go about making the tower of books?
My dear friend Tony Chin is my contractor who helped me to make this happen. It took us the whole day and three men to put it up! We have a wire running in the middle of all of the books.





What's your dream destination?
Back to the early 20's/30's in London before the ware.





What's on your iPod?
Lily Allen, Stereolab, Kings of Convenience, James Figurine, Clor, Anya Marina, Linking Park, Oasis, Lenka, Digitalism, Kings of Leon, Kate Nash, etc.





Tell us about the chandelier and clock table.
I had this idea of putting a coffee table upside-down on the ceiling and the shape and the little details of the table gave me the idea of turning it into a clock that always stays at 5 minutes before midnight.





We love the Mark Ryden piece that you have in the store! Who are some other favorite artists of yours?
Yes, he is my favorite artist! I went to his show a few months ago and his works just remind me alot of myself and of Miss Hoe.





How do you want people to feel when they walk into your store?
I want them to feel like they are in a space where they feel like they just step back into their dreams in a fantasy wonderland and appreciate the space and the elements while they are shopping, not just shelves afer shelves of merchandise. And last, to make them smile!