Nicole Rae Styer: Dressed to thrill

Nicole Rae Styer admits that her new boutique has become her baby — not the delight of everyone. “My mom was hoping more for a little kid,” says the designer with a laugh.

The new store, which is appropriately located on the bustling East Passyunk, will double as a studio space for Styer to work on her lavish, funky line of clothing and accessories. Of course this means that she will be spending countless hours there both tending shop and stitching away. But lovers of her unique take on color, texture and reconstructed clothing will get to reap the benefits without having to scour the city’s gift boutiques and craft fairs for her statement wares.

Styer’s work is a little bit ’80s Madonna with a dash of Betsey Johnson, incorporating recycled and vintage materials. It’s not a conventional — or quiet — look, yet each ensemble has an undeniable feminine softness.

If you own something made by Styer, strut your stuff at the shop’s grand opening, which will be in participation with the Second Saturday happenings this week­end. Those wearing an already purchased Nicole Rae Styer piece will receive 15 percent off their new purchase that night — as if you needed a reason to play dress up.

Toning it down

If it’s a subtler statement you wish to make, get a load of the Nicole Rae Styer accessories. Using her signature mish-mosh-posh aesthetic, Styer enhances headbands, gloves and clutches. There are also simple dresses and tops that she transforms into individual beauties with a small grouping of embellishments.