Meet Leasa Cahill of Silvermaple Boutique in Camberwell

For classic and stylish womenswear from a range of boutique fashion labels, look no further than Silvermaple Boutique in Camberwell.

The Silvermaple Boutique business has been operating for 12 years and opened their Camberwell store in August 2016, following the success of stores under the same brand in Ashburton and Brighton.

Owner Leasa Cahill saw an opportunity to open her fashion boutique in Camberwell because the main brands her store stocked were not available in the shopping precinct.

The store is best suited to women aged 40 and older who are looking for smart, casual daywear as well as garments that can shift from day to evening.

The store also offers relaxed workwear, key basics, a range of jeans, summer beachwear, lightweight garments that are ideal for travelling, jewellery and accessories.

A destination store

Silvermaple Boutique is renowned for stocking local and international fashion labels including Mela Purdie, Verge, Not Your Daughter’s Jeans, Tani, OneSeason and more.

“A lot of the brands we stock are destination brands,” Ms Cahill said.

Australian label Mela Purdie is a popular choice among customers – new stock is available every month, making it a sought-after brand.

The basics range by Tani is very reasonably priced and offers exquisite fabrics, Ms Cahill said.

The brand offers an ecologically sustainable range made from Austrian beech wood which gives the fabric an incredibly soft feel and smooth touch.

“It’s like silk; it’s as soft as silk but it breathes,” Ms Cahill said.

Comfort is a huge factor for the Tani range, as it offers a soft feel on the skin and because the pieces can be work day to day.

The beauty of a boutique

For shoppers looking for variety, Silvermaple Boutique offers a diverse range of brands that cater to different tastes all under the one roof.

As an independent operator, Ms Cahill has full control over the range of labels stocked in her store.

“It’s about building a boutique-style retail store, where we know our brands and know our fits well, and we can work with customers to build a wardrobe that keeps consolidating,” she said.

One advantage that a boutique store has over a single-brand store is the fact that shoppers can choose from the best pieces in a range, Ms Cahill said.

“As a buyer, I can go into 30 different labels and choose the four best pairs of pants, for example. I think that’s a really big advantage,” she said.

“We try to pick labels that are durable, long-lasting, feel good on the body, and that you can create wardrobe staples with.”

Silvermaple Boutique also gives shoppers the guidance they need to put together outfits that combine different brands.

In-store assistants know the brands stocked at Silvermaple Boutique so well that they can select garments for customers to suit their style, body shape and preferences.

As customers are bombarded with so many choices these days, Ms Cahill said it was important that her staff could help shoppers to easily select garments that will work for them.

“We really do try and look at a whole lot of different brands and choose brands that have the best offering for a particular customer’s requirements, whether it be price or lifestyle factors,” she said.

Staff at Silvermaple Boutique offer personalised customer service and pride themselves in taking the time to help customers find the right garments.

“We’ll often bring customers pieces that they wouldn’t normally try on and help them to bring a look together,” Ms Cahill said.

Ms Cahill said she wanted her customers to feel confident about their purchases and to enjoy their clothing.

“We want our customers to feel really empowered and really happy in what they purchase,” she said.

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