Graye Boutique is now open on Main Avenue, bringing new clothing, accessories and owner Laura Guza-Antony’s love of fashion to downtown Brookings.
Guza-Antony has spent more than a decade in the fashion industry. She began selling handmade products on Etsy, a venture that allowed her to develop her personal style and business skills. Early success led to a small store and eventually her own boutique, Coco Avenue, in Marshall, Minnesota. She ran the boutique for ten years before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The business never fully bounced back, and Guza-Antony made the difficult decision to close.
For some time, Guza-Antony stepped away from retail. She began working as a paraprofessional in education but said her passion for fashion never faded.
“I just figured it was my love and where my passion was,” she said.
The decision to open Graye Boutique in Brookings came after careful consideration. She was drawn to downtown Brookings’ energy as well as the mix of college students and local residents.
“Every time I came to Brookings, I noticed that when the noon hour hits, your guys’ streets were full,” she said. “It feels like there’s such a great crossover between the university and downtown. I just felt like it was a really good market.”
Guza-Antony said she did extensive research before opening, visiting Brookings around multiple times to observe downtown, talk to business owners and even use AI to track what stores were coming to the area. She also noted that, unlike Minnesota where communities shut down during COVID-19, Brookings and South Dakota never lost momentum. That stability gave her confidence the community could support a new boutique.
The process of opening the boutique moved quickly. Guza-Antony completely rebranded, leaving the Coco Avenue name behind, and began ordering clothing and inventory. Much of the preparation took place in her home, where she organized, steamed and entered products into the store system.
Opening day brought excitement and validation. Friends, former employees and local shoppers came to see the new boutique, and the turnout left Guza-Antony amazed. She said the experience of opening a new boutique felt almost unreal at first, and it wasn’t until the next day that she truly understood what it means to open her own store.
“It felt surreal, like your dream had come alive,” she said. “On Sunday after we opened, I really thought back on everything, and it just felt pretty amazing.”
Shoppers responded positively to the building itself. Many appreciated that its character and history had been preserved, while others were excited to have a boutique closer to home rather than traveling to Sioux Falls.
Graye Boutique is designed to stand out in downtown Brookings with its curated selection of clothing and accessories. Guza-Antony focused on neutral, sophisticated pieces, while mixing in boho and eclectic styles to appeal to a wide audience. Her goal was to provide clothing for college students, graduates and young professionals looking for both everyday wear and pieces suitable for interviews.
“One thing you’ll notice here is it’s all neutral,” she said. “I wanted to create something sophisticated that could work for college students, graduates and anyone looking for versatile pieces.”
Guza-Antony said the boutique is inclusive and welcoming, and she wants every visitor to walk in and find something they can buy and feel good about.
Opening the boutique also came with personal goals. Guza-Antony wanted to see whether a new community would embrace her store. While she had confidence from her experience in Marshall, she saw Brookings as a fresh market. Seeing the response from the community during opening weekend gave her confidence she had made the right choice.
“It’s amazing to see everything I imagined come together. From the layout to the clothing and even the way the store feels, this time I feel like I really got it right, and it’s exactly how I pictured it,” she said.
Looking ahead, Guza-Antony plans to continue adding to the boutique’s inventory and exploring new ways to engage with the Brookings community.
