East Sacramento Women's Boutique That Clothed Former California First Lady Closes

EAST SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The times in retail women's wear, they are a-changing. One East Sacramento boutique that catered to some high-end clients is no more.

Katia's Collections closed its doors on Friday after 20 years. The women's boutique was located in the 5600 block of H street.

Owner Katia Davies-Kemmler says she has slowed down and she wanted her life to slow down, so she decided to retire. She says a cultural shift to e-commerce didn't change the way she treated customers.

She clothed the former first lady of California Ann Gust Brown, dignitaries, and thousands of other working women over the years. Her store was like a social club where she admits, they sometimes opened a bottle of wine and chatted.

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"Everyone was very comfortable in my store. There was no distinction of what you did or who you were. It was on a first-name basis. I would always introduce my clients to each other.  And I had some very notable women shopping at Katia's Collections-but I never made them feel like they were too special..or not special enough," she said.

She noticed a shift in the way women dressed over the years to a more casual style. But the thrill of dressing up kept customers coming back, even when they moved out of state.

Client Eileen Schuering said, "Katia knows your name, knows your body and gives you all the little hints to make you look rockin'."

Katia plans to travel with her children and grandchildren and says she looks forward to sleeping in for a change.