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Boasting 350 days of sunshine a year, Arizona’s Sonoran Desert city of Tucson is both a popular vacation spot and a historic residential area with its restored 19th-century mansions and adobe row of houses. Home to the University of Arizona, Tucson has many cool vintage shops, nightclubs, and restaurants near the campus that cater to the abundant student population. Whether you’re a student or just passing through, you definitely won’t want to miss the opportunity to explore these amazing Tucson boutiques and design shops.

ZOË Boutique

Established in 1994, ZOË Boutique brings together a unique mix of local designers and artists with the latest must-have items on everyone’s list. ZOË is both a boutique and a gallery, located in close proximity to the University of Arizona and Downtown Tucson, making the space a unique arena in which to experience the excitement of the community. Anyone who has ever attended a ZOË art event, a Limo Club outing, or a seasonal fashion show knows that ZOË is an amazing place to learn more about up-and-coming artists, meet friends, and enjoy the swanky side of Tucson, all while looking adorable in that new dress and those one-of-a-kind earrings. Offering both one-of-a-kind items and on-trend must-have pieces for every fashionista’s wardrobe, ZOË Boutique is devoted to finding looks that compliment everyone’s personal style and body type. New merchandise arrives weekly at the shop, and they are always stocked with unique jewelry from local designers. The walls are always adorned with amazing pieces of art from local artists, which are also available for purchase. The warm and friendly owner, Lissa, is always around to chat and offer help, and the shop’s prices are super affordable for a boutique.

Fed By Threads

America’s first humanitarian sustainable US-made clothing line and store, feeding 12 emergency meals to hungry Americans for each item sold, Fed By Threads has set out to inspire change, to encourage people to see that their choices matter, and to make them realize that their wardrobe choices can change lives. Started by Alok Appadurai and Jade Beall, the business began when the pair wanted to share inspiring designs within the community by creating a shirt for their dance/photography studio called The Movement Shala in Tucson, and since then, the endeavor has grown into the incredible project that is now Fed By Threads. Partnering with the Southern Arizona Food Bank and a nationwide hunger relief organization, Fed By Threads turns its sales into a way of feeding emergency meals to Americans in need. The Tucson boutique provides a unique retail experience that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the country, with every rack sign telling visitors the state in America where the garment was produced, all garments made using sustainable materials, and zero-commission personal shoppers available to help customers pick garments for their size and body type.

Ooo! Outside Of Ordinary

Catering to University of Arizona students, local Tucsonans, and travelers alike, Ooo! Outside Of Ordinary is a boutique that stands out from the boring chains in the area, specializing in unique well priced quality classic items including clothing, jewelry, wall art, and home goods. Whether you’re looking for a cool gift for a friend or simply want to browse the shop for that thing you never knew you needed, Ooo! will keep you occupied for hours exploring everything from the tables displaying handmade jewelry to the stacks of notebooks and organizers to the collections of wine stoppers, picture frames, cosmetics, wall decorations, pillows, clothing, pet accessories, and much more. The shop is owned by a husband and wife team that runs the place in an old school fashion, writing all of the receipts by hand and providing excellent helpful, friendly service. The owners are very knowledgeable about the items in the store, having traveled all around the world to carefully select each item that will go for sale. The shop’s wide selection of quirky trinkets at every price point make it the perfect place to go when looking for gifts that will please all personalities.

Mahlia Collection

Established in 2005, Mahlia Collection is a luxury brand based in Tucson chiefly recognized for its award-winning jewelry designs. Mahalia was created as a passionate dedication to fine craftsmanship and the artisanship necessary to make what is beautiful, taking inspiration from European and Greek history and mythology. The unique furniture collections have also been featured numerous magazines, but it is the jewelry that has been the foundation and bedrock of Mahlia Collection, as has the voice and persona of the owner, Konstantina Mahlia. Unique couture jewelry, silver jewelry, antique furniture, couture clothing, and gifting items can all be found at this hidden gem boutique and showroom. Patrons love the beautiful exquisite jewelry, all designed by the owner, which comes in two main lines — fashion jewelry that is more affordable and Mahlia’s regular collection. Mahlia Collection jewelry is made with unique, bright and colorful stones to complement a woman’s style. The Gold Collection has won the most awards, has the most collectors and accounts, and continues to earn the industry recognition and attention. It is produced in Canada and made with the purest Canadian gold, also using its own distinguishable alloy, which has a particularly deep and rich old-world lustre to it.

Picánte Designs

Everything you love about Mexico can be found in the vibrant and colorful boutique that is Picánte Designs. Jewelry lovers fawn over the beautiful selection of unique items that includes everything from silver to beads to one-of-a-kind handmade pieces. The store is filled with patterns and textures in every direction, and the walls are lined with bright beautiful clothing, aprons, purses, and pillows, along with numerous Day of the Dead and wedding figurines. In addition, the boutique is one of the only places in Tucson where you can buy authentic Mexican oil cloth by the yard, perfect for the sewing and crafting fanatics. Even if you don’t craft or sew, the store has plenty of already-made items created with the same materials. Visitors to Picánte will also find dozens of Guatemalan and mixed masks, contemporary and traditional nichos and frames, Virgin of Guadalupe figurines, Peruvian retablos, decorative crosses, silver and pewter milagros from around the world, Mexican jewelry, paper flowers, tableware, shawls and scarves, and so much more. The boutique has easily become known as the place to go when you you’re looking for unique, handmade, and artsy-but-useful gifts with a distinctly Tucson feel.

About the author

Catrina is an aspiring editor and recent graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles with degrees in both English and Psychology. Her passion for the written word is only matched by her love of adventure and trying new things. She enjoys volunteering, hiking, dancing, drawing, and making music videos in her free time, and her goal in life is to own a library like the one in Beauty and the Beast. One day, she hopes to be able to travel to France so that she can practice her French and eat all of the delicious food.

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