New Asheboro boutique offers trendy styles

ASHEBORO — A new boutique in Asheboro, by its name, represents imagination and romance. Poppy and Peony held its grand opening on Saturday at 129 Sunset Ave.

Carris Hinson, the owner, had worked at Harper Jewel, which closed recently at the same location. 

Brittiany Byrd, the previous owner, Hinson said, wanted more time to spend with her children. That left the space free for the taking.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to open my own store,” Hinson said. After signing the lease on the building, she began putting “my own touch on everything. It was hard to break from Harper Jewel but then I had fun with it, to put my own spin on things.”

Poppy and Peony opened in time for the holiday shopping season and, according to Hinson, the first day “was awesome, better than I expected.” She credited local shoppers for their support.

Poppy and Peony carries women’s clothing, jewelry, accessories and hats, and Hinson hopes to add bags and shoes soon. Then in January she wants to open a baby section which she’ll call Baby Blooms, carrying clothes, blankets, teethers and other items for little ones.

Her women’s clothing is what she calls Bohemian Western, a trend that’s popular now. Hinson said she wants to offer a place to shop that’s unique.

“I try to stay away from what others are selling,” she said, “put out pieces others wouldn’t think of. Mine are curated to go together, to make an outfit with multiple ways to style one piece.”

She said she has mostly small to large sizes but is adding more plus sizes, up to 3X.

But Hinson, just 22 years old, said Poppy and Peony is “so much more than selling clothes. I want to bond with people.

“Sometimes people come in just to talk. I love to be there for them. So bring your coffee in and talk.” She even has two facing sofas with a table between for just that.

“Even people from out of town, if they like this place, when they come to town they may make a point to come back. Maybe they’ll tell how the wedding went with the dress they bought.”

Hinson is a Southwestern Randolph High School graduate and is now certified as a dental assistant. But after working at Harper Jewel, she realized what she really wanted to do with her life. 

“Working at Harper Jewel never felt like a job,” she said. “It’s something I wanted to do. When the opportunity came about, it felt right.”

Hinson explained where the boutique’s name came from. The August birth flower for her and her grandmother, Judy Fields, is the poppy, which represents imagination and dreaming. Both her parents, Keila and Eric Hinson, were born in November, whose flower is the peony, which refers to romance and success.

Those three have been important to Hinson’s life and helped set up her store. 

“My parents played a big part in setting up,” she said. “Mom was the backbone with her vision. Dad did the handiwork. Nana hand-steamed the clothes. She’s been my best friend.

“They’re the ones that shaped me, made me who I am today.”

She also will have help in the store from her friend and Harper Jewel co-worker, Caroline Wilson. 

Poppy and Peony hours are Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Hinson said.