Not for Britney

Two friends open a store filled with the fashions they've been looking for

It didn't require a business degree or a marketing plan for Kristina Hare Lyons and Marina Kalb to realize that there was something missing in their neighborhood: A store for women in their 40s who are not ready to give in to frump or fussiness. The two Brookline women had no desire to dress like 21-year-olds, nor were they interested in taking the on-ramp to the Ann Taylor Expressway.

Eventually they took matters into their well-manicured hands and recently opened their own store, called Portobello Road.

"It was really frustrating," says Kalb. "We were spending a lot of time looking for a store for women like us - women who are at a place in their lives where they feel comfortable with who they are. We don't need to wear labels or care about those things so much, we just want clothes that are beautiful and comfortable."

It seemed inevitable that the two women would eventually open a store. Kalb, daughter of journalist Bernard Kalb, who worked for CBS, NBC, and The New York Times, has fond recollections of setting up a play store, complete with homemade credit cards, while growing up in Hong Kong. Both women say time spent abroad has influenced their look, which they describe as "Bohemian chic."

"I have two words that I can't stand," says Kalb. " 'Missy' and 'cocktail dress.' I just cringe when I hear either of those. I'm most comfortable in a pair of cowboy boots."

Lyons, the wife of Boston nightlife magnate Patrick Lyons, says her style was influenced by spending her formative style years in California, giving her an appreciation for "California ease with European sophistication." After working on the Michael Dukakis presidential campaign in 1988, she worked as filmmaker Oliver Stone's right hand for three years, and then became West Coast editor for Elle.

The two met in Boston when Kalb, a filmmaker and former associate producer for the PBS series "Frontline," worked with Lyons on a "Frontline" project. Lyons and Kalb were regularly asked by friends about their wardrobe choices. The two decided to parlay their style into a business through a series of trunk shows. The trunk shows generated enough of a following that Lyons and Kalb were able to open the store in Chestnut Hill last month.

"We really buy for ourselves when we buy for the store," says Lyons. "That's not always the strategy people have for their stores. But the store reflects our own personal taste."

Portobello Road sells a combination of things that the two women love - elegant dresses, casual wear, flower arrangements by event planner Andrea Halliday, and children's clothes. The designers are "not the names that you're going to see at Bloomingdale's," says Lyons, and labels include Chan Luu, Odd Molly, and Hazel Brown.

The store also sells furniture from Mohr & McPherson. They reason that if these are things that they need in their lives, then there are others seeking out the same indulgences. Eventually, they want the store to serve as a salon, with readings and political talks.

"We'd like to think that the store has a bit more depth than two chicks on a fun mission," Kalb says. "We want to create a community center, not just a store. But a community center where you can also find a cool necklace."

Portobello Road is at the Chestnut Hill Shopping Center,
47 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill. 617-264-2020.

What they're wearing On Kristina Hare Lyons (left): Dress, $360, and coat, $450, from Karen Zambos Vintage Couture; purse, $300, by Wooley. On Marina Kalb: Dress, $260, from Chan Luu. All available at Portobello Road.