A stylish idea in East Village

Lizbeth Chavez always had a passion for fashion and wanted to create a fun boutique as a one-stop shop. Her dream was to open a place downtown where women could get their hair colored, cut and styled while also being able to shop for the perfect outfit to go along with the new hair. So after months of budgeting and cutting back and finally finding the perfect location in East Village, Lizbeth was able to open her dream shop called Paper Doll Boutique & Scissors. Paper Doll is a boutique that has sexy and cute designer apparel for women as well as accessories. And Scissors is the perfect complement to get your hair done at the same time.

Q: Where did the name paper doll come from?

A: My mother is the oldest of nine siblings, so we had the honor of growing up with multiple cousins.

My two sisters, cousins, one aunt (only three years older) and I had the best time playing with paper dolls. We spent hours coloring and cutting away, we would even create our own from scratch paper. Having adoration for paper dolls and such great memories of girlie-girl time with my family, it was my first choice to name my boutique Paper Doll Boutique. As for the “& Scissors” part of the title, it was a natural since you need scissors for the dolls, and I definitely did not want another conventional name for the beauty salon part of the boutique.

Q: What’s the one accessory you never leave home without?

A: Easy, my mascara. Never leave home without it. No matter what kind of day you are having, a doll of a lady should never walk out of the house without that mascara on. Keep an extra mascara tube in your purse, just in case you need extra volume for that unexpected night after work. I always ask for sample tubes when buying a new one.

Q: Favorite fashion website to waste your time on?

A: I would not call it wasting time, although I do get stuck on the YouTube channel “CHANEL.” I love watching Chanel’s fashion shows, short films and interviews. Style.com is a fascinating, informative website - that site I love to waste time on in a productive way.

Q: The worst job you have ever had?

Well let me tell you, the worst job I have ever had was working in a movie rental shop. No, not DVDs. We rented out VHS cassettes, old school for VCRs. I will forever have mentally engraved “Be kind, please rewind.” Wait, did I just age myself?

Q: Best part about doing business in downtown San Diego?

A: Initially I did not know what to expect from a boutique in downtown. Luckily we are located in between East Village and Gaslamp San Diego. I get a taste of the two communities, the wild party zone and residential community. I have met the warmest-hearted people here - a great welcoming from everyone that lives here. They are supportive of me, the boutique and salon. I love that they shop here, get dolled up here and refer their friends to us. More importantly, they remember me and pop in just to say “hi” as they walk by during their busy schedule. The best part of doing business is the people who reside here, they are awesome.

Q: If you could have dinner with one designer, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

A: (Coco) Chanel. Her strength, her dedication and style - daring yet classy. If I could have dinner with her I am confident I would learn a lot from her not just in the fashion and designing world, but in character. She is a strong-willed woman who always kept her composure through the storms. I think of her strength at times when my ocean is stormy.

Q: Flats, high heels or boots?

A: High heels, the higher the better. A doll should always have her heels on, sexy classy.

Source: DiscoverSD