Ooh La La Boutique Holds 'Paint the Town Pink!' Fundraiser

Jenny Montiglio, 31, started the Ooh La La Boutique concept in quite an interesting way.

She started college in the city, first intending to pursue a degree in animal sciences, then working in the city for seven years in the garment industry. Back in Long Beach five years ago, she spied a business across the street that looked like it was closing for good, and she decided to start her own store right there.

"So we opened [Ooh La La] in Long Beach, and I was there for three years," and then she decided to open up another Ooh La La branch in Babylon. Then another one in Sayville, Fire Island, and, the day before Thanksgiving 2009, Ooh La La! came to Huntington, where Montiglio said the store has received a great response.

The store sells shoes, handbags and accessories. Montiglio said she likes to stock smaller west coast designers in her boutique.  "Our demographic is 18-50-year old women. We try to get a little bit of every style.  When there is grandmother and granddaughter in the store, and they can find what they want, then we know that we did our job."

Right now, Jenny is dealing with a fire that has closed her Long Beach location. "We pulled together and worked through it. [My managers are] a great group of girls." She has a nick-name for her staff: girl power times five.

Montiglio comes from a tight-knit family, as well. "My husband has a full-time job, but he's involved in the store. He helps on the side." Jen's dad is originally from Huntington. "He was my inspiration to open a store there." Jen says that she wanted to open stores in communities where people liked to stroll around and leisurely take their time in, and Huntington definitely fit that profile, she says.

Ooh La La is also mindful of its community outreach. February 26th and February 27th are the dates for its "Paint the Town Pink" events, showing support in the effort to fight breast cancer.

This is Jenny's first fundraiser. "We've been all reaching out for the past two months. All of our vendors, our customers. Everyone has just given us so much support, and given back so much. People have donated items that we can raffle off. We have a Brooklyn salon coming, who'll be doing manicures and pedicures..." plus countless other fundraising activitities.

Ooh La La is located at 306 Main Street, right next to Dragon Gate restaurant.

Their website is www.oohlalaboutique.com. As of April 1st, Jenny hopes to be able to sell some of her merchandise through it.