Best friends run Wild Willows Boutique in Massapequa
Kathy Camarda and Dawn Kilmeade at their casual clothing store, Wild Willows Boutique in Massapequa. Credit: Wild Willows Boutique
Long Island natives Kathy Camarda and Dawn Kilmeade have been friends since meeting in an art history class at Hofstra University in Hempstead in 1982.
Four decades later, the fellow soccer moms and BFFs branched out as business partners, launching Wild Willows Boutique in Massapequa, where they both live.
The focus of the welcoming pocket-size shop is “casual contemporary clothes and accessories,” says Kilmeade. “It’s generational. We try to reach women of all ages.”
Both entrepreneurs have three adult children. The retail venture was inspired by their daughters, they say.
“Our girls played soccer together,” says Camarda. “They always used to tell us we should open a boutique because they knew we love fashion.”
The seed was planted, and years went by. Wild Willows, which opened in 2022, became a reality through the power of close connections and the courage to take a risk.
“Our good friend Karena owns The Hair Studio next door to our boutique,” says Camarda. “She was expanding. She wanted to have a shopping experience for her clients and the neighborhood. She offered us the space.”
“It was the right opportunity at the right time,” she adds. “It fell in our laps.”
The women spent about six months developing a business plan for the kind of shop they wanted to open and who they wanted it to be for.
Once in motion, they relied on previous life and work experience. Camarda was an account executive for Chaus clothing. Kilmeade worked in both retail and advertising production.
Selections inside the 200-square-foot retail space run the gamut — bottoms, tops, dresses, sweaters, shoes, and jewelry. Prices are set to be easy on the budget. Jeans cost anywhere from $30 to $80, while casual tops are priced at $50 to $90. Dresses for everyday cost $60 to $80. Jewelry runs from $10 to $50.
Both partners say that their “100% mutual trust” is a business asset that can’t be overstated. A sense of fun is also invaluable.
Asked what inspired the store’s name, Camarda says, “We both love the name Willow.” And the “wild” part? “You can find us dancing in the store,” she says. “We like to make sure that we’re enjoying the process.”
Wild Willows Boutique, 588 Broadway, Massapequa, 516-758-3133, wildwillowsboutique.com.