Whatever Happened To Kyle Richards' Clothing Store?
Kyle Richards is one of the original stars on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," so fans have been along for the ride for multiple business ventures she has embarked on during the first 11 seasons of the Bravo reality show. In 2012, two years into her "RHOBH" run, Richards partnered with Florida-based retailer Alene Too to launch a Beverly Hills boutique branch called Kyle by Alene Too, per Us Weekly. At the time, the Bravo star emphasized that she wanted to offer "the newest looks and hottest accessories" all under one roof. The flagship store's inventory included all of the star's go-to high-end labels, including vintage Chanel, Haute Hippie, Camilla and more. The luxury boutique also offered a concierge service and personal shoppers for clients.
Fans got a look at the shop when Richards' grand opening was filmed for "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." Then co-stars Lisa Vanderpump and Taylor Armstrong joined Richards at the grand opening celebration, which featured an open bar and an array of sweet treats, including cake pops that had the shop's logo on them, per People. Following the initial success of the collaboration, Richards also partnered with Alene Too to open several other boutiques across the country.
Kyle Richards' store closed so she could focus on her Kyle x Shahida line
In 2018, however, Kyle Richards announced she was closing her Beverly Hills Alene Too boutique branch. The news came not long after she downsized her store locations in New York City and the Hamptons. A rep for Richards told Page Six, "Kyle is excited to be opening a new brick and mortar store in West Hollywood along with a revamped e-commerce site ... The new venture will also be offering options for men and will no longer be affiliated with Alene Too."
"RHOBH" fans saw the launch of Richards' collaboration with designer Shadida Clayton during Season 10 of the Bravo reality show. The star's resort-style spring collection made its debut — with a "RHOBH" fashion show — at Fashion Week in New York City in 2019. The physical store in West Hollywood has yet to open, but the Kyle x Shahida website offers online ordering options.
As for that shuttered Alene Too store, which was located on the same street as Lisa Vanderpump's Villa Blanca restaurant, Richards' estranged former "RHOBH" co-star seemingly addressed the shutdown on Twitter, as well as the cancelation of her "American Woman" TV series and a lawsuit her husband Mauricio Umansky was facing at the time. "If I wanted to hurt any of them there were so many things going on, lawsuits, bankruptcies, shops failing, shows cancelled, loans in default etc," Vanderpump told a fan, per Us Weekly. "I never said a word."
Kyle Richards isn't the only RHOBH star to get into the boutique business
Several other "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" stars have also owned their own stores. Lisa Rinna and her husband Harry Hamlin once owned a Sherman Oaks, California boutique called Belle Gray, according to Racked Los Angeles. The store closed in 2012, three years after its Calabasas location shuttered. Rinna and Hamlin made headlines in 2010 when they reacted to a burglary at their boutique as they were being interviewed live on "TODAY." While chatting on the NBC morning show with hosts Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford, Hamlin said, "Girls, I have to tell you I have to keep my cell phone on, because our clothing store is being robbed as we speak." An estimated $10,000 in clothing was stolen from the shop, as was reported at the time.
More recently, "RHOBH" newcomer Sutton Stracke opened up her own West Hollywood concept boutique, Sutton, while filming her first season on the Bravo reality show. In an interview with Paper, Stracke revealed that she initially wanted to stock "no department store labels, just smaller known designers," but her "Housewives" fame caused her to rethink the inventory in her store and she decided to include items that would appeal to more of her fans. "Once the show started it was like 'Wow, people are going to suddenly see this store, what can we put in here that's for everybody?'" she said.