March 23, 2006 Issue                                               

©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Hiller, 25 years in boutique, aids ovarian cancer patients
by JAIMI GORDON

Claire and Debbie Dickson are seen in their 25-year-old boutique in Lafayette Hill, planning for the fundraiser that will aid victims of ovarian cancer.

Chestnut Hill resident Claire Dickson, owner of an eponymous boutique in Lafayette Hill (in a strip mall just past the Persian Grill), is celebrating her 25th anniversary this spring with a fundraiser to benefit From The Heart, a local organization also celebrating nearly a quarter of a century raising funds for local charities.

“We thought what better a way to celebrate our anniversary than by giving back to the community,” daughter and co-owner Debbie Dickson, who grew up in Chestnut Hill, explained. “Almost 25 years ago when we first started in business, we did a fashion show at the home of one of the women who founded From the Heart. Both Claire Dickson Boutique and From The Heart have grown so much over the past two decades that we wanted to do something again to benefit this wonderful organization.”

From The Heart, founded by 25 women from Fort Washington, Blue Bell, Lower Gwynedd and Lafayette Hill, has been raising money for nearly two decades for a wide array of projects, causes and groups such as Special Olympics, American Heart Association and Girl Scouts of America, according to spokesperson Sharyn Berman.

On Wednesday, April 5, a portion of all sales at Claire Dickson Boutique will benefit From The Heart, which will in turn donate the money to organizations doing research for a cure to ovarian cancer. The day-long event, co sponsored by Philly Style Magazine, begins at 10 a.m. and will conclude at 8 p.m. The festivities include informal modeling to showcase spring’s hottest looks, food by Totaro’s Restaurant in Conshohocken and drawings for prizes.

Claire Dickson Boutique, at 545 Germantown Pike, was started as a way for owner Claire Dickson to pass time while her son, David, and daughter, Debbie, were off at college. It started small with the encouragement of Claire’s late husband, who suggested that Claire do what she does best, shop and surround herself with high fashions. With those words of encouragement and an initial investment of just $1600, Dickson was off to New York, where she purchased novelty sweaters. She displayed these sweaters on a single counter at a Lafayette Hill salon, and within a few days they were sold; then it was back to New York for more sweaters, and a store was born. Two years later daughter Debbie Dickson joined her mother’s boutique after graduating from Dickinson College.

In 1984 the boutique moved from within the salon to their own 1800 square-foot space, and in 1996 they acquired the space next door and broke through the walls, increasing their space yet again to 3600 square feet.

Today, Claire Dickson Boutique offers everything a fashionista could want. Claire and Debbie take frequent buying trips to Milan, Paris and New York to make certain their clients are always in the forefront of fashion.

Both Claire and Debbie are in constant contact with clients to let them know when a line by a favorite designer arrives. “We have a strong repeat clientele because of our commitment to them,” said Claire. “I would rather not sell a customer an outfit than sell her one that does not make her look and feel fabulous.”

Claire Dickson Boutique is preparing for spring, with new collections arriving daily. Trunk shows from the best designers take place throughout the season, and private appointments are available upon request.

For more information, call 610-825-8668.