The Perfect Color Combination: Pink & Red provides a pop of color in your wardrobe and is proud to support brands owned by women in the South

By Ashley Daniels

Color yourself fabulous at Pink & Red, a unique boutique that’s been stylish and chic since opening doors for business in Myrtle Beach on May 1, 2021. Owner Jessica Hughes took over the Lilly Pulitzer Signature Store that was in the same location on this day after having worked there part-time and made it her own.

“Once I found out the store was closing, I started to find out what the process was to take it over, and we actually opened as a different name but stayed in the same location because we felt like people were already used to coming here,” she says.

Hughes also decided to expand the inventory of her store beyond Lilly Pulitzer to include mostly women-owned brands that are headquartered in the South.

“It was really important to me,” says Hughes, “because there are some really great smaller brands that are emerging. We’re always looking for new brands to bring in that have that Southeastern sort of flair to them. I would say we are big on color and print, and we try to have fun with the clothes we bring in for people, whether they’re casual things or really dressy things.”

When you browse through Pink & Red, expect to see a collection of tops, bottoms, dresses, jumpsuits, swimwear, activewear, sleepwear, jewelry, handbags, hair accessories, shoes, gift and home décor, and kids’ items. Featured labels include Elizabeth McCarthy, Julie Vos, Briton Court, LaRoque, Printfresh, and more.

“We are just a couple weeks away from launching our own brand, starting with jewelry,” says Hughes. “It’s a separate brand from Pink & Red called Eldee, but we’ll sell it here. We hope to grow the brand into some other boutiques and things as it launches. We’ve got some other exciting things in the pipeline to bring to the brand, but we’ll start small and hopefully continue to grow. It’s all really born of trying to hear what our customers are looking for and what they like.”

Hughes, a minister’s daughter originally from Beaufort, previously worked in banking with BB&T for nearly 20 years. She left banking in search of a more creative career, so she started her company, Letter Jess, which provided stationery design and custom logos for weddings, websites, and several brands. Hughes later added monogramming and embroidery, a service they still offer at Pink & Red from their custom workshop set up in the back of the store.

So, what’s the meaning behind the store name, Pink & Red?

“It’s funny because I used to get made fun of in school because I would color everything pink and red, or I tried to wear pink and red all the time,” Hughes says with a laugh. “And people would say, ‘That doesn’t match.’ And I just held firm that I think it did. When we were trying to think of a name for the store, um, most [Lilly Pulitzer] signature stores are called ‘The Pink’ something. My husband and I were on a walk one day, and he said, ‘Why don’t you just call it Pink and Red?’ And I actually thought that was fabulous!”

Hughes and her husband, a Georgetown, South Carolina native, moved to Myrtle Beach from Washington, D.C., a few years ago and have quickly embraced the community here.

“We appreciate having the support from folks who live here and shop here all the time,” she says. “We have just been really blessed with some amazing support from the community, and we try to give back to the community.”

Hugues says Pink & Red loves to give back to the community by sponsoring events and shows performed by Long Bay Theatre, hosting shop-and-share events, or holding baby drives a couple of times a year to donate proceeds to New Directions.

“We also love getting a chance to know our customers. We have folks here on vacation, and then we get to know them through social media as they continue to shop with us online. And then we have our local customers who are so incredibly supportive,” says Hughes. If they are coming in to search for a dress for their daughter’s engagement party or they’re coming in to look for something to send your daughter in for the first day of school, it just feels like we get a chance to have a tiny part in some really exciting moments in people’s lives.”

Pink & Red is located at 5900 N. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach. For more information, visit Shoppinkandred.com.