Just east of Cincinnati and along the Little Miami River, perfectly manicured Main Street seems to have jumped straight out of a film. Numerous independently-owned shops and restaurants line each side, offering their wares and services to the locals, trendy visitors, and any curious traveler.
















You'd expect to find some of these great shops -- a monogram store, a cupcakery, vintage clothing store, a donut shop, but then Main Street takes an unexpected twist from the typical offerings: a high-fashion custom clothing designer. While geographically far away from fashion hotspots like New York City and Milan, designer Amy Kirchen has been making waves from Milford that can be felt around the globe.













Amy just celebrated the grand opening of her new location on 125 Main Street. The beautiful white columns usher you into her front ready-to-wear boutique, which offers hand-picked clothing from other designers with thoughtful prints and desirable prices ranging from $50-$100. There is no sales pressure and you feel pampered as you peruse clothing by the light of crystal chandeliers in sumptuous surroundings. The center room is her show-stopper. Here you can see the look book and pieces from her upcoming collection; on display now features her 2012 fall/winter line. Amy's inspiration came from glamorous women of times past, like Audrey Hepburn, and features cinched waists, custom fabrics, flowy chiffon and superb tailoring. The back room contains Amy's studio, where her custom clients come to dream up their next ensemble, select quality fabrics and surprisingly it's where 80% of Amy's business and art form takes place.













My sister Jenny and I loved shopping at the Amy Kirchen Boutique. Amy started us a fitting room as she helped us select some trendy dresses, and when nothing seemed to fit my pregnant belly, she brought me item after item until we had a perfect match. It's not often that you get excellent customer service from a designer at these prices. In addition, she also offers affordable accessories and alterations on-site.

Excited about our lovely new purchases, Jenny and I meandered down Main Street to 20Brix, a restaurant, wine bar and retail store with national accolades from Wine Spectator for the last 4 years. Interested in some light bites, we took our seats at a cozy bar table. Jenny ordered a crisp Chardonnay to complement our crab cake appetizer. Created by chef Paul Barraco and served with aoli and sweet potato puree, the moist cake did not disappoint. We enjoyed the polished atmosphere and lively weekend crowd, before departing Milford for the evening.

To find out Milford's latest events and for a list of shops in the area, you can visit the Milford website.