Far from a run-of-the-mill, fru-fru girly boutique, Haven is dark, edgy and a little bit sexy. Its collection of trend-inspired accessories, feminine dresses and denim in every style is almost entirely locally designed—and tailor-made for the girl who’s not afraid to stand out in a crowd.
Located inside Voyeur, one of downtown San Diego’s hottest new dance clubs, clothes are displayed in what looks like your coolest BFF’s closet.
Proprietress Deanne Shockey, a former model, and her husband, Johnny, a retired San Diego Gulls hockey player, opened the club/boutique in September.
The club it
self is, as the name Voyeur implies, a place to see and be seen…literally. Tiny cameras, secreted around the club, record the goings-on. Selected images can be projected on TVs and a huge, floor-to-ceiling LED wall. Go-go dancers are also on the scene at night.
Shockey is as beautiful as she is well-educated. She’s got an eye for what’s hot, what can be recycled and how to keep her customers on the cutting edge of fashion.
The boutique has an eclectic, found-art vibe. Everything in the store, from the mannequins to the antique gun hanging on the wall, was acquired and/or restored by Shockey. Haven’s ingenious use of black painted gym lockers to display feathered earrings and graphic tees give the store the feel of a girl’s version of a locker room—inviting, yet organized.
Shockey’s true knack is for discovering unknown designers. She scours Etsy, an online market for buying and selling all things handmade. When she finds something she loves, she has the designer make it in bulk—just for her.
“The last thing I want is to walk down the street and see something I own on somebody else,” Shockey says.
Haven’s strength is its amazing accessories.
Prices range from $40-$100.
If you’re looking for original denim, Haven carries Hollywood Million Denim, designed by Rancho Santa Fe native Michele Genevieve. Her jeans have found their way onto the varying figure types of Kim Kardashian, Kara Dioguardi, and Drea Dimatteo. And, five percent of proceeds from every pair of perfect butt-hugging jeans goes to charity.
