The Walk In Closet, Mount Kisco
Four local women with different areas of expertise have banded together to operate a unique store located in the popular Saw Mill Club.
The Walk In Closet has a range of beauty products, handcrafted jewelry, workout clothes and stylish shoes that are sure to attract a variety of shoppers.
Colette Connolly photo
Jill Brenner, Lori Laub, Jenny Ng LoPresto and Mariann Morales run the store, which has been open for nearly a year. For the four women it’s much more than a place of business; it’s a supportive, friendly environment.
Brenner, a Pound Ridge resident, sells athletic wear, known in the industry as “athleisure” clothing that can be worn away from the gym. She said her merchandise stresses comfort, but it’s also stylish.
Each morning, Brenner displays her merchandise outside the store, a likely place to catch the club’s members.
Brenner, who operates under the business name ZOOM Bala, carries a wide variety of fashion brands that are suitable for almost any kind of exercise, including Onzie, Pheel, Prismsport, Vie Active, Alo Yoga and a local clothing manufacturer called Rie & Ryn. She also carries a number of casual handbags and accessories.
Brenner said she carefully selects her inventory after attending trade shows and regularly purchases workout gear she would wear herself.
The daughter of Chinese immigrants, LoPresto learned to bead growing up in Brooklyn. It’s a skill she has perfected over the years, turning her talents into a business called Jenny Ng Designs. In addition to the beautiful creations that LoPresto designs and makes, her life’s mission is also a charitable one. Over the years, she has worked with a variety of nonprofit organizations and donates to various charities.
“I call myself a personal jewelry designer, but this is really my pathway to helping others,” she explained.
LoPresto, of Cross River, said she can turn a tired old piece of jewelry into something new and fitting today’s styles. She noted she was drawn to The Walk In Closet because of the warm-heartedness of the other women, but also as a way to showcase her designs to a new audience.
Laub, an independent consultant with the health & wellness company Arbonne and former NBC employee, became a believer in the Arbonne line of beauty and health products after trying the company’s anti-aging line. She said the company offers customers safe, preservative-free products.
“Everyone walking in the doors of the club wants to improve themselves,” said Laub, a Goldens Bridge resident. “And we want to add to that recipe.”
Laub sells everything from lipsticks to age-defying skincare products, hair care items, bath and body products, the company’s nutritional line and more.
Stylish shoes like those from Johnson & Murphy, Italian-made Via Spiga footwear, popular leather flip-flops by Tkees and water shoes by Melissa are just some of the styles at The Walk In Closet, courtesy of Mariann Morales of Heart & Soles. She said she looks for brands that can’t necessarily be found in department stores.
Morales, owner of Heart & Soles in Mount Kisco, moved from Ruthie Z in Armonk and is happy to be doing business in the village.
“This is where my roots are,” said Morales, a former shoe sales associate who lives in Goldens Bridge. “My children were born here, my first home was here. It’s a great feeling to be back.”
Customers will also find a small collection of leather handbags from British Columbia and One Fated Knight, trendy pocketbooks from Desigual, snakeskin Sorial bags and popular Lolo totes and luggage tags.
The Walk In Closet is located inside the Saw Mill River Club, 77 Kensico Drive. The store is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., or by appointment. To reach Brenner, call 914-438-8618, Ng LoPresto at 917-992-2582, Laub at 914-469-8086 and Morales at 914-536-8940.
Colette Connolly is a copywriter and p.r. expert. She owns Connolly Communications, which is based in Bronxville, New York. Colette specializes in providing content-rich, SEO-optimized press releases, articles, newsletters, brochures, and customer success stories.
