Mignon has been New Orleans’ premier children’s shop for nearly 65 years, offering the sweetest classic clothing, accessories, and toys alongside a curated selection of gear to make the early parenting years easier (and cuter) whenever possible. We recently visited Mignon’s light-filled storefront on Magazine Street to catch up with owner Stephanie Deshautreaux on her path to entrepreneurship, her vision for the business, and her newest offering. Here’s our conversation:

You’ve owned Mignon for about four years now, but you’ve been part of the business for over a decade. How did you get started at Mignon?
I came home from LSU the summer after freshman year, and my mom said, “You’re getting a job.” Believe it or not, Craigslist was still a thing then, and [Mignon’s previous owner] Ashley [Nesser] had posted about a local boutique looking for help. After a quick interview, she said, “You’re hired.” Looking back, it’s so funny that’s how I found my start.

So I started working here, and I just fell in love. Ashley and [co-owner] Loftin [Brooks] had bought the business a few months before, and they were doing a renovation, and revamping the whole image and trying to figure out their vibe for the store. I had studied fashion merchandising at LSU, and they took everyone’s input to heart and brought me along with the process of it all. Even from the beginning, I felt like I was such a part of the store. I fell in love with it – the people, the familiar faces shopping.

How did you make the leap to being the owner and entrepreneur?
When the time came and Ashley said she was ready to find a new owner, she said to me “Are you interested?” And I thought, Oh my God, I’m 26, am I ready to own my own business? It’s such a scary thing to take on. I remember going to my mom and saying, “Are you going to help me through this learning curve?” And she said she would – she’s an entrepreneur – so I dove in, and the rest is history!

Mignon has been a pillar of New Orleans’ local shopping since 1958. What contributes to that longevity?
We’ve stayed true to the tradition – we’ve been working with some of the brands for as long as we’ve been open, such as Florence Eisman and Auraluz. While we’re always looking for what’s refreshing and finding new brands, we stay true to the original and the classic. We carry traditional, classic items, such as boys’ shorts sets, lace trim collars, seersucker, and traditional kids’ trends that everyone always loves to get away from Under Armour.

One of the things you introduced as owner is the new website. Do you get much traffic on your online shop?
Yes! We get a ton of online business. During COVID, we invested in our website and we do a lot of out-of-town business, I think because we carry things that people can’t find where they live. We also have a lot of parents who are shopping after hours when the kids are finally asleep.

One of your most popular services is the registry for new parents. Do customers tend to register in person?
Yes. People love to look at kids’ clothes in person, to look at the motifs on things, experience the softness of the Kissy Kissy pj’s, feel the texture, try the products, as opposed to just scanning online. It really adds a personal aspect to it. When a new mom comes in, we’ll walk through the store with her, make recommendations, see what she likes, make notes, then write down her wishlist. Once the parents find out if they’re having a boy or a girl, they’ll come back in and look at gender-specific items. The week of her baby shower, we’ll make up a basket with everything she wanted and refill it throughout the week. Additionally, if the parents are using an online hub for their registry, they are able to link products on our online store.

Monogramming is a signature element of classic children’s clothing and gifts. Tell us about your plans for monogramming at Mignon.
My goal is to offer full in-house monogramming. Many businesses either have a small selection of fonts and it’s a quick turnaround, or they have a wider selection and it’s a two-week turnaround. My hope is that by bringing our monogramming in-house, we will have more leeway for designs and timelines. Doing our own monogramming will really decrease the turnaround time. The service has begun slowly and will go full in-house before the end of the year.

This question is for the longtime locals: Do you still do the signature Mignon gift wrapping?
We’ve changed it up a little, but it’s the same pastel multicolor ribbon curlicues. When a store has a long history like ours, there are some things you just can’t change!

Make Mignon your first stop for classic children’s clothing for babies, kids, & tween girls, plus a wonderful selection of books & gifts. You can sneak a peek at their style on their terrific online shop, or immerse yourself in their sweet storefront at 5414 Magazine Street. Don’t forget to tell them Scout sent you!