Brochu Walker has unveiled its fifth store at The Post in Montecito, Calif.

Many associate the California community with its celebrity residents like Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow and Meghan Markle. The Duchess of Sussex has been known to wear the California-based brand and included one of its items in her ShopMy page on Shopify in March.

Brochu Walker’s new locale at 1809 East Cabrillo Boulevard offers low-key styles including dresses, shirts, skirts, cashmere sweaters and relaxed knits. With a Dutch front door, pattern rugs, chandeliers made of fabric and olive trees, the decor is in sync with the company’s easy styles and the relaxed southern California lifestyle.

With 30-plus years of experience, Brochu Walker’s owner and creative director Karine Dubner started the company in March 2013 partially as a way to provide for her family and to start a new chapter in her career. After earning a bachelor’s degree in international economics from the University of Pars Pantheon Sorbonne, the French-born executive came to the U.S. in 1989. The following year she started what would be a 14-year run at BCBG Max Azria that led to Dubner becoming the executive vice president and chief operating officer. From 2008 through 2011, she was chief operating officer of Joie-Dutch LLC. But starting and running her own company had always been an ambition, she said.

The Montecito location is in step with Brochu Walker’s interest in catering to niche communities. The other outposts are in Atlanta, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif., Westport, Conn., and Southampton, N.Y. Each location has a slightly different assortment and vibe, according to Dubner, who described the new boutique as “very charming.” Shoppers will find a pareo that is exclusive to that location.

Dubner said she has not worked with Markle personally. “Unfortunately, I did not work with her. I wish I did. She has worn several items from Brochu Walker, which is very flattering. She obviously has a lot of options. That really meant a lot to us. We feel that her style is aligned with the brand,” Dubner said.

As for whether media coverage of Markle wearing Brochu Walker drives sales, she said, “In general, when we have celebrities or content creators wear something, they usually bring attention to the brand. That always helps obviously. But speaking about Brochu Walker, we have grown slowly and steadily. That has been very much through word-of-mouth and traditional advertising.”

The founder is also on the lookout for other potential stores, but as someone who is “very picky,” the search is taking longer than expected, she said. Texas, Charleston, S.C., and Nantucket are potential locations. Sunglasses is the latest category that the brand has rolled out, and pajamas could be the next. “Listening to customers about what their needs are,” Dubner said the brand is working on introducing more bags and “hopefully” outerwear.

Asked if clothing is almost a secondary purchase, due to consumers’ lifestyles being more prone for electronics, sunglasses, handbags or shoes, Dubner said she reevaluated her role in fashion, when COVID-19 hit. “I just felt that we were doing something very frivolous. I thought, ‘What am I bringing to society?’”

As the pandemic shutdown continued, it became clear that people, who were staying at home and working from home, were looking for comfort through quality, easy pieces to wear, she said. More recently, after when wildfires decimated parts of Los Angeles and southern California in January and many customers lost their homes, Brochu Walker gave care packages of clothing as gifts to the displaced. Dubner said the team had no idea that they would receive such touching messages from people, “who had lost everything” about how those clothes helped them to feel more like themselves and were “something nice to have and to wear.”

Speaking of the everlasting effect of fashion, Dubner said, “I just love it. Sometimes you have a special occasion, a trip you have to take, or you’re going to work. You just want to be comfortable and have a certain style. People may spend less money than before [COVID-19], but clothes are very important for a woman. I’m the customer for Brochu Walker too — I work, I have kids, I travel, but you don’t want to be too fashionable. I buy for the style, and quality is super important to me too.”