Green is the New Black at JEP (Lifestyle) Boutique

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For many, California is seen as the phoenix, a land of dreams, the West; the last inkling of light at the end of an infinite horizon. From the miners of the 1949 gold rush to the Okies of the great depression, California has been illustrated as the paramount of all that is fertile with prospect.

San Diego, to be sure, is no exception to the endless sphere of opportunities, fresh ideas and progressive thinking. It is no wonder then that when Kristina Bodal chose San Diego as her domain that her entrepreneurial spirit would follow.

Bodal, a Seattle transplant, ended up in San Diego with her fiancé not long after high school and entered into a major in Women's Studies at San Diego State. However, it was not long before she started to itch for something more. "My father was an entrepreneur," says Bodal, "I was distracted by the excitement of business."

This epiphany has long since resonated within Bodal. Asked as a little girl what she wanted to do when she grew up, she frankly responded she wanted to own her own business. Quite a revelation for a child, but as it seems this dream was meant to be.

In Skin may very well be Bodal's first project and currently exists as a concept salon located in Mission Valley. In Skin houses around 30 hairdressers, four to five aestheticians, a message therapist and no receptionist; yet, the shop is very organized.

"Everyone is their own little business," says Bodal, "and responsible for their own organization and managing their own clientele." The fact that In Skin is structured in this way by no means gives Bodal anymore free time, but whatever gratuity the arrangement presents will be of her benefit as it appears another opportunity has revealed itself in the last several months.

Bodal recently took ownership over JEP Boutique, a local fashion landmark that has graced La Jolla for several years now with its trend-setting styles and must-have pieces. She presented a grand "re-opening" of the beloved boutique on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 which introduced patrons to the new JEP, a lifestyle boutique offering familiar trends with salon flair for those on the go.

Take, for example, the woman (or man) who needs the care of a beauty professional but does not have the time to make it to both the boutique and the salon. Bodal provides a solution by offering an in-store waxing service, or "brow bar," to all of her guests. JEP will also be introducing Manic Mondays once a month on a random Monday where everything will go on sale in the store on that particular day. She will also host Waxing Wednesdays every Wednesday upon which waxing services will be discounted.

With her love for retail paired with her passion for aesthetics, Bodal has begun to fuse her own inspirations with the already successful store. "Elise [Purcell] and I already had a similar style," says Bodal of the former fashionista from which JEP originated, ("J.E.P." being Elise's initials). Although the two women shared an analogous love for fashion, Bodal is, herself, an original and will no doubt bring her own panache to the forefront.

From Thailand to Norway, Bodal is an accomplished individual who finds inspiration in everything. This is certainly no surprise upon exploring her family's background. "My parents loved to travel and they would always take me with them," says Bodal of her cultured childhood. Hints of her ethnic lifestyle can be seen in many of the pieces she chooses to represent in JEP; Acholi Beads, made out of recycled paper by about six women in Northern Uganda, being one of them. "They called me and I accepted in a heartbeat. I just couldn't turn that away," says Bodal, who explained that these women only make about three dollars a day. The collection is beautifully handcrafted, with colorful details cultivated from a long history of creativity.

A love for worldly cultures, beauty and charity are just a few elements of Bodal's life that have been incorporated into the new JEP. And like any good Washington/California girl, Bodal embraces the "green living" lifestyle. This is no easy task, as Bodal goes to great lengths to integrate "green" into all aspects, not only of her life, but of JEP, as well. To name a few, natural lighting in the store, recyclable toilet paper (biodegradable), electric dryers and organic cleaning products are all evident at JEP. The majority of these products require Bodal to make extended journeys to the inconveniently placed "green" markets around town, and sadly there are not many.

There is hope, however, for the "greens" out there. Upon Bodal's last trip to "Class" tradeshow in Las Vegas, Bodal encountered awareness for Mother Earth that would impress even the greenest guys and gals. The show allowed attendees to buy a tree in their name in order to offset the carbon emissions that it took in order to get to the show, and other exhibits had patrons pedaling bikes for a blend-your-own smoothie.

Although Bodal has an affinity for "green" eco-consciousness, when considering pieces for her store, Bodal cannot pass up some designers; even if some of the clothing has not been created from organic cotton. For JEP newbies and JEP addicts alike, Bodal is still holding on to such staples like, Nudie jeans, Phillip Lim, and St. Grace. Nudie jeans, which have a cult following, should not be washed for six months as the jeans mold to its owner's body movements and habits (i.e. keeping your wallet in your left pocket) and leaves the imprints of such markings. Phillip Lim and St. Grace, designers that lie among a more high-end market are there for those who enjoy a finery and delicacy that befall a costly price tag, but are not the only things one might find at JEP.

"We get all sorts of people in here from high school kids to parents, from professionals to college students, from guys to girls," says Bodal, as JEP has a little something for everyone; even in the beauty department. Like "manscaping," a maintenance that Bodal has provided for those guys that need a little grooming.

Between being an aesthetician, a multiple store owner and living a green lifestyle, it is amazing that Bodal has any time to have a normal life. "I'm busy all day long but I find the time to socialize. My life is one big [act] of socializing," says Bodal with a smile, as a woman from next door enters to discuss something with her. "See, I was socializing right there," Bodal says with a wink.

It is exhausting to think of a person welding this much drive and energy, as Bodal is most certainly a force to reckon with. But I think it is safe to say that we can all feel safe with Bodal now behind the wheel of the indispensable fashion milestone that is JEP; beautifying, stylizing and changing the world one biodegradable paper towel at a time.

For photos from the re-launch party on Tuesday, March 25, 2008, check out the photo gallery here.

If you're looking for more ways to go green in San Diego, get new ideas here.