Creations Boutique at Tempe Marketplace: Bohemian Fashion Legacy and Local Artisan Treasures
Written by: Sally J. Clasen | Photography by Mark Lipczynski
In the early 1970s, Olivia Verma Smith’s parents, Avtar and Satya Verma, entered the fashion world as newcomers, traveling nationwide to sell Satya’s clothing sketches to wholesalers.
Today, Smith serves as general manager of the family-founded Star of India Fashions, one of Arizona’s largest women’s clothing manufacturers. The company boasts its own fashion label, distribution center, and retail stores across Arizona and California—including the acclaimed Creations Boutique at Tempe Marketplace. The first Creations Boutique debuted in Tucson in 1971, with a new location recently opening at Desert Ridge Marketplace.
Creations Boutique showcases the company’s national Angie brand alongside candles, accessories, and jewelry from local Arizona designers and artists.
“Angie draws boho inspiration, crafted from printed, lightweight woven fabrics with loose, comfortable fits,” Smith explains. This proprietary line features maxi dresses, billowy blouses, and romantic jumpsuits, available nationwide at 5,000 retailers and major chains like Macy’s and Nordstrom. “We also collaborate closely with Valley creatives, highlighting talented local makers.”
Though the boutique’s retro vibe might suggest a younger crowd, its casual, bohemian styles appeal across generations. “We serve a broad customer base with inclusive sizing from children’s 6 to 3X—truly cross-generational,” Smith notes.
Affordable pricing—most items under $50, many at $20–$40—sets Creations apart, minimizing competition from national brands, per Smith.
Evoking the vibrant 1970s flair of its origins, the store’s energetic space honors that era with handmade fixtures from reclaimed materials by Tucson welders and vintage furniture. “These artistic fixtures resemble sculptures designed to showcase our clothing,” Smith says.
To remain relevant, Creations adapts trends for modern wear while nodding to the past. “We design, interpret trends, and make them timeless. It’s rewarding work in our family business, alongside my brother Ajay Verma,” she shares.
Smith is grateful for the boutique’s relocation to Tempe Marketplace last fall, expanding from 2,000 to 4,000 square feet on Mill Avenue. “Tempe Marketplace rarely hosts small boutiques like ours. We started as a pop-up, and management partnered with us. Sharing space with national chains is a true honor.”
Creations Boutique at Tempe Marketplace
2000 E. Rio Salado Pkwy. #1246, Tempe, AZ 85281 | (480) 448-168
