When Kristie
Smith sets her mind on something, look out. The owner of Indy Homes wanted to open her office in Carmel City Center’s suite 208, but the corner spot was reserved for retail. Saks had just closed, spurring an idea: a boutique for Saks-level brands. “My husband said, ‘Absolutely not,’” laughs Smith. “I’d never worked in a store. I had to learn how to fold T-shirts!” Her husband knew it was a losing battle when learn she did, along with the ins and outs of high-end fashion merchandising. The result is a bright, elegant shop with understated sparkle and pops of pink. Look for the latest from the likes of Dorothee Schumacher, Milly, Brochu Walker, L’Agence, and Alice+Olivia, with pieces ranging from statement coats to simple tanks. Smith also leased the adjoining suite for Indy Homes, enabling a third purpose for the combined 3,000-plus square feet: an event space. And the shop’s name? “I’m adjacent to the Great American Songbook, so I took inspiration from women in music,” she explains. “Ella Fitzgerald cofounded Verve…