Totokaelo boutique reaches for the stars of high fashion Downtown

The name Totokaelo (pronounced TOH-toh-KYE-oh) is derived from the Latin toto caelo, which means "reaching to the edge of the stars." And with it, owner Jill Wenger has created a whole new constellation of gorgeous clothing in this new shop located in the Maritime Building on the south end of Western Avenue between Madison and Marion streets.

Wenger, owner of Impulse in Fremont, opened this second boutique in mid-November, pulling the higher-end items from Impulse to fill the racks at Totokaelo. By separating the two shops, Wegner says she can focus on growing the more accessible, medium-priced items from young designers at Impulse, starting with the spring 2009 collections.

Totokaelo first got its start as Totokaelo.com in June 2008 as the as the e-commerce component of Impulse. The site is an interactive community, equal parts blog, online shop and discussion board for women who look to Wenger for her ability to pick impeccably made, exquisite pieces that "that reflect the core qualities they love about themselves."

The brick-and-mortar Totokaelo is where Wenger will stock items from the premier collections of designers like Junya Watanabe, Comme des Garcons, Whyred, Stella McCartney and Y's by Yohji Yamamoto. At Totokaelo, Wenger specifically chooses pieces with less color and more architectural construction. While I am completely smitten by the store, it must be acknowledged that much of what she carries is affordable only to the economically gifted. Shirts range in the $250-$350 range, jackets run from $770-$1976 and shoes and boots are in the $300-$600 range. According to Wegner, Totokaelo's customer is fashion-savvy, appreciates things slightly off-center, can afford to be meticulously picky about her clothing and is likely to not be overly affected by the current economic downturn.

The space itself is tall and narrow. It is, like the clothes contained within, thoughtfully and deliberately designed with faultless style. A sleek, 18-foot-long black case runs the length of the store, salvaged doors hang on the dressing rooms and industrial brass-plated lamps dangle from the ceiling.

At Totokaelo, Wenger is inspired to interpret the skyline from many different perspectives. The words "Try On" are spelled out on the wall above the dressing rooms by thousands of brass sequins that flutter and twinkle like stars. Reader boards in the dressing room blink with inspirational quotes and the sale signs are made from Lite-Brites. And while it wasn't installed on my visit, I'm told that a tall light box punctuated with holes will create a starscape on the back wall, illuminating the stellar shoe selection.

Totokaelo is located at 913 Western Ave. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

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