Boutique Peek: Alina B. in Walnut Creek

Main Street shop brings European style to the East Bay.

Alina Bialobrodska was a chemistry teacher by trade, but she’s always had a weakness for fashion. Growing up in Poland, she looked most forward to the weekly one-page Parisian fashion spread in the newspaper, and from the photos she’d ask her seamstress (or her fashion designer mother-in-law, after she got married) to create the clothing for her.

“I always went to school nicely dressed,” the boutique owner said, adding that she was the first woman in Poland to wear an Yves Saint-Laurent-inspired men’s suit.

Now, she’s a 20-year veteran to the fashion industry and owns her own boutique on Walnut Creek's North Main Street called Alina B. The swirly silver racks are filled with luxury: cashmere and lamb’s wool sweaters, tissue-thin tops with eye-popping colors, and gorgeous D&G and Louis Vuitton bags.

Although the store has moved to several locations around the East Bay, she’s always had a loyal following: Jane Burak of Alamo has been shopping at Alina B. since it was in its previous locations in Blackhawk and on Broadway in Walnut Creek. “She has an incredible eye,” said Burak, who introduced her Berkeley-based sister Lucinda Reinold to the boutique after she retired and wanted to update her wardrobe. “Now I don’t shop anywhere else,” said Reinold.

Where the styles come from: "I travel to Europe – particularly France and Italy – to handpick the merchandise I want to sell in my store," says Bialobrodska. "I also carry the jewelry line my sister (Irena Kudlicki) makes by hand called Flint, where each piece is completely unique. She too travels to Europe to handpick the stones."

What you can expect to find: "I’m very conscious about what I like, what my customers will like, and what’s trendy. I choose garments that I’d wear myself in styles that I can wear for years, and I pay special attention to the cut of each piece. The fit of the garment is what makes it beautiful."

Who shops here: Moms in their 50s who come in with their 20-year-old daughters.

Inside info: Alina B. often has 50-70% markdowns on weekends and always features a discounted rack in the store, but it gets better: sign up in-store to attend the private viewing of her winter collection in late October once she returns from Italy.

Cover model: The black one-shoulder dress featured on the cover of this month’s Diablo is an Italian-made number chosen from Alina B.

Alina B., 1378 N. Main Street, Walnut Creek, (925) 952-9037, alinab.com.