Stocking shelves with dog toys is a whole lot different than stocking them with high-end clothing brands. 

That’s something Downhill Dog Pet and Dog Shop owners Alec and Emily Mastovich said they learned right off the bat when buying Mode Boutique in downtown Breckenridge. 

With their first business, acquiring solid inventory wasn’t too much of a feat, especially with Colorado being such a dog-loving state. With their newest business, Alec Mastkovich said they find themselves going to places like London and Las Vegas to source inventory. The 28-year-old and his 27-year-old business partner and wife jumped into entrepreneurship young, opening their pet store around two years ago. They also brought on Emily Mastovich’s 25-year-old brother, David Howe, as a partial owner for Mode Boutique. 

The group bought Mode Boutique from Lucy Westwood and Jonathon Nixon, who Alex and Emily Mastovich said they can’t say enough good things about. They said Nixon and Westwood helped them navigate the upscale clothing market that was previously pretty foreign to them. 

“It really made me happy to believe in good businesspeople again,” Alex Mastovich said, particularly of Nixon and the help he received from him. 

Additionally, Emily Mastovich has four sisters, all business owners in Pennsylvania, who have doled out some crucial advice amid the couple’s new business venture.

While the Mastovichs kept the name and the general concept of Mode Boutique, they did change course a bit. Previously the boutique catered to women. Emily Mastovich said Breckenridge has its fair share of great female-centric clothing stores, and they wanted to bring an upscale option for men. Alec Mastovich said the two saw a need for one, and that was confirmed when they beat their sales forecast in their first month. He said this came as a surprise given the state of the economy and the impacts it had on tourism. 

He said they’ve had a few instances where a wedding guest has run into the store saying, “Help, I forgot my dress shirt for the rehearsal dinner,” and that’s part of the clientele they have found themselves catering to. 

The pair said while inventory is ample at the Downhill Dog, it’s much more curated at Mode Boutique. Emily Mastovich said where they were diving into different types of treats and toys, now they are diving into different types of fabric and textiles. The two said they are still working to solidify themselves in the scene, but luckily they got some good pointers from Nixon and Westwood. 

Another aspect of this business the two had to get accustomed to is the amount of people taking selfies in front of their shop. This is because the building the shop is in makes an appearance in the “Dumb and Dumber” movie starring Jim Carrey. 

Alex Mastovich said he finds himself saying “no worries, I love Jim Carrey, too” a fair amount in response to people apologizing for standing in front of the boutique to take selfies.  

Mode Boutique officially opened Aug. 10.

People can find clothing and accessories from brands like Kate Spade, Peter Millar and Travis Matthews at Mode Boutique. Alex Mastovich said are excited to be carrying clothes from Hugo Boss, a brand he said is popular in Britain that hasn’t quite taken off in Colorado yet.

They also carry perfume and colognes. Alex Mastovich said they also plan on introducing some handmade products made by some friends. Emily Mastovich said she’ll always have a sales rack in Mode.

Mode Boutique is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Thursday to Saturday. Hours could change during mud and shoulder season. Mode Boutique 124 Main Street in Breckenridge.