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Timelessness — that's the word Amber Lease, owner of Wildflower Women, wanted to emulate when she opened the store in November 2009.

She wanted to avoid the pitfalls of "recyclable fashion," and supply customers with clothes that will never go out of style.

Lease grew up in a family business, Johnsons for Children, which specialized in youth fashion and served the Central Coast for almost 50 years. It was where she became familiar with the ins and outs of the retail industry as she watched her parents operate the company from the time she was a little girl.

In 2009 after her parents' retirement, Lease decided to take on her own retail venture, and opened up Sandbox Kids at the Santa Maria Towne Center, which she fondly refers to as a "store within a store" that aims to be the children's fashion destination for the Central Coast.

"As time went on, I noticed the changes here on the coast, and how much people were buying every day," said Lease. "That's when I decided to add a women's collection in 2012, and that's how Wildflower Women came to be."

Wildflower Women caters to women from their early 30s to those who are senior citizens — and from mothers to daughters and grandmothers.

The store's goal, said Lease, is to sell quality merchandise that is stylish all year round.

"You can wear it now, next season, next year and still look and feel great," she said. "Everything is timeless."

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Quality premium denim is also a major focus of the Wildflower Women brand, and the store has a fit for every occasion—from weekend wear to cool and casual, to prom dresses work attires.

"We pretty much have everything for any woman for any need," said Lease. "We have things for any mom as well — for the stay-at-home mom, running-after-kids-all-day mom, the business mom, you name it."

The business also carries the Frye shoe line, which specializes in classic leather shoes. Best known for their boots, Lease said she fell in love with the brand because it emulated the type of timeless fashion she envisioned for Wildflower Women.

"When you believe in a product yourself, it's so much easier to want to sell and share with the public," she said. "I was a big fan of Frye's for a long time, and knew it was a good fit with the store's goals."

Along with clothes, Wildflower Women carries a wide range of accessories such as scarves, handbags, wallets, jewelry, hats and also dabbles in apothecary items like candles, lotions, soaps, oils and more.

"It's been an amazing venture," said Lease. "I created these two stores because I had a passion for fashion and retail — running a business was second nature to me, and it was everything I enjoyed and loved doing all at the same time."

Customer service is key for staying in business, Lease said, and the close relationships she maintains with her returning customers are the backbone of Wildflower Women.

"When you walk in here, we're here with you all the way through," she said. "You are our priority — it's our job to know you, remember your style and fashion taste and everything else to help you pick out exactly what you need."

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