MK Quinlan isn’t saying goodbye, just see you later: ‘I’ve had so much fun’
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Since 2022, MK Quinlan has operated her namesake boutique in Forest Park, selling independent designers, upscale vintage clothing, art and jewelry.
Today, it’s time for her to pack it up — at least for now.
Quinlan and her family are headed to New York, where her husband’s company is growing.
“My goal was always to open something that offered something different and attracted an eclectic class of people in Birmingham. We sold clothes, we sold art, we sold jewelry, but I’m most proud that we created a great third space for people to come and be together.
We were a place where people stopped in on their way home from work or on their way home from yoga. We developed these fantastic relationships, and our customers developed relationships with each other. “
Keep reading to learn about the boutique’s final blowout sale and its history in the Forest Park community.
What’s next for MK Quinlan?
MK Quinlan may be vacating its current home, but its namesake said she is far from finished in Birmingham.
“While I’m leaving Birmingham for now, Birmingham is always going to be my home…
I’ve got some cool design and consulting projects up my sleeve that I’m gonna keep close to the chest for now. But stay tuned, and follow along on Instagram.”
The space in Forest Park isn’t going to sit vacant for long. There is exciting news coming soon, and Quinlan happily expresses her excitement for the next tenants of that space.
There is still time to celebrate MK Quinlan and wish her and her family safe travels. The store is hosting one last party for the community this week.
📅 Thursday, Aug. 7
🕔 5 to 7 p.m.
Starting then, everything in store will be 50% off (except art, which is 25% off), so if you’ve been eyeing something special, now is the time to swing by and get it.
Though there isn’t a definitive end-date for the store planned yet, the discounts will continue until they sell out of their stock — so hurry in to get one last taste of MK Quinlan while you can.
MK Quinlan’s Homewood beginnings
Quinlan opened her store out of an appointment-only space in Homewood in 2021. Her family had moved to Birmingham — where she grew up — back in 2019, and she had decided she wanted to do something that would make an impact.
“One of my dreams since I left Birmingham for the first time when I was 18 was to come back and open a really cool retail project. I had a bunch of ideas.”
She attended Georgetown University for her undergraduate degree in culture and politics. While in New York working for The New Yorker and The New York Observer, she gained mentors in the art and design world, and her “eyes were opened to the possibilities of a creative life.”
Then, Quinlan made her way to the Corcoran College of Art & Design at George Washington University in D.C., where she worked for world-renowned interior designers and wrote for design magazines.
With her extensive background in art and design, Quinlan brought her eclectic vision from her former space in Homewood to the former Forest Park building of Zoe’s, a beloved local vintage store that she frequented in high school.
MK Quinlan’s legacy in Forest Park
Out of all the things she’ll miss, Quinlan said her biggest regret in moving to New York is that she “can’t continue to work with the other businesses on our block to keep raising the profile of Forest Park Village.”
“I’ve always loved Forest Park, particularly our strip of businesses right here. It’s got natural charm because it’s old! So many retail developments that are new try to build in those charms, but it’s almost impossible to get that kind of character…
Forest Park Village has the potential to be the cutest mainstreet in Alabama. And it’s never been more bustling than it is right now.”
The boutique has been an integral part of the community, especially as it worked with other businesses to create the Forest Park Merchants Association. That organization will “carry the torch” to improve the community by organizing community events, holiday markets, and notably, getting a mural painted on the side of the MK Quinlan building that lets folks know they’re in historic Forest Park.
“We’re working together to spread the word on Forest Park Village. We’ve obviously got a ton of fantastic people that live in the neighborhood, but we want to be a destination, too.”
Quinlan has also made efforts to have an impact in the state. The store hosted an art show to benefit Fight for Alabama Families, an IVF access advocacy group. That art show had the largest turnout of any event hosted in their space.
“We were really proud and excited about the money we were able to raise, but also the way that the event just brought the community together.”
What are your favorite MK Quinlan or Forest Park Village memories? Share them with us on Facebook and Instagram by tagging @bhamnow!
