Mill Valley’s boutiques have a long history of eclectic, creative vibrancy, dating back decades but always of the moment. There’s no shortage of Mill Valley clothing designers and curators whose reputation spans well beyond the 94941.
Those facts are bolstered by some of the most well known clothiers in all of Marin and beyond, with the likes of The Store – “if it shows up on the runways, it shows up here,” as well as Margaret O’Leary, The Local, ELi, TYSA, Surf and Sand, Fez, OSKA Mill Valley, Aviator Nation and much more.
Lately, there has been even more movement and excitement in the downtown boutique scene, with our previous reporting of The Goods’ owner Kelly Scott teaming up with longtime Seager Gray galleries Suzanne Gray to take over the longtime hotbed at Mill Valley Mercantile at 167A Throckmorton.
Now comes word that Natasha Biggart bought the former Mint space at 167-B Throckmorton Ave. in September 2024 under the name Fennell, adjacent to Mill Valley Mercantile, with the always-delicious Mamahuhu restaurant on the other side.
As is often the case in Mill Valley, Biggart’s journey to the boutique scene in town got her attention. “It’s such a beautiful location,” says Biggart, who recently moved back to California after several years in Kaua’i. “I wanted to move back to the Bay Area, and found the Mint business listing over the summer. I live right in town now.”
She drew on her family business background, as her grandfather had a textile business in New York City.
It was a circuitous route for Biggart, who didn’t learn how to drive until she’d moved to Kuwaii. “No movie theater, have to drive most anywhere, so I learned.”
Before she moved to Kuwaii, Biggart lived for many years with her family on Guam, and their good family friends moved from Guam to Hawaii. Boggart’s mom moved there in 2001. The family has also lived in the East Bay and later in Sebastopol.
As she has settled into the space, Biggart has built up Fennell’s inventory, and she has retained some of the creative, quirky features of the boutique, particularly retaining the kiddie-centric touches that made Mint so unique. “There had always had been a kids element,” she says. “I’m still adding to it, adding more shelves. I’m really happy to be open. I’ll be gradually building it to what I want it to be.”