From a very young age, Danielle Garrow, owner of Malibu Fox Boutique in the UTC Mall, had a passion for fashion and entrepreneurship. She remembers spending hours in her bedroom sketching outfits and playing shop. “I would take my clothes and my jewelry and I would set them out on my dresser, hang them up and put price tags on them, pretending I was the customer and the shop owner,” she shares. While she didn’t formally study fashion, her college jobs at small boutiques solidified her dream of owning a business.

Over a decade ago, Garrow launched her first clothing line, Malibu Fox, collaborating with Los Angeles-based manufacturers to bring her collection to life. “I was able to get into a showroom that had representation in New York City and Los Angeles and they were able to show my collection to buyers and boutiques from all over the world,” she recalls. “When the first collection got picked up from Neiman Marcus, it was crazy—just Googling Malibu Fox and finding it on the Neiman Marcus website next to something that Tory Burch created was just a wow moment for me.”

A few years later, Garrow opened a women’s boutique in Sarasota in 2014, featuring her line alongside other carefully selected brands. After operating off University Parkway for about five years, she transitioned to an online-only platform when her lease ended. Soon after, Garrow was diagnosed with stage four lymphoma. Following a year of treatment in Sarasota and Tampa, she’s been in remission for three years.

Though she originally planned to reopen in Waterside Place, that plan didn’t materialize. Instead, she opened in the UTC Mall—a move that proved to be a blessing in disguise. “You can't get better foot traffic than being in a shopping mall—it’s like a built-in customer base,” says Garrow. “We've been there for three years and we still have customers coming in saying, ‘Oh my gosh, this place is awesome—how long have you guys been here?’ We are meeting new customers every day and it’s wonderful.”

What sets Malibu Fox apart from other boutiques is Garrow’s hands-on approach. She personally selects every item. “Many of our customers tell us they get tons of compliments on stuff they bought from us, and they love finding unique pieces they can't get anywhere else," she shares. She also trains her staff to act more like personal stylists than sales associates. “I'm not looking for just another salesperson focused on making numbers," she says. “We offer free private styling sessions, helping customers put together outfits for different events or just to give their wardrobe or closet a refresh."

Garrow also enjoys supporting other local businesses, frequently hosting pop-up events in her boutique—like a recent collaboration with a custom hat maker and another with Waterside’s Modish Salon.

While her core demographic is women aged 25 to 45, Garrow strives to offer something for every age. The boutique also carries shoes, jewelry, handbags and gift items that especially shine during the holiday season. Malibu Fox isn’t just a store—it’s a reflection of Garrow’s journey, style and unwavering resilience.