Photos by Elizabeth Cecil

Inside Slate, the Boston boutique redefining retail through community, instinct and intention.

Slate has never been just a store. From its original outpost in Edgartown, Massachusetts, to its newer location in Boston, founder Lizzy Hynes has built something rarer: a retail space rooted in community. “I draw so much inspiration from the people around me and from the belief that small businesses matter,” she says. “Communities are stronger when the people living, working and building their dreams are also friends and neighbors.” That mindset informs everything Slate does, from the brands it carries to its events and local partnerships. Here, dressing isn’t a solitary act — it’s a form of collective expression.

A former San Franciscan who turned down a job at Google after a chance conversation in a neighborhood shop, Hynes leads with intuition. Style, for her, is less about rules than resonance: wide-leg denim (her favorite MOTHER style is The Hustler Roller Sneak), worn-in tees and pieces that move easily through a life that includes running three stores, raising a young son and tending to deep community ties. In a world increasingly dominated by sameness, she returns to what matters: intention. “At the end of the day, watching people show up for one another, build something meaningful or express themselves creatively reminds me why I do what I do,” she says. Ahead, Hynes shares the lessons, mantras and meaningful moments that built Slate from the ground up.

Top: The Collar Club Exes in Brownie Points

I’d say my personal style is pretty chill. I love layers, stripes, graphic tees, denim on denim, easy jewelry I can wear on repeat, pops of vintage, oversized silhouettes and bare feet whenever possible. I’m happiest in outfits that feel effortless but still intentional, the kind that work for a busy workday and still feel right if it turns into a last-minute dinner or drink with friends.

Between running three stores, raising our young son, a husband and two dogs, fussy doesn’t work for me. I need to move easily through the day and feel like myself in what I’m wearing… no matter where I am or what I’m doing.

That part matters more than I ever realized — if I show up to work in an outfit that doesn’t feel right, I honestly can’t focus until I change. The feeling part has always come easy but figuring out how to articulate it through my style choices took time. I feel like I got to know myself better through my style. It was a place where I wasn’t afraid to take risks and that gave me a quiet confidence in myself that I didn’t necessarily find in other places. All to say, getting dressed has become less about rules and more about understanding how I want to feel and trusting that.

I can’t say that I did. Or I wouldn’t say “fashion-forward” in a traditional sense. My parents both grew up in Brooklyn and they were total hippies in the 60s, so I do love looking at old pictures of their style. My mom definitely leaned into it and had a cool vibe that was always effortless… or maybe she was just lucky it worked. She also had these four aunties that were all like 5-feet tall and lived together their entire lives in Park Slope in the brownstone they grew up in — some of them had really cool style. My great aunt Tish worked for Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) as the photo librarian for, maybe, 50 years. She was responsible for overseeing the visual history of WWD and we would talk about fashion and style from a young age, which I can remember loving. I still have all of these old hats and coats of hers that will never fit me (because, again, she was tiny), but I can’t let them go.  

So I guess overall it wasn’t “fashion forward” but I grew up surrounded by strong women with great instincts… women who valued quality, intention and individuality. 

“Trust the timing of your life” is the one I come back to over and over. Things rarely go exactly according to plan, but if you can stay open and flexible, there’s so much unexpected magic in the in‑between moments. I’ve lived that in so many ways, both professionally and personally — from opening my stores to becoming a mom. Reminding myself to trust the timing of my life is something I lean on to get through the harder times. 

My retail career started in San Francisco. I was about to accept a job at Google and, one afternoon, I walked into a shop on Fillmore called HeidiSays and struck up a conversation with the woman working. She was about to leave her role at the shop to move back east and open her own store, and while nothing materialized that day, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something there. A few days later, I went back and met the owner — we then had coffee and one of the most pivotal conversations of my life. Needless to say, I took the job right there and Heidi became a dear friend and mentor to me. That job literally changed the course of my life. I can remember calling my dad and telling him that I’d chosen to work in this boutique in my neighborhood over Google. I thought he was going to be disappointed, but he could hear the shift in my voice and he told me to go for it! 

One other personal mantra is, “I don’t really know how to say no to a good idea!” I think this one is both a blessing and a curse.

2026 is about refining. We now have three stores — Slate MV, the OG in Edgartown, Salte, our lifestyle shop down the street and Slate Boston, which is a bit of a blend of the two Vineyard shops with a slight city twist. While I absolutely love the process of opening new stores, I think this year is going to be centered around looking inward, reinvesting time and energy into our team and spaces, revisiting some projects that never got completed and refining what we’ve already created. 

The world is heavy right now and it has felt hard to focus on work and fashion in such trying times… but I keep going back to this morning in Mexico recently. I went for a run and was stopped in my tracks by this small pink flower growing through a crack in the sidewalk. It felt like a reminder of hope and how resilient we are. It was one of those “trust the timing of your life” moments. I needed a little hope because fuck, our resilience is being tested right now. But when I think about Slate’s place in the community, the people we employ, our customers, the organizations we support, the partners we have and how they are committed to values we align with as a brand, I remember that it’s important. We have to find the light and keep moving forward…and that’s what I’m going to do.  

Always. I’ve had Olivia Dean on repeat for a while now and probably still will when this comes out. I love Valerie June, Sault, the Pixies and every Wes Anderson soundtrack. When I fall for a song, I can listen to it on repeat for hours and not get sick of it! Last month, it was “Modern Love” by this French singer, Zaho de Sagazan. So good. My brother and sister have great taste in music and are always sending me great playlists too. When I’m re‑merchandising the store, it’s 90s hip‑hop turned up loud, no shoes, wine and total chaos. I also love artists that instantly transport me to places I love — Mexico, the Northern California coast, or a day at our favorite beach on the Vineyard.

Pants: The Tux Sidestepper Sneak in Double Take

At Slate, we put a big focus on giving back to our community — through local partnerships, events and the intentional selection of brands that align with our values. From day one, I wanted Slate to be part of its community, not just a store sitting within it. Small businesses have the ability (and the responsibility) to show up for their people. Whether it’s supporting local organizations, hosting meaningful events to bring people together, collaborating with artists or rallying during tough times, giving back isn’t an initiative here, it’s who we are.

It’s definitely more of an art than a science for me. As a buyer, I’m driven by emotion more than data and want the stores to be filled with pieces that evoke emotion for my customers too.  

From brands, I look for honesty — in design, production and storytelling. Quality and fit are non‑negotiable, but so is heart. I love brands that know who they are, that don’t chase trends and that value craftsmanship over novelty. If it feels good and aligns with our values, it’s a yes.

We actively seek out brands that are openly committed to making a difference — whether by supporting their communities, reducing their environmental impact or keeping a mindful eye on the future. That commitment is core to who we are — and always will be.

We believe diversity is a strength — and we reflect that in how we do business every day. Our stores are at their best when our assortment reflects the richness of the world around us, celebrating the voices, perspectives and stories that inspire us daily.

I’m endlessly grateful (and still slightly in disbelief) over the community we’ve built. People have so many choices about where to shop, so the fact that our customers keep coming back — and have become genuine friends — means everything to me.

I want customers to feel at ease. Inspired. Seen. Joyful. I want Slate to feel like a pause in the day — a place where you can take your time, try something new and leave feeling more like yourself than when you walked in. I hope to inspire people with not just our assortment but our community and values.

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