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Portland, Maine, United States
WHAT'S THE STORY RORY?
OUR STORY
‘Darby Jones’ voted and awarded 'Best Retail Store 2022' in Portland Maine.
We love nothing more than helping you choose the desirable nonessentials that bring you as much joy as they bring us. Darby Jones lifestyle gift boutique based in Portland, Maine offers a solid assortment of the best brands in the gift, home decor and personal accessory industries. With a primary focus on products designed and created by artisanal start-ups we love to include must-have goods from globally recognized brands too. We design and create products exclusive to Darby Jones and source handcrafted jewelry, accessories, apparel, baby gifts, pet accessories, home decor, bar-ware, stationery, greeting cards for every real life occasion, party supplies, books and more, along with imported goods from Ireland, Scotland and Britain. We also offer an impeccable and fully customizable gift basket (or gift box) service. Continuously broadening and refreshing our meticulously curated assortment so that we always have the most exciting options for your personal and gifting needs we are proud and honored to have been voted the Best Retail Store in Portland. To thank you for shopping with our small business we offer a personal shopping experience with complimentary gift wrap, shipping, and a free local delivery service.
Established in 2018, our founder has always been attracted to nifty, cool and pretty things. Admittedly a born fanatic of handbags, shoes, glossy magazines, and of course dogs, Laura gained invaluable experience at an early age helping in her grandmother's store and later working at her sister’s boutique. Having studied Design Communications at the College of Marketing and Design Dublin, Ireland, she carved a career spanning 25+ years within the retail and wholesale industries to further satisfy this inherent love of personal, and home accessories.
We opened our inaugural brick and mortar shop, nestled in the heart of the charming Deering Center neighborhood of Portland in Summer 2018 and had the most fun with customers who became dear friends spanning five years and surviving the infamous stay-at-home mandate thanks to our lovely, loyal customers near and far. We closed our physical location June 2023 and while we’ll miss the space that has served as Darby Jones’ first official home, we know that the community we’ve all created isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Stay tuned for updates — and in the meantime, we continue to remain open online shipping and delivering our signature wrapped gifts to you!
What's with the name?
A nod to our founder’s ancestors, Darby Jones is derivative of the surnames of each of Laura’s grandmothers! Catherine McDarby (second from right) and Bridget Jones (second from left). Both were without doubt, two remarkable women of strength, and well ahead of their time!
What's with the logo?
Our logo, designed by the exceptionally talented Andy Johanson of Pittsburgh, PA was inspired by a beloved childhood toy of Laura’s! Imagine he survived being played with and, carried everywhere over forty years ago and since then traveled over 3,000 miles to be newly discovered by Laura’s children when they were little! Laura’s eldest son had the brilliant idea to incorporate this tiny, well-loved plastic dog into the Darby Jones logo and we all agreed, he is perfectly imperfect to hail as our icon.