Photos by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local

When I first met Lola Reed a few weeks ago, I was struck by her style.

It’s a brisk Saturday in February, and Reed is meeting me for a mid-morning interview at her new store, HALO Foundation Boutique. She’s wrapped in a chic tan coat and sporting killer heels that make her hike over the mound of snow she’s crossing a bit shaky. As we make small talk during her walk over, Reed has a warm smile on her face.

Reed, 28, opened HALO Foundation Boutique at 4616 Baltimore Avenue during the holidays, taking over the space from a short-lived clothing store. It’s a small two-level shop with oversized front windows, decked out mannequins, and an intimate atmosphere. A cozy nook notches out the ground floor, where high-end and designer clothing, jewelry, and accessories are placed on display.

To the right, wooden stairs lead up to a nearly empty loft space. A cozy loveseat and cluttered table are pushed against the back wall, which is plastered with a large collage of fashion editorials and photos of runway models cut from magazines.

This is where we find ourselves after we’ve made our way inside. As we sink into the couch, Reed, dressed in all black, begins to chat with affection about the boutique and its backstory. The air is filled with faith music playing from a portable stereo/CD player on the floor. Light from the morning sun bathes the space.

In a way, it’s a scene that perfectly encapsulates Reed’s mission, of which the boutique is only a part.

To understand, you have to go back two years, when Reed founded the HALO Foundation, an interfaith Christian ministry that provides outreach and services to women and young girls (HALO stands for “Helping and Leading Others”). Reed was inspired to start the ministry by the women she met through her work as a makeup artist—women who, like her, love fashion and glamour, but also have deeply held religious beliefs.

“It has always been something on my heart. It’s like a calling to reach out to the women, teenage girls, that are just in need of more than just outward beauty—sort of like an intertwining of inner and outer beauty,” Reed, who lives in the Northeast with her daughter, told West Philly Local. “I basically found myself amongst women who are glamorous, who dress up and do their makeup, and also love God. That was inspiring for me because it doesn’t have to be two separate worlds.”

According to Reed, HALO Foundation Boutique serves as an extension of this calling—an income stream for the ministry while offering “affordable and stylish new designer and consignment clothing” to the public. Portions of the profits generated by boutique sales will go back into HALO Foundation, funding projects such as spiritual fellowships, ministry partnerships, street outreach, evangelizing, makeup events, and global charity services—“anything that has to do with women, and benefitting women, and growing spiritually in Christ,” Reed says.

To formally introduce HALO Foundation Boutique to the neighborhood, Reed will host a store open house on Saturday, March 15th from noon to 9 p.m. Neighbors can stop by, mingle, and browse the products during the event, or get pampered at the pop-up makeup and braid bar Reed plans to launch the same day on HALO’s upper loft space (the bar will be open for 30 days).

But the shop is more than a way to fundraise. HALO Foundation Boutique—much like its ministry—also serves as “a meeting ground” for spirituality and beauty.

Says Reed, “It’s for women who enjoy being a woman and still have a sense of purpose in knowing who they are and loving God.”

HALO Foundation Boutique is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.halofoundationboutique.com.

–Annamarya Scaccia