Fashion forward with Christine Rinkert of Luna’s

from Limitless Magazine

by Lake Norman Currents

Limitless Learning – Learn from the Experts

A New Arrival

Christine Rinkert, owner of Luna’s at the Lake.

Christine Rinkert of Luna’s moving to new space

BY » Renee Roberson PHOTOGRPAHY » CURRENTS file photo by Brant Waldeck

There are times in our lives where we feel it necessary to downsize our homes or other things in our lives. For Christine Rinkert, owner of Luna’s at the Lake in Cornelius, she recently decided to scale back the storefront part of her business in a similar manner.

While Rinkert says she’s always loved exploring clothing trends, the California native didn’t start out her professional career in fashion, rather she worked for nine years in administration for a law firm. Luna’s originally opened in the Lake Norman area in 1998, and in that first few years it quickly became a place Rinkert gravitated to when shopping. At the time, her former husband was traveling a lot for work and her mother was battling cancer. She enjoyed the atmosphere, the product lines the store carried, chatting with the two female owners at the time and the expansive space.

In 2000, when her youngest of three daughters went to preschool, she wrote the owners of the store a note, asking them if they would consider letting her work in the store a few hours a week. Luna’s had become a sanctuary for her, and she just wanted to be a part of it in any way possible. Those few hours a week turned into a partnership in 2007, and then a sole proprietorship in 2012. The store has been a staple at One Norman Drive for 22 years now.

The Evolution of Luna’s

Rinkert has used the expansive and airy space within Luna’s to showcase the art and products from local artisans, creating a boutique that at times feels like stepping into a hip art museum. She’s also been generous in hosting these same artisans and vendors in the store during her summer and fall markets, bringing shoppers safely in to browse her intentional collection of clothing and accessories, along with the work of jewelrymakers, bakers, florists, beauty experts and more.

“My passion has always been to collaborate with people,” Rinkert says. “It elevates all of us and everyone brings something different to the table.”

Over the years she’s also expanded her business to include Parcel by Christine, where she serves as a personalized wardrobe consultant for clients, also assisting in closet refreshes. She loves going through women’s closets and learning about what items they treasure, while creating customized looks they can pluck right off the hanger.

“I have the very first outfit I ever bought from Luna’s in my closet,” she says. “I don’t think everything has to be from an expensive store.” A purposeful pivot

After recently discovering the rent in her boutique space would be going up significantly, Rinkert made the decision to pivot her business. She’ll be moving into a smaller space early next year housed in the Deborah Young Studio less than a mile away in downtown Cornelius. Rinkert says she’s excited about designing a unique and intimate space where she can continue to offer that curated line of clothing and accessories. She’ll also be continuing her work in collaborating with other business owners, such as Lost Worlds Brewing, in the community and event vendor markets.

Rinkert’s warm and welcoming nature is sure to guarantee her continued success in her new space. If you’ve ever shopped in her store, you’ve probably seen at least two or three customers stop in to pick up items that have already been rung up and carefully wrapped to make the shopping experience that much easier and efficient. She only orders a few of each items from various designers to create a more customized shopping experience. This personalized way of doing business and building relationships has served her well, and that won’t change no matter where Luna’s is located.