At the front of the boutique, a table with clothes by J & Company sits alongside a framed sign that reads, "Desperate Housewives Love J & Company."

Pictures of the actresses from the hit TV series in designer denim and tank tops appear in the framed collage.

Mersada Kraja and her younger sister, Vjollca Elmazaj, own the upscale designer boutique on Lincoln Avenue. It is located across the street from John's XLNT Foods.

The sisters sell designer clothing from denim to handmade jackets. They carry designer brands that include People for Peace, J & Company, Johnny B and Royal Plush.

The sisters' passion for quality apparel began before the girls were teenagers. As little girls, they loved to watch their mother get dressed in front of a mirror.

"She was a real diva," said Kraja, who has been involved with fashion since the age of 15.

"I lived in Chicago and worked at Boogies Diner for four years," she said. "There was a very high-end boutique downstairs, and I worked there as well. I dressed Madonna, Huey Lewis and Dennis Rodman. It was the hot spot."

After her divorce, she and her two children came back to San Jose and over the years she's worked at five designer boutiques in the Bay Area.

Her last employer, before she decided to start her own business, was a Santana Row boutique called Detour.

"It was just time for me to do my own thing," she said.

The sisters' boutique, an industrial space with metalwork adorning the racks, ceiling lighting, neutral colors and large mirrors, is reminiscent of boutiques in Southern California and New York. Glitter and studs, zippers and drawstrings accent the clothes hanging along the walls.

Sugar Magnolia caters to a wide range of customers, from teenagers to middle-aged women.

"My best client is 56," Kraja said.

Tops are priced from $15 and up and denim fashions range from $98 and up.

"I just wanted to bring a piece of L.A. to Willow Glen," Kraja said.

Kraja and Elmazaj fly every two months to Los Angeles, New York and all around Europe in search of the next hot thing.

"We never order more than six pieces of an item," Kraja said. "That way, when someone walks into a party, they will be the only one wearing that particular item."

The sisters never restock on an old item unless a customer specifically orders it.

With Kraja's designer savvy, customers can select an outfit for an event simply by discussing what they need over the phone.

"I love dressing people," Kraja said. "Some people that are too busy to put an outfit together just call me and I'll put their outfit together for them."

Kraja said if a person doesn't dress well, she won't feel her best.

So far, the sisters' boutique has been a Hollywood hit in Willow Glen. Business has been growing steadily, Kraja said.

"We have people calling us and saying that the outfit they bought was a big hit at a party they attended," Kraja said.

Sugar Magnolia is at 1213 Lincoln Ave. Suite 108. For more information or for hours, call 408.289.1569.