Icons of Ybor: Jill Wax (La France)

Q: WHAT YEAR DID YOU START YOUR BUSINESS, AND WHY YBOR?

Jill: I first opened a retail clothing store in the early 70s. It was new hippy-like clothes; I loved the fabrics. A lot of it was 100% hand-embroidered cotton, and I thought there would be all kinds of little hippy-dippy girls going down here from the college. But we got no business from the college. Then I opened La France at the end of 1974 and switched from new clothes to vintage clothing. I was attracted to the quality of the fabrics” in vintage garments. The needlework was just excellent. Forty-plus years later, La France is still located on 7th avenue next to Centro Ybor. I adopted the business name La France from the previous shoe store that occupied my building at 1612 Seventh Ave. They had been in business for 39 years before I took the building over.

I liked the area, it was real and historical. I was attracted to all buildings, and the rent was cheap. My first building was rented for $75 a month. At the time, only a few retail shops were still open.

Q: HOW HAS LA FRANCE PLAYED A ROLE IN YBOR, AND WHY IS IT UNIQUE?

Jill: I think it’s due to our longevity and that we’ve consistently helped the community be united, whether it was local projects or fundraisers. Especially in the beginning, It was a whole bunch of hippies that had set up their artist studios and were living in the area. So they were all visual fanatics, so we had a lot of colors down here. The store became a communications hub of what was going on in the area at the time. I hung out with many people who lived in the upper portions of the buildings. That’s pretty much how we were an influence over the years.

I get people from across the world who come in and might be here only once a year or regularly. Our clothing is diverse and unique. You can find apparel here from different decades. We always kept our window displays neat and magnificent to tap into people that we’re walking down 7th Ave.

Q: What gets you excited in life or about your business?

Jill: I love the people that come in and tell me how wonderful the store is. Even more so, I love buying vintage products from people because then you get a little history about them, and you just know more about the products and what experiences they might have gone through. I think that’s my favorite part, is getting the History. We’ve always tried to buy unique individual period pieces for men and women. We also carry a curated collection of new hats.

Q: WHAT ARE YOUR FONDEST MEMORIES OF YBOR?

Jill: Oh gosh. I would say the late ’70s because it was filled with all types of creative people. There were always different things happening in the older spaces. Lots of parties and art events with colorful people.

Then the eighties came. Thats’ when one of the biggest parties in the area started, Guavaween in 1985. The area was still artsy but people were coming to buy and renovate buildings. More businesses opened and the diversity of products was impressive to me. The area is now more of an entertainment district without much retail.

Q: DO YOU SEE PEOPLE HERE WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG AND NOW ADULTS?

Jill: Yes, I do see that. Oh you know, I see all my boy’s friends now are moms and dads, and they’ll bring them into the store, and I’ll see kids that I’ve seen grow up. We cater really to a variety of dress groups. Gothic, victorian, you know, vampirish. No one should feel out of place here.

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