Fire extinguishers only come in red, but the hallmark of Lilly Pulitzer clothing is the vibrant palette of colors that cover the spectrum of the rainbow, which played a big role in Kara Magoni’s decision to put fire extinguishers on the back burner and bring fun, colorful styles to Dartmouth. 

In a whirlwind business move, Magoni decided in May to step back a bit from the family fire extinguisher company in Fall River and research opening her own shop — Dartmouth’s Lilly Pad Boutique, featuring Lilly Pulitzer clothing as well as other top brands, at 250 State Road.

“I had a desk job for almost 30 years,” she said. “I wanted to break out and do something different.”

The desk job is still in Fall River with the family business each weekday morning at 7 a.m. But since opening the boutique on Nov. 1 she is in Dartmouth by 11 a.m. to tend to the Lilly Pad then heads home to Fall River at 7 p.m.

A longtime fan of Lilly Pulitzer’s iconic, bright colors and fun patterns, Magoni learned the business by working in a new Lilly Pulitzer shop in Providence.

“I looked into the brand and fell in love with it,” she said. “It has so much personality.”

The boutique came together in just three weeks with an original decor as fun as the clothing sold there. Her vision for the shop, Magoni said, was to create a place where shoppers could find unique fashions while enjoying the shopping experience with a small lounge area.

Magoni draws in customers who quickly become friends. She said makes it her mission to provide all those who come through the doors with a personal shopping experience.

“I feel like the world needs more of that,” she noted. “Everything moves so fast that there’s a disconnect. We need human contact.”

It is that human contact that Helena Arruda said she appreciates as a customer. She said she trusts Magoni to make the right suggestions.

“This has become one of my favorite stores,” Arruda said.

A dedicated quilter, Arruda said she especially likes varying colors and textures of Lilly Pulitzer designs because those are the same attributes she searches for in quilting fabrics.

“The fabrics and patterns are so appealing to me as a quilter,” she said.