Travel-inspired KC clothing store opens pop-up on the Country Club Plaza
A Kansas City-based travel-inspired clothing brand sold around the world opened its first brick-and-mortar store Wednesday at 602 W. 48th St. on the Country Club Plaza alongside actor Selma Blair, who designed a line with the brand.
MERSEA, which sells women’s clothing, accessories and home goods, was started by founders Lina Dickinson and Melanie Bolin to reflect their passion for travel and the scents that transport you there. It has since been featured on Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Condé Nast Traveler.
“Opening our first pop-up right here in Kansas City feels like the natural next step in our journey, and we’re so excited about it,” Bolin said in a news release. “For the last 13 years, we’ve been meeting our customers at warehouse sales and in our favorite local boutiques, but we’ve always dreamt of having a front door of our own. We are just so happy to finally have a home where you can walk in, meet our team, and experience the whole MERSEA story in one place.”
In 2013, Bolin and Dickinson launched MERSEA, selling the Classic Travel Wrap ($141) and sandbag candle before evolving into a lifestyle brand, according to a newsletter. Next came the Catalina Sweater ($108) in 2018 which Dickinson and Bolin said has continued to be a bestseller.
“We didn’t go into it thinking we would do clothing,” Dickinson said. “We went into it thinking we were going to do scents as a transportation vehicle, so it was always about travel, but it was more like, ‘here we are, two transplants from California at the time, and how do we transport ourselves mentally? So let’s do it through candles,’ and that’s how it started.”
Selma Blair launches limited-edition clothing line
Actor Selma Blair, known for her role as Vivian Kensington in “Legally Blonde,” was introduced to the brand years ago through her personal assistant, a Kansas City native. The Travel Wrap, she said, gave her a lot of comfort while she was in the hospital after her multiple sclerosis diagnosis.
“It was just a whole idea of feeling better,” Blair said. “It was just practical, and I was like, ‘oh wow, this works for me in here.”
Blair continued buying from the brand and built a relationship with Bolin and Dickinson before DM’ing them last year about a collaboration idea she had.
Her line, called Sea La Vie, is a limited edition pajama line designed to be worn all day, from the beach to breakfast.
“They have been just as wonderful as I had hoped they would be when I kind of saw some refuge in the simple things like travel-inspired small luxuries. They’re just wonderful people, I love this brand,” Blair said.
Items in her collection are inspired by family. The Molly Bedcoat ($178) for example, is an ode to her mother.
“She gave me these bed jackets when I went to New York and I went out to a cool club night and dinner. I was like, I don’t have anything cool, so I wore the bed jacket with a pair of low slung jeans, and it was so cute with nothing underneath,” she said.
Blair’s rendition of the bed jacket is meant to be worn both in and out the house. It can be thrown on as a cute layer for school pick up, for example, she said.
“It’s great because it’s so cute on a Sunday with a pair of red ballet flats and some white jeans, or in bed, which is what it’s meant for.”
The pajama collection includes button-up tops, pants, shorts, jumpers, bandanas, sleep masks, bedcoats and hair towels. The Kiss Kiss print is actually made from Blair’s kiss prints.
“There’s something, from little pieces to a whole wardrobe that I think would fit any single person’s style,” Blair said.
Aside from her own collection, Blair recommends shoppers try out MERSEA’s drawstring denim and their cotton tops. The types of items they design, Blair said, will stay in style for years to come.
“It’s stood the test time for me, that’s why I wanted to go into something like this. It’s just a great product. It’s uplifting, it is travel-inspired, so there’s different charming details in the clothing that you wouldn’t expect,” she said.
All products made by MERSEA are made ethically, and their scent lines are cruelty-free and made without the use of sulfates, parabens and phthalates.
“Each MERSEA product tells a story, all with sustainability and artisanship at the forefront,” its website said.
The brand partners with vendors from around the world to make their products, like their handmade Medina Market Bags from the region of Essaouira in Morocco or the Catalina Sweater in a family-run operation in Ecuador.
MERSEA signed an 18-month lease. It is open Monday from Saturday from 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 3:48 PM.
