A Shop
Store owners and style
The last day of my vacation I spent in Rome where on the morning of my flight I scurried around to a small assortment of stores I adore, more for the experience of going to them than really for the shopping. I love being in cities and exploring shops for work as it helps me collect my thoughts and get inspired for my own store. I was struck by a few things that day and wrote a note to myself to write about stores and their owners for substack.
There are two shops I love on Via di Monserrato, Chez Dede and L’Archivio di Monserrato- both of which had their owners in store as I peeked in. One I recognized from photos, Andrea Ferolla, the incredible artist behind the prints, printed bags, housewares and accessories made by Chez Dede. He seemed very charming and was chatting with customers and at some point took some people over to a close by hotel. ( I believe that is the Hotel de Ricci where they designed the rooms * note a must stay next trip!) I just noticed what my salespeople often say to me how it is nice for clients to see the person who makes and designs what’s in a store or what their style is like when they are in their personally designed space.
It really does make a shop make more sense connecting it to a person. I think about every choice I have made in my shop over the years, how deliberate the process is. Sometimes I think about renovating my shop, but I remember how sometimes I will visit a store that started out modestly and then grows and does a glossy renovation of their space. Often times I feel disappointed with the result. I no longer feel the energy from a person’s taste, I just feel an interior designer’s hand deciding things for them. Of course there’s nothing wrong with that but it does make me feel a bit superstitious sometimes to change too much. The comment we receive most about the shop is the feeling it gives of calmness and beauty and that has always made me feel really happy. It’s not perfect by any means there is so much I’d like to work on-for example I have a conundrum with how to fix my dressing room area, which I am unhappy with and I have to come up with a solution this year.
Okay back to my trip, my next stop that day was to L’Archivio di Monserrato, where the designer Soledad Twombly was holding court in her beautiful shop looking at fabrics will a mill sales rep ( You bet I stealthily glanced at the headers as I shopped around!) Anyway as I tried on some dresses there in the sticky heat I was struck by how seeing her there sitting there elegantly emanating her innate style all her clothing and selections made sense to me. I realized for me to feel someone’s authentic taste and perspective is what I both am seeking out in my shopping experience and also what inspires me in designing my own store. In a world of mass market or large sale high end luxury experience, this is what we have that still feels personal and more individual. I love having a shop personally where most of what I carry you can only find in my store, at least for my own designs. To me that feels more more specialized and unique and creates a sense of luxury.
I started to think about the other shops in the world that I feel this way about, sort of being enveloped into different person’s world. I remember writing about this very early on in my substacks, talking a lot about the original Mayle store on Elizabeth Street that I visited so many times in my twenties, romanced by her vision. At that time I also loved a shop, Zero by Maria Cornejo, that was very architectural and a bit more avant garde than my usual taste. I appreciated her kind of spare aesthetic and actually Maria got me my first fit modeling job asking me to fill in for hers.
As I started to think more and more places popped into my head like Makié, the beloved children’s and women’s store on Thompson Street, which I am happy to say I am bringing the women’s knitwear collection back to my shop this fall. All her delicate liberty prints and perfect and darling children’s clothes you can not resist, in her thoughtful and dreamy space. I remember being thrilled when I found out that Makié was also behind the cutest tea spot across from my Parsons campus, Thé Adoré does anyone remember this place?
A couple more shops I love so much in LA are Mameg which I was so happy to see her new space open in Beverly Hills last year. I love her taste and style and I actually didn’t realize who the owner was, she was so subtle and didn’t call any attention to herself but had such sophisticated style.
I also rarely visit but love Scout, which is a tightly edited vintage boutique. I don’t know who owns that store but whoever does has amazing taste and I just love the feeling in there, there’s always a cute dog on the denim covered sofa.
In Chicago I am a longtime fan of the store Blake, ( no website) run by a very idiosyncratic couple, with impeccable taste, set in an industrial space with some warmth to it.
For Paris it’s too many to count, you’ll have to refer to some of my travel diaries where I have written about them there.
If other people have places to add please add here, I just thought of some off the top of my head for clothing mostly. I know there are so many beautiful places all over the world. In any case I hope maybe this inspires you a bit to shop small. I definitely try to wherever I am to keep these stores thriving. To note my store is having its last pieces summer sale in store and online now, with some beautiful stuff in there that is not carrying on to the next season or last pieces of a collection.
Have a lovely week, and thanks for reading!
xx Katherine