Square deals: Somerville stores boast
quality brands for le$$
By Kerry Purcell
Sunday, December 11, 2005
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SHOPPING
THE HUB:
Davis Square
As we continue our neighborhood shopping
series, it’s clear that Davis Square in
Somerville is a hot spot for both buying and
selling. Less expensive than the haute
couture boutiques of Boston, Somerville
store owners are about the experience and
helping other local artists.
“One of the pluses for Davis Square is
that we’ve all had a story. We’re all here
for a reason and we all love what we do so
it makes for an energetic block,” said Lynn
Graham, owner of Chinook Outdoor Adventure.
Chinook Outdoor Adventure, 93 Holland St.
617-776-8616,
www.chinook-davis-square.com
Owner Lynn Graham spent many years as a
social worker in London, but she “burnt
out.”
“You hit 40 and realize that there’s more to life than
working 18-hour days,” Graham said.
When she first moved the United States
with her husband, she’d never even worked in
a store but loved outdoor sports. After
shopping in Chinook she decided, “Let me
have a go at that,” and bought the store.
Five years later she sells cute and
functional clothing for outdoor activities.
The store has its own clothing label, but
Graham also carries small lines, most of
which are locally made.
“People think small stores are more
expensive, but that’s absolutely not the
case,” Graham said. “You’ll find shoes are
typically $10 to $15 less here.”
Also check out the cozy baby clothing
made by a Medford woman or Chinook’s large
selection of stylish long underwear.
Poor Little Rich
Girl, 416 Highland Ave.
617-684-0157,
www.poorlittlerichgirlstore.com
Meredith Byam Miller turned her
part-time college gig into a full-time
business venture when she opened Poor Little
Rich
Girl four years ago. The consignment,
vintage and second-hand clothing store fits
Somerville’s style that’s “upscale but also
really eclectic,” according to Byam Miller.
“Davis is a little more cutting edge and
risk taking as far as fashion goes. It’s not
conservative at all,” she said.
Byam
Miller carries popular lines
from Anthropolgie, True
Religion, J. Crew, Nanette
LaPore, Theory and others at
one-third of their original
price.
“When I first started doing this it was not nearly as popular as it is
now - on both sides of it
(consignment and shopping).
There just isn’t that stigma
attached to second-hand
shopping anymore,” Byam
Miller said.
She thanks designers such as Marc Jacobs who helped make
vintage-inspired fashion
popular and said, “I’m lucky
enough to find what he is
knocking off. I can find
something from the ’60s that
he’s copying so it’s just
more affordable.”
Magpie,
378A
Highland
Ave.
617-623-3330,
www.magpie-store.com
The five
organizers
of the
annual
Bazaar
Bizarre,
“not your
granny’s
craft fair,”
wanted to
sell their
creations
all year
round - so
they did.
“We
found a
space and it
seemed like
low
commitment,”
said partner
Dave
Sakowski.
Magpie
carries
one-of-a-kind
and
small-run
collections
of handmade
crafts from
local and
national
artists. “We
have lots of
knit or sewn
things,
handbags,
jewelry,
wallets,
hand
letter-press
or silk
screen
greeting
cards. A lot
of it has a
vintage and
retro feel
to it,”
Sakowski
said.
Finding
artists was
easy for
this crafty
group
because the
organizers
were already
in contact
with
hundreds
from the
Bazaar
Bizarre.
Today, they
still look
in magazines
and on Web
sites for
new artists.
The
Bazaar
Bizarre is
today from 1
to 8 p.m. at
the
Cyclorama in
Boston. Go
to
www.bazaarbizarre.org
for more
information.
Spark Craft Studios, 50 Grove St.
617-718-9132, www.sparkcrafts.com
A final project at Harvard Business school* turned into craft time for Amy Appleyard and Jan Stephenson. “We’d talk about it (the business plan) and everyone would ask when we we’re opening,” said Appleyard.
A year later, Spark Craft Studios offers instructional sessions, supplies, studio time to work by yourself and even catered parties for up to 50 people.
“We have a pool of instructors, about 30 women who are specialized in paper arts, knitting or needle work or bead work and jewelry making,” said Appleyard.
The owners say they get cosmopolitan, professional, career-oriented women who are still interested in being crafty. With this well-rounded clientele, Appleyard boasts it’s a great place to meet new friends or spice up a boring weekend.
Note: We graduated from Boston University's MBA program, not Harvard's.
Cibeline, 85 Holland St.
617-625-2229, www.cibelinesariano.com
Cibeline Sariano designed clothing for Richard Tyler, Calvin Klein, Liz Claiborne and Sigrid Olsen - and now she’s on her own.
“I thought I’d give it a shot. I lived in Davis and loved the feeling that’s here. This retail space was available, and that was the catalyst that started everything. I just went for it,” Sariano said.
Her tailored-but-feminine designs are created for “the real woman because there are so few lines for women with curves,” said Sariano. Her pieces are manufactured locally at one of Massachusetts’ last garment factories, but she brings complementary accessories in from other designers and even carries oversized cocktail rings for only $12.
Cibeline offers in-house alterations for a one-of-a-kind fit, and “I create a small number of each product so they’re not mainstream.”
Check out her kitschy prints and funky florals coming this spring.
Black & Blues, 89 Holland St.
617-628-0046
Black & Blues used to sell vintage Levis and old leather jackets, but it’s ousted the old stuff. When Melyssa and Tom Byrd stepped in as owners, they chose to sell quality brands at competitive prices. Their merchandise consists of Michael Stars, Free People, Kenzie, Petite Pois, Salaan and other lines.
“I started working for the previous owner when he wanted to get out of the business.” Having only worked a little bit of retail during college, Melyssa Byrd said, “I fell into this.”
Targeting women between 20 and 50, the styles at Black & Blues are cute and classic pieces. Byrd describes the store as “accessible and not pushy, where people can buy two or three items for the price of one at another store.” |
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