Retail News in Raleigh

2007 is coming to a close and that means year end celebrations and rituals.  For some, it’s football, football, football.  For others, it’s travel and family.  My favorite is all the year end “Best of...” lists that swarm the internet, various music publications, and your local NPR station. But for most, it is buying gifts for the various holidays that bookend this time of year.  If giving is a big part of your year end diet, New Raleigh has a few of shopping recommendations that won’t burn your wallet but will give money to some local businesses that serve up swanky, funky and all around great local gifts and services.

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Remember the three houses in Five Points that are slated for demo to make way for condos?  Well, one of those houses is the current location for a fantastic second-hand clothing boutique, Revolver Consignment.  Similar to their cross town rival, Revolver opened its doors two years ago and has celebrated each year with a festive party. This year’s party is Thursday evening and should be a fabulous night. 

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Two years ago, two guys interested in fashion moved from Miami Beach, Florida to Raleigh, North Carolina.  West Martin Street hasn’t been the same since.  Glenn May and Walter Pereira decided to open up a consignment store focusing on high end clothing but casual attitude and chose 307 W. Martin Street as their location.  In the beginning the space was empty but after two years, it has amassed a plethora of art, clothes, furniture and various “stuff”, rightly deserving its name.

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Rotterdam based architect Erick van Egeraat described Modern Baroque (Dutch: Moderner Barock) in his seminal 1997 book ”Six Ideas About Architecture” as “a translation from the cool if poetic functionalism of the earlier projects, to a much richer interpretation of the possibilities of architecture.” He went on to say that “we have misunderstood the game of reduction; this century, western avant-garde design has been obsessed with showing only the bare essentials.  It is an overestimated virtue....What I intend to achieve with a building is not the minimum, but on the contrary richness, complexity. More! Richer!”

The bare essentials are necessary, but it is how we ornate and detail these essentials that make the aesthetics of a project more elaborate and possibly more elegant.  This project can be architectural.  This project can be culinary.  In Raleigh’s case, this project is fashionable and is now available at two new boutiques in downtown, Fab’rik and Catch 22.  Both boutiques add a new flare to downtown Raleigh, a flare that is much needed.  The downtown retail scene, fashion to be specific, needs a face lift.  Some may think a baroque version of this face lift is a bit old fashioned, but these two storefront filling and formal, yet vibrant atmosphere retailers think otherwise.  Baroque can be hip.  Baroque can be modern.

More Information and photos of Raleigh Boutiques Below the Fold

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and this is an Ovarian Cancer Reseach Fund event usually held at Humble Pie each year, in memory of Cherrie Nation.  This year it will be at Father & Son and is well worth a trip.
More information below the fold.