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FEBRUARY 2015 DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM
postcard
A
USTIN ALLEGEDLY GROWS by
a whopping 58 residents a day.
When companies like Facebook
and Google opened their doors
there over the last few years, a
diverse pool of Texan and trans-
plant shoppers (plus massive waves of hip SXSW
visitors) emerged. They have a sophisticated style
andthickerwallets,andnowbrandslikeToryBurch,
WarbyParkerandTOMSShoeskeepcustomerslocal
rather than sending them on sprees to Houston or
Dallas.Newretailmaybecrowdingin,butnotpush-
ing out, Austin’s original funky vintage stores and
favorites, like STAG, BlackMail and By George. Keep
your eyes on Seaholm, a forthcoming $130 million
high-rise condo development that will showcase
48,363 sq. ft. of coveted retail space in what used to
be Austin’s dormant, but architecturally and his-
torically significant, power plant site on West Cesar
Chavez Street. Will this major retail move still Keep
AustinWeird?We hope so.
- Zoë Zellers
KeepItWeird
AUSTIN
Warby Parker
Class Trip
Hoponboard!Nestledbetweenfoodtrucks,
coveredpavilionsandpicnickers,youcan’tmiss
WarbyParker’stravelingshowroom—aschool
busthatrolledintotowninNovemberandis
parkeduntilmid-May.Themobileshopfeatures
leathersofas,oakshelving,customframe
selectionandalendinglibrarycuratedbyAustin
BatCave,alocalnon-profitgroupforwriters.
Photo courtesy of WARBY PARKER
Salt & Time
Lastyear,Salt&Time,anambitiousbricks-and-
mortarbutchershopandrestaurant,openedon
thehipper-than-thouEastSide,drawingbig
chefs,homecooksandinternationaltransplants
cravinggrass-fedlamb,chickenandelk,pancetta
andevenporchettaditesta(that’spigheads!).
Husband-and-wifeteamBenRunkle(avegan
turnedbutcher)andNatalieDavisfellinlovewith
thesunnyspace,executingamajorcleanupand
enhancingitwithsparsewhitewalls,bright
overheadlighting,tiledfloors,neatwindow
displaysofdailyselectionsandcounterseating.
Photo by ROBERT LERMA
STAG
STAG isn’t new, but it is a superb staple that has
garnered praise nationwide since its inception.
Co-Owners Don Weir and Steve Shuck designed
the 2,400-sq.-ft. gentlemen’s mecca envisioning
“a modern day general store for every man,”
Weir says. Think Willie Nelson meets Cary Grant
meets James Dean. The expertly edited, rugged
yet refined store displays high- to low-end, and
vintage clothing.
Photo by CASEY DUNN