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From Shockoe to the Fan, from Church Hill to the West End, Richmond's brick-and-mortar retail is on the uptick. Meet a group of new shopkeepers, each with a distinct point of view, as well as a few of the local designers whom they carry. Plus, we tip you off to our favorite fall finds in each store and where to go nearby after you are done shopping in these neighborhoods.
Nellie George • Emerald Grippa • Era Vintage • Verdalina • Y&H Mercantile • Marcelo Outeiro • Ledbury • Yesterday's Heroes
Nellie George
5714 Grove Ave., 288-2894
Who If you're looking for clothing and fashionable accessories featured in the pages of Vogue, head over to Nellie George. Owner Nancy Gottwald opened the chic women's boutique among the shops at Libbie and Grove on Aug. 23 and carries everything from casual basics to high-end cocktail attire, as well as stylish jewelry and accessories. "I've always wanted to open my own store," Gottwald says. "It is inspired by a few stores in Palm Beach, where my family has shopped for many years. The stores offered clothing for little girls and adult women, which made it an easy shopping trip for me, my mom and younger sisters." Gottwald's shop stocks clothing for babies and toddlers, tweens, and ladies. The interior of the shop is beautiful in itself, decorated by Janie Molster and Kate Stikeleather with turquoise beaded chandeliers, plush-fur ottomans, white-leather grommetted chairs and bright graphic wallpaper. What For casual day-to-day basics, Nellie George's bestsellers are BB Dakota, Free People and Eight Sixty, while trendier lines include Tibi, Torn by Ronny Kobo, Clover Canyon, Ramy Brooke and Calypso St. Barth. For cocktail attire, Gottwald carries BCBG and Erin Fetherston dresses. Kids' clothing lines include fun and funky Yosi Samra flats, Splendid, Ella Moss and Milly. Where The corner of Libbie and Grove is a hotbed of activity for West Enders. Stop for lunch or an after-work glass of wine at Café Caturra, a cozy restaurant with a laid-back vibe. If you're craving comfort food, head to Blue Goat and Continental. These restaurants are also perfect for a quick bite before heading to watch a movie at the Regal Westhampton Cinema. The 75-year-old theater has two screens and shows foreign and indie films. Fall Find Foley + Corinna leather totes, $395, can be transformed into a cross-body bag with a strap that's tucked away in the purse. Gottwald has had her bag for eight years and loves it because it's easy to clean and big enough to store all her daily essentials. —MH
Nellie George • Emerald Grippa • Era Vintage • Verdalina • Y&H Mercantile • Marcelo Outeiro • Ledbury • Yesterday's Heroes
Emerald Grippa
As a child, Emerald Grippa watched her father, a Peruvian oil painter, while he worked in a rented barn studio in her hometown of Strasburg, Va. "I would be there practically every day," the 27-year-old recalls. "I grew up with such support in terms of being creative." Grippa came to Richmond to study sculpture at VCU in 2004, but she soon transferred her focus to illustration. After graduating in 2008, she tried to build a career as a freelance illustrator. "Art is the one thing I feel so comfortable doing," she says. "I can't imagine doing anything else." In the fall of 2011, Grippa's boyfriend showed her an article on digital printing, a technology that allows artists to transfer illustrations onto fabric with an inkjet printer. "I wanted to take that one step further," she says. From her studio above Ipanema Café, where she works as a waitress, Grippa creates illustrations and crafts photographic collages from old magazines and then scans the resulting artwork onto her laptop. After digitally manipulating the images, she sends them to China to be printed onto scarves. Since she started to sell the scarves online and at Need Supply Co. early last year, Grippa has attracted national attention, with features in Teen Vogue magazine and at fashion website Refinery 29. In June, Richmond's Y&H Mercantile started carrying her creations. Until recently, Grippa worked with pure silk scarves, but this year, she switched mediums to pashmina cashmere. The six scarves in her fall collection feature watercolor imagery, animal prints and a collage of bird species from the Eastern Shore. "It's an easy way to update your outfit," Grippa says of the scarves, which range from $100 to $150. "And it's a cool statement piece." —AD
Nellie George • Emerald Grippa • Era Vintage • Verdalina • Y&H Mercantile • Marcelo Outeiro • Ledbury • Yesterday's Heroes
Era Vintage 2704 E. Marshall St., 349-8153 or eravintageshop.com Who As a little girl, Diana Mathews enjoyed playing dress-up in her grandmother's clothes, and to this day she has a nostalgic love for the fashion of another era. In April 2011, Mathews launched a website selling home décor, furniture, clothing and accessories from the '50s, '60s and '70s at eravintageshop.com. In late June 2013, a long-held dream became a reality when she opened a bricks-and-mortar store on East Marshall Street in Church Hill. "I have a couple of elves out feeling around for stuff," Mathews says of her friends, who have "an amazing eye for fashion" and help her hunt down clothes, bags and shoes at estate sales in Richmond, the surrounding counties and western Virginia. What The store frequently carries Coach purses and belts; Etienne Aigner bags, shoes and boots; and Pendleton sweaters. Other lines you will find in her shop: Saks Fifth Avenue, Thalhimers and Miller & Rhoads. Where Last year, Bon Secours Richmond Health System awarded $58,800 in grant money to a handful of businesses in Church Hill through its Supporting East End Entrepreneurship Development (SEED) program. One of the winners was Era Vintage, along with a few of the shop's neighboring restaurants and bakeries — Dutch & Co., WPA Bakery, Proper Pie Co. and Sub Rosa (which is slated to reopen at the end of the month). Other neighborhood favorites are Alamo BBQ and the James Beard-nominated The Roosevelt. Libby Hill, Jefferson and Chimborazo parks are all within walking distance, along with the historic St. John's Church. Fall Find Mathews has an array of fashionable coats for fall's brisk weather. A $60 bone-colored wool twill swing coat with embroidered collar that screams Jackie Onassis, a khaki trench piped in black, and a long, sleek black-leather belted jacket are a few of the women's pieces she is carrying for fall. She also has high-waisted wool pencil skirts. —MH
Nellie George • Emerald Grippa • Era Vintage • Verdalina • Y&H Mercantile • Marcelo Outeiro • Ledbury • Yesterday's Heroes
Verdalina 325 W. Broad St., 788-8800 or verdalina.com Who Before opening Verdalina, Deborah Boschen co-owned Pink in Carytown for 25 years. "I knew I wasn't finished with fashion," the 59-year-old says. "My taste has changed, but style is still my passion." A Mechanicsville native, Boschen's move to 325 W. Broad St. on Aug. 24 is a return to her familial roots. Her great-great-grandfather opened Boschen Shoes and Luggage in 1852 on the site that later became the Miller & Rhoads department store. "I liked the idea of putting the family name back on Broad," she says. What The shop gets its name from Esperanto, a politically neutral language created in the late 1800s. "In that language, we translated ‘green dress,' " Boschen says, adding, "It falls in line with my philosophy." Inspired by the "slow fashion" trend, Boschen stocks her 1,000-square-foot shop with sustainable, ethically made brands including Raquel Allegra, Burning Torch and Organic by John Patrick. "The Verdalina style is chic, minimalist clothing and accessories from small, sustainable brands around the world," she says. Modest dresses made from natural fibers priced from $200 to $400 line the racks at the shop, which also sells accessories and home décor. Where Situated two blocks from Virginia Commonwealth University's forthcoming Institute for Contemporary Art at the corner of Broad and Belvidere, Verdalina is at the heart of a growing downtown art and culture scene. "There's some exciting opportunities down here," Boschen says of her shop's location on the First Fridays Art Walk thoroughfare. The burgeoning arts district that includes Quirk, 1708 and ADA galleries is also home to popular Southern restaurant Comfort and Release the Hounds, a creative branding agency. "This corner location is great," Boschen says of the shop's position at the intersection of Broad and Monroe streets. Fall Find The young New York-based company Apiece Apart is exclusive to Verdalina in Richmond. (Pictured is the Ana Kastan dress, $345.) "I love this look," Boschen says. "It represents the chic, timeless style — with a little edge — that I'm attracted to." —AD
Nellie George • Emerald Grippa • Era Vintage • Verdalina • Y&H Mercantile • Marcelo Outeiro • Ledbury • Yesterday's Heroes
Y&H Mercantile 119 N. Robinson St., 658-0094 or facebook.com/YHMercantile Who Hansi and YaaTaah Armentrout met while working at a Berkeley, Calif., location of vintage-clothing chain Buffalo Exchange — he was a sales associate, and she was his manager. "She was the one who had to can me," Hansi says jovially, explaining that he was fired for tardiness. Two years later, he contacted YaaTaah for a job reference, and the rest is history. The couple married in 2004 and moved to Richmond in late 2012 to be closer to family. On June 1, they opened Y&H Mercantile. What The latest retail addition to Robinson Street carries vintage-inspired bohemian and American-style clothes. "We're both influenced by rock music, and with that goes a certain type of style," Hansi says. The couple brought many of their favorite West Coast brands with them to Virginia. "Coming from California, that's who we know," Hansi says of the selection of Flying Monkey jeans, LAmad tank tops and Gypsy05 maxi dresses at the 1,100-square-foot store. Local favorites include Square Trade Goods candles and Eliza Spell jewelry. "I'm inspired by a boho-chic aesthetic," YaaTaah says. "It's funky." Where The drapes in the front windows of Y&H Mercantile are from U-Fab, an upholstery and fabric store down the street. "We want to develop relationships with other people on the street because there's so many cool businesses on Robinson," Hansi says. Next door, Halcyon Vintage sells a curated collection of men's and women's wear from the '50s, '60s and '70s. Less than a block away, Commercial Taphouse & Grill offers 15 craft and import beers on draft. "When we found [the building] it seemed like it was our little gem in a cool pocket surrounded by restaurants and bars," Hansi says. Fall Find The Gypsy05 Bamboo maxi, $164, is a 100 percent silk dress dyed by hand in Los Angeles. Because of that process, Hansi says, "Each one is going to be slightly different." —AD
Nellie George • Emerald Grippa • Era Vintage • Verdalina • Y&H Mercantile • Marcelo Outeiro • Ledbury • Yesterday's Heroes
Designer: Marcelo Outeiro About 15 years ago, Marcelo Outeiro serendipitously got his start making jewelry while working in the insurance industry in San Francisco. "I never set out with the intention to be a jeweler," he says. One day, when Outeiro and a female colleague were walking down the street, she stopped to admire a $5,000 necklace of pearls and semiprecious stones in the window of a jewelry store. Outiero saw how she swooned over the necklace and decided he would make a similar (and more affordable) version for her birthday. There was one problem, however: Outeiro had never made jewelry before. With some help, he learned how to tie knots and bead, and presented his friend with a birthday necklace made of blue garnets and purple iolite. His clientele and skills grew from there, and over the next year, Outeiro sold approximately 500 pieces of his handmade jewelry to co-workers. Outeiro now sells his creations at Nest, a new antique shop and art gallery located in a sprawling house at 3404 Semmes Ave. in Woodland Heights; he and his partner, Mark Robertson, are the owners. His pieces range from $30 earrings to $650 necklaces. Materials range from green and purple amethyst to malachite and labradorite, rock crystal, sterling silver and pearls. Outiero also mixes pieces of vintage jewelry with stones, and has recently been drawing inspiration from TV shows and movies such as Downton Abbey and The Great Gatsby. One of his pieces is a 72-inch cultured pearl lariat with a turquoise pendant and tassels strung from 550 tiny pearls. "That," he said, "took a very long time to make." On the horizon for Outiero is a wish list for clients, and he hopes to throw jewelry trunk- show parties at the shop. —MH
Nellie George • Emerald Grippa • Era Vintage • Verdalina • Y&H Mercantile • Marcelo Outeiro • Ledbury • Yesterday's Heroes
Ledbury 117 S. 14th St., Suite 100, 888-233-1942 or ledbury.com Who While studying business together at Oxford University, Paul Trible and Paul Watson shopped on London's Jermyn Street, an avenue legendary for its custom tailors. Just before they graduated in 2007, the economy fell apart, and Trible and Watson found themselves without jobs. That's when they came up with the idea for Ledbury, a purveyor of finely crafted men's shirts. From there, they started working with a tailor on Jermyn Street to help refine their idea. Since launching their e-commerce business in December 2009, the duo has opened a shop in Shockoe Bottom (in March 2013), organized numerous pop-up shops throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, and expanded their line of clothing well beyond shirts. What Ledbury created the Commonwealth Collection, working with Virginia artisans to come up with other special product lines to sell in their store and online. For instance, Marcus Wiley of Free Union makes belts by hand, and Joe Rhames of Charlottesville creates sterling silver and mother-of-pearl cufflinks (as well as the cedar boxes they come in). Where Just five minutes by foot from Ledbury's 14th Street shop, up East Cary Street in historic Shockoe Slip, is Shockoe Espresso & Roastery and Urban Farmhouse Market & Café, a restaurant with a focus on local, seasonal and organic food. Around the corner from Ledbury, on Dock Street, is an access point for the Canal Walk, a 1.25-mile stroll along the banks of the James River and the Haxall and Kanawha canals, with historic markers that tell of Richmond's past. Canal cruises depart from the Turning Basin along the Canal Walk and offer 40-minute narrated boat rides. Fall Find In September, Ledbury launched a collection of lightweight Merino-wool sweaters for fall. Italian-made, they come in V-neck, crew neck and polo-collar styles and run from $165 to $225. —MH
Nellie George • Emerald Grippa • Era Vintage • Verdalina • Y&H Mercantile • Marcelo Outeiro • Ledbury • Yesterday's Heroes
Yesterday's Heroes 105 S. Addison St., instagram.com/yesterdaysheroesvintage Who Yorktown, Va., native Drew Spruill moved to Richmond 11 years ago for a job at Need Supply Co. "The music scene here was really good, and there was a lot more culture in Richmond than there is in Yorktown," the 34-year-old says. Spruill later managed the Levi's store in Short Pump before it closed in January 2012. "I needed money," he says, "so I started selling off some of the things I had." The long-time collector of vintage items changed his Instagram moniker to Yesterday's Heroes about six months ago. On Sept. 1, he opened a bricks-and-mortar shop. Where As one of three new shops on South Addison Street, Yesterday's Heroes benefits from the foot traffic at nearby Lamplighter Roasting Co. "This location is killer," Spruill says. "Lamplighter is our anchor, but now instead of just coming to get a cup of coffee, you have somewhere cool to look around." Next door, Addison Handmade and Vintage Goods houses five local vintage businesses. Two doors down, Halona Glass sells locally made glass art and jewelry. "It's a whole new shopping district," Spruill says. What A 1954 map of Central Asia hangs on battleship-gray walls inside the 500-square-foot shop, where Spruill sells a carefully selected collection of vintage clothing, midcentury furniture, housewares and more. "I'm not going to sell a guy a pair of boots that he can't give to his grandkids," the shop owner says of the goods he sources by shopping at auctions, estate sales and salvage stores from North Carolina to Michigan. "You might see something like this at Urban Outfitters," he says, pointing to a World War II officer's shirt. "They sell things for $75 that are basically re-creating this shirt." Fall Find A 1980s Faribault Woolen Mill Co. blanket, $100: "This type of blanket is known as a trade blanket and has been around since the 18th century," Spruill says. "The much-sought-after blankets were traded with Native Americans for goods such as beaver pelts. The blankets were often used to make capotes — heavy wool coats — worn to fight off the bitter cold of winter." —AD
Nellie George • Emerald Grippa • Era Vintage
Verdalina • Y&H Mercantile • Marcelo Outeiro • Ledbury • Yesterday's Heroes
