Best of the City 2008
You're about to see your city in a whole new way.
Edited by Jessica VoelkerWith contribution from Christopher Werner, Ben Schock, Kathryn Robinson, Rachelle Robinett, Erin Pursell, Laura Peach, Kelly Huffman, Leah Finn, James Ross Gardner, Lee Fehrenbacher, Stefan Durham, Wilson Diehl, Laura Cassidy, Roger Brooks, Sarah Anderson, and Steve Wiecking
SHOPPING & STYLE
Invitations
Seattle may be full of early adopters, but we know when Web apps are tired, too, and in the post–Evite Age bland digital blasts just won’t do. Instead head to mother-daughter owned Paper Delights in Wallingford for thoroughly inviting paper invites. Local designer Natalie Eden’s ’40s retro-styled notes announce a get-together in honor of the new baby, while an invite in the shape of a flip-flop, complete with a ribbon thong, brings news of a pool party. Paper Delights, 2205 N 45th St, Ste B, Wallingford, 206-547-1002; www.paperdelights.com
Craft Supplies
It all started with the sacrifice of a BMW motorcycle. In 1977, Seattle printmaker Daniel Smith traded his prized possession for equipment to make his own inks. Now he peddles those paints worldwide and has two Seattle-area stores where Sunday dabblers and serious artistes can pick up Lyptus-wood easels, fine imported brushes, and hand-pressed Amate paper. Daniel Smith, 4510 First Ave S, SoDo, 206-223-9599. 15112 NE 24th St, Bellevue, 425-643-1781; www.danielsmith.com
Treasures
In a neighborhood full of idiosyncratic independent shops, Souvenir manages to stand out, thanks to collector extraordinaire Curtis Steiner’s discerning eye. Steiner displays delicate Japanese doll heads and postage-stamp-sized black-and-white vintage pictures in his well-worn wooden cases and, among the romantic curiosities, shows off his own exquisite line of jewelry and one-of-a-kind calligraphic cards. Souvenir, 5325 Ballard Ave NW, Ballard, 206-297-7116; www.curtissteiner.com
Bargain Gifts
Washington is one of just two lucky states with whom the Japanese share Daiso, a modern, Eastern take on the general store. Hidden in the belly of Westlake Center, the Seattle shop sells 80 percent of its goods—cutesy stationery sets, white porcelain rice bowls, bamboo salad spoons, fruit-shaped shower—curtain rings—for under $2 (and almost nothing over $10). Daiso, 400 Pine St, Ste 36, Downtown, 206-625-0076; www.daiso-sangyo.co.jp/english
Fun Gifts
In a city all about personal style, a gift certificate to a big-box store just won’t do. A Sam Trout tee or an überpreppy recipe album from Cath Kidston make much better choices, and you’ll find them at Andaluz, Karla Esquivel’s Columbia City boutique. Your conscientious compadres will love the locally designed baubles, while nostalgic gag gifts—a ’50s inspired mini shoe-shine kit, for instance—make perfect presents for the vintage lover in your life. Andaluz, 4908 Rainier Ave S, Columbia City, 206-760-1900; www.andaluzseattle.com
New Boutique
Design student Ly Tran dreams of having her own line some day. For now she has Bossi and Ich Ky, the chic new Pioneer Square shop filled with avant-garde yet approachable fashion for women and men (her boyfriend Tran Nguyen helps mind the store). What’s in a name? Bossi is their play on “bossy,” for him, and Ich Ky is Vietnamese for “selfish” for her—but we’re not buying it. This stylish Seattle couple is as sweet as can be. Bossi and Ich Ky, 112 First Ave S, Pioneer Square, 206-749-2830; www.bossiandichky.com
Teen Togs
Fashion-forward young things from both sides of the floating bridge fill Aritzia (one of two American stores by the Vancouver-based chain) where mirror-lined walls set the scene. Trendy teens—and thirtysomethings who can’t resist their fleeting fads—score bright,’80s-style hoodies by TNA and ultradark Rock and Republic denim, and no girl with a tiered tulip skirt can resist the shop’s customizable leggings. Aritzia, 118 Bellevue Square, Bellevue, 425-450-2287; www.aritzia.com
Mother-Daughter Attire
She taught you to accessorize, you taught her to show off her assets, and neither of you can resist a silk slip dress. Stylish Seatown ladies of all ages find much to covet amidst the brocade pencil skirts and chiffon tops of Les Amis, Becky Buford’s utterly charming and exceptionally well-curated Fremont boutique. Les Amis, 3420 Evanston Ave N, Fremont, 206-632-2877; www.lesamis-inc.com
Designer
For nine years, Russian-born Seattle designer Madina Vadache has been sending brides down the aisle in inspired couture gowns, but this winter she’ll send her forward-thinking designs down the runway in New York’s Bryant Park. With a team of five local seamstresses, fabric specialists, and stylists, everything about her form-fitting fashions—punctuated by rich, inky colors, volume, and shimmer—says, “Here I am.” Madina Vadache, www.madinavadache.com
Green Goods
Savvy and eco-conscious Seattle shoppers are always on the lookout for stylish yet responsible and earth-friendly buys, so we commend Ballard’s Olivine for tying simple green ribbons to hangers holding earth-friendly pieces. It makes Prairie Underground’s tunics, Loomstate denim, and other organic, local, and recycled wares easy to spot. Don’t ask, don’t tell, just look for the sweet little bows. Olivine, 5344 Ballard Ave NW, Ballard, 206-706-4188; www.shopolivine.net
Indie Clothing
No one does vintage-chic style quite like Northwesterners, and no one in the Northwest blends old and new quite so seamlessly as Last Waltz proprietress Cybele Phillips. Just look what she’s done with an erstwhile Central Area storefront church: Under the soft glow of a lamp whose flower-shaped shade once served as a gramophone horn, a navy-blue jumper from local designer Suzabelle looks as timeless and romantic as the ’60s plaid skirt hanging nearby. Last Waltz, 1406 18th Ave, Central Area, 206-328-5512; www.lastwaltzboutique.com
• Best Eye in Bellevue
Angie Lee
Armed with an irreverent approach to style and a degree from LA’s Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Vancouver native Angie Lee has spent the last four years rising through the ranks at Nordstrom’s Bellevue store. Her unique approach to buying and intimate understanding of our city’s culture has earned her a spot at the forefront of local style. “Seattle is fashionable town that’s also practical,” says the department manager of Via C, the cutting-edge shop found only in Nordstrom’s first tier stores. “People here love expressing their individuality in a way that fits their lifestyle.”
It’s Lee’s job to bring Seattle the offbeat pieces we crave. On buying trips, she ignores fads in favor of “attitude,” placing garments and accessories in categories like “hobo,” “avant garde,” “spicy,” and “weirdo.” She may be the only one who understands it, but Lee’s system works: Bellevue’s Via C is filled with worldly wares that are comfy and durable enough to fit our city’s casual, work-to-evening lifestyle. “When you dress for yourself rather than wearing what other people expect,” says Lee, “it looks effortless, even if you did take an hour to pick out your outfit.” Lucky for us, Lee keeps bringing us clothes that fit us to a tee, divining what we want way before we know we want it. Angie Lee, Nordstrom Bellevue, 100 Bellevue Square, Bellevue, 425-455-5800; www.nordstrom.com
Published: July 2008
