No scarves and no neckties. No poinsettias and no peppermint bark. No Harry and no David either. If you want unique wares, you have to go to a one-of-a-kind shop. Here are some that are new, or renewed, and truly inspired.
Composition is a familiar gem in the local retail scene, but its recent move to Belmar (7180 W. Alaska Drive, Lakewood, 303-894-0025) means more shelf space for designer home, office and personal tech accessories. Pet the ever-
present mutt in the doorway, and browse among the expanded selection of bags, kitchen wares, shoes and assorted functional oddities. You can find labels like inhabit, Chilewich, Moleskin, Freitag and Acme in Denver, but rarely assembled in one amusing space.
A little higher up the chain is P Design Gallery (downtown-ish at 2590 Walnut St., 720-259-2516) perhaps the most attractive and adventurous new store in the city. P Design’s unique offerings range from a $4,000 “Duct Tape” chair to a $35 Hostess cupcake replicated in porcelain. Famous designers like Tobias Wong and Tord Boontje sit alongside promising newcomers from near and far. Definitely worth a visit.
More casual in offerings and atmosphere is Sanctuary, a fresh spot on the Platte strip
(1635 Platte St., 303-433-8877). Owner Wade Richards keeps it affordable with a wide selection of cards, plus unusual gifts and objects made by himself or local artists.
Just a few weeks old on Larimer Square is Equipement de Vin (720-946-3287), which specializes in Colorado wines and wine accessories, perhaps more than anyone knew existed. Unusual chocolates too.
Harder to categorize is
Fancy Tiger (1 S. Broadway, 303-733-3855), part hobby shop, part clothing boutique, which features apparel, jewelry and paintings and crafty items by a list of local, underground artists. It skews a little young.
Same goes for the A++ Boutique de Force in Belmar (445 S. Saulsbury St.), a bold collective of offerings from smaller Denver shops – the Japanese pop toys from Plastic Chapel, customized sneakers from The 400, clothes and jewelry from the Fabric Lab and more. This store is a miniaturized mall for funky and creative gifts, not the least of which are Hyland Mathers’ mass-produced paintings on pressboard, just $20 a pop. Interesting.
– Ray Mark Rinaldi
