With the opening of the Shinola Hotel came new shops in and around Parker\u2019s Alley. The neighborhood is definitely worth exploring\u2014in any weather. Because we couldn\u2019t wait to get down there and do some shopping ourselves, we\u2019re here to share with you a little bit about some of the shops and what they bring to the neighborhood\u2014and why they wouldn\u2019t choose to be anywhere else.<\/p>\n
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GOOD NEIGHBOR<\/strong><\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4672″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n Carli Goltowski knew since high school that she wanted to work in fashion and retail, so it was only a matter of time before she opened her own men\u2019s and women\u2019s fashion boutique. Located among the new shops around Shinola Hotel, Good Neighbor is in the heart of the downtown shopping district, something she knew she always wanted.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew downtown needed retail, and I knew I wanted to bring national, local and independent brands to downtown\u2014to give them a platform,\u201d Carli said. \u201cI always wanted to see this in the city, make a convenient place for people to shop and bring quality products to them, products they love and enjoy that they don\u2019t have to shop online for.\u201d<\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4673″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n To Carli, a good neighbor is more than just the name of her shop or getting to know the other store-owners around her. To Carli, a good neighbor goes beyond the neighborhood, and bringing quality brands to the area is just one of the ways Carli\u2019s shop is a Good Neighbor.<\/p>\n \u201cI do my best to source brands that are socially conscious. They all have something they\u2019re working towards, some bigger goal,\u201d Carli said.<\/p>\n In addition to sourcing socially conscious brands, Carli has also partnered with Humble Design, a non-profit organization that helps furnish homes for families transitioning from homelessness. One dollar of every purchase made at Good Neighbor goes to Humble Design, and all the proceeds from the popular \u201cDetroit\u201d embroidered tees and printed bandanas, designed by local artist Martyna Alexander, go to Humble Design, too.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important to me to give back,\u201d Carli said. \u201cI\u2019ve had so much support in life and in the project, so it\u2019s important to me to use my resources to give back and help others.\u201d<\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4674″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n While Carli\u2019s idea of a \u201cgood neighbor\u201d reaches beyond her own neighborhood and nearby shops, she does admit they are her favorite thing about the area.<\/p>\n When asked what her favorite thing about the Parker\u2019s Alley neighborhood is, without hesitation she said, \u201cThe neighbors. We\u2019ve all become friends. And I love being surrounded by all the new businesses and being in the middle of what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n Plus, you never know when two girls in unicorn headbands will stroll in for a 30th birthday celebration shopping spree. (But actually\u2014this happened during my chat with Carli and it was pretty magical.)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n DROUGHT<\/strong><\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4675″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n Nine years ago, the James sisters were all looking to go into business separately, but they did something better and went into business together. <\/p>\n \u201cNone of us felt like we had our own thing,\u201d said Julie James, cofounder and CMO of Drought. \u201cSo we were really willing to explore something that was our own rather than just settle into the comforts of our current situation.\u201d <\/p>\n That thing that became their own? USDA Organic-certified, 100% cold-pressed juice. At the time, many of the sisters were living in New York City when juice bars were popping up on what seemed like every corner. When they realized there wasn\u2019t anything like that in their hometown of Detroit, they got a cold press juicer, started a Kickstarter campaign and taught themselves how to make juice\u2014and how to make it the best. Nine years and four retail stores later, after making and testing many recipes, they consider themselves the cold-pressed juice experts.<\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4676″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the processes we\u2019ve done from the beginning is we cold-press all of the ingredients separately and then mix by recipe. I don\u2019t just throw everything into the juicer and hope that what comes out tastes good. Every single juice has been mixed by recipe, bottled by hand, hand inspected\u2014there\u2019s a human element to everything we do.\u201d <\/p>\n This is the kind of shopping experience you can find in Parker\u2019s Alley: unique, premium products and expert, quality service. Another aspect of the Alley that Julie loves is how vibrant the area is, and part of that has to do with the shop owners that surround her. <\/p>\n \u201cI love the female-owned businesses,\u201d Julie said. \u201cI think that my sisters and I have had lots of support and we\u2019ve been very lucky and welcomed with open arms, but it has been challenging opening a business as a woman. So it feels really good to be surrounded by all these shops owned by women. We have all the girls here, and it\u2019s awesome to be around that.\u201d <\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4677″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n At the end of the day, Julie added, it\u2019s the quality of the product that makes Drought, as well as the surrounding shops, stand out. \u201cThe integrity of our brand is one of the things I\u2019m most proud of. I think that if you follow our story or purchase our product, you know you can trust what you\u2019re getting in there.\u201d <\/p>\n <\/p>\n THE LIP BAR<\/strong><\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4691″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/strong><\/p>\n When Melissa Butler launched The Lip Bar in 2012, it wasn\u2019t out of her love of makeup but rather out of her frustration with the beauty industry. When she realized how many harsh chemicals were in her cosmetic products and how many were tested on animals, she knew she wanted to do things differently. She learned how to make lipstick in her kitchen, determined to create a clean beauty product that actually works and looks great. <\/p>\n That\u2019s exactly what she did, and now seven years later, she\u2019s still creating vegan, paraben-free, nontoxic and cruelty-free lipsticks, lip gloss and liquid mattes. Plus, she no longer has to make her products in her kitchen. Now you can find them The Lip Bar, located in Parker\u2019s Alley. <\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4692″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n Lesley Russell, Store Manager at The Lip Bar said that one of her favorite parts about the Parker\u2019s Alley neighborhood is how friendly and welcoming the neighbors have been. And these shops are exactly what make shopping in Parker\u2019s Alley a unique experience. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so much variety in the shops, you can find everything from beautiful floral arrangements, gorgeous vintage and boutique clothes, organic juices and now, lipstick,\u201d Lesley said. <\/p>\n But you don\u2019t find \u201cjust\u201d lipstick at The Lip Bar.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of our sales associates are also professional makeup artists who understand the different undertones of each customer and can help find the perfect shade you’ve been looking for, or you never knew you needed,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4694″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n Their vast variety of shades makes it easy to find the perfect one, too. Lesley said that their \u201clipstick shade range is out of this world!\u201d With over 16 shades of nude alone, it\u2019s easy to find the right fit.<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to deny the beauty of the pigments at The Lip Bar, but Lesley said that working for the brand goes beyond that\u2014she feels like she\u2019s a part of something special. <\/p>\n \u201cThe brand\u2019s vision isn’t just about being vegan and cruelty-free. It’s about inclusivity and representation,\u201d Lesley said. \u201cBeing a Lip Bar employee means that I’m helping to upend this linear sense of what beauty is supposed to be. It doesn’t matter your race, ethnicity, religion, orientation, shape, size or age, you can see yourself in all of our campaigns, and I think that really says something about what we’re doing as a brand and where we are in the world today.\u201d <\/p>\n <\/p>\n LE LABO<\/strong><\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4678″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n When Fabrice Penot cofounded Le Labo thirteen years ago, he knew he wanted to challenge the perfume status quo. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen we started, there was very little choice in perfumery for someone who was tired of the marketing tricks played by the designer brands and wanted to wear a great, creative and highly qualitative perfume,\u201d Fabrice said. \u201cWe wanted to propose an alternative\u2014in the perfume itself, but also by sharing the backstage of perfume creation showing the craftsmanship behind a true fine fragrance.\u201d<\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4679″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n Now, with over 50 flagship boutiques around the world, Le Labo and their lab technicians freshly compound made-to-order bottles by completing final formulation of the perfume right before the client\u2019s eyes. If it sounds scientific, well, it is. But it\u2019s also an artform and an experience. Take it from Le Labo themselves: \u201cOur labs are like an entertainment park for the nose, and the perfume you bring home is a souvenir.\u201d<\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4680″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n You can find this \u201centertainment park for the nose\u201d just two doors down from Shinola Hotel. And according to Le Labo, this neighborhood around the hotel is pretty unique too. Their favorite part? \u201cThe genuine feel overall,\u201d Le Labo said. \u201cWith the kind locals and somehow a low-key vibe, there is a certain je ne sais quoi that we connect with.\u201d<\/p>\n That certain je ne sais quoi isn\u2019t the only thing Le Labo connects with. Le Labo said, \u201cThe idea of opening a store in Detroit has been in our mind for a few years because we love the history and the roots of the city as well as its aesthetics, its artistic scenery and sensitive people to craft in general.\u201d<\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4681″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n Taking pride in craft is something Le Labo has in common with its neighbors, but it\u2019s more than just craft\u2014it’s an entirely unique experience. As Fabrice put it, \u201cPerfumery is a journey of the soul but also makes us travel all over physically to find these marvels. On top of that, in every perfume we create, we leave a part of ourselves in the bottle. I think people can feel that.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n POSIE ATELIER<\/strong><\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4682″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n Meg Stojcevski had been doing floral design work on the side for friends and family for seven years when she was approached by a friend who suggested a brick and mortar shop near the Shinola Hotel. She thought a little store in Parker\u2019s Alley was the perfect opportunity, so she opened Posie Atelier, a floral design shop that goes beyond flowers.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew that the concept [of a brick and mortar store] would meld my favorite beautiful things: fresh florals, fine jewelry, plants, and unique home goods,\u201d Meg said. <\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4684″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n When Meg would visit big cities like Chicago and New York, she\u2019d go to her favorite jewelry boutiques, asking herself, \u201cWhy don\u2019t we have this in Detroit?\u201d Frustrated that she and her fellow Detroiters couldn\u2019t visit a shop to try on and buy unique jewelry without trekking to the mall, Meg took the initiative to fill the small business gap herself. Now you can turn to Posie Atelier for fine jewelry that comes from several independent female designers not yet found in the greater Detroit area.<\/p>\n \u201cThe shop is a great little space to introduce people to unique floral design, but not quite big enough to be a true floral studio or workshop,\u201d Meg said. \u201cThat’s where the other items come in, such as jewelry. We also carry gorgeous ceramics from three female ceramicists, Phaidon books, locally made stationary from Hazel & Dolly, a custom scented Detroit Rose Candle, and of course lots of plants.\u201d<\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4685″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n While the shop has a wide assortment of products, it is impossible to overlook the plants and flowers. They are certainly standout elements in Posie Atelier, and that’s the way Meg prefers them. <\/p>\n \u201cI just like enabling beautiful florals to speak for themselves,\u201d Meg said. \u201cI gravitate toward the dramatic, rare and overpriced stems, I can’t help myself. I always try to let the organic shape of the florals shine through in my arrangements. And I like to go big.\u201d<\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4686″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n While the jewelry as well as her floral arrangements are unique to Posie Atelier, another element that is unique is the neighborhood\u2014even better, the neighbors. <\/p>\n \u201cAs of right now we’re of course adjacent to the beautiful Shinola Hotel, and my fellow business lady neighbors are each so inspirational,\u201d Meg said. \u201cI feel so lucky to be sharing a retail environment with them. I also love the community in Downtown Detroit. The people who live and visit the area are warm and so supportive of small businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”4687″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]<\/p>\n Visit Parker\u2019s Alley and the surrounding neighborhood shops to see what other interesting things are happening in the neighborhood. Don\u2019t forget to visit Mad Cap for coffee, Velvet Tower for vintage clothing, Detroit Is The New Black (coming soon), Queen\u2019s Bar for drinks and eats, the Brakeman for craft beer and Penny Red\u2019s for fried chicken. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With the opening of the Shinola Hotel came new shops in and around Parker\u2019s Alley. The neighborhood is definitely worth exploring\u2014in any weather. Because we couldn\u2019t wait to get down there and do some shopping ourselves, we\u2019re here to share with you a little bit about some of the shops and what they bring to […]<\/p>\n