Friends, gather round -- behold this week's edition of Racked Seattle, where all the good retail gospel is spread by your girl, Ali Brownrigg. Check back here everything Thursday for news, tips, sales and events, and if you've got fun tips for our in-house sartorial mastermind, hit the tipline at seattle@curbed.com.
For Those About to Rock the Block: The Capitol Hill Block Party starts Friday, July 20, so plan accordingly if you’re heading to the Hill, but the official kickoff event is Downtown tonight, Thursday, July 19 from 6 to 9 p.m., at the AllSaints store on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Pine Street. This is a free event (although the organizers would appreciate you RSVP here: SeattleRSVP@allsaints.com), with live music courtesy of Block Party headliners Thee Oh See, cocktails provided by Sailor Jerry Rum, $20 gift cards for those who spend $100 or more and a chance to win a three day pass to the main event with any purchase from AllSaints’ Not For Sale collection, a collaboration with the Not For Sale organization, which is committed to ending human trafficking and re-abolishing modern day slavery. Lots of other shopping to be done at the Block Party proper. Click here for more info.
Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee: Osiris Navarro of indie extravaganza Badwill Market fame and her sister Eunice have announced their intention to launch an online vintage marketplace called Gidget later this month on July 31. According to advance press on the project, Gidget will be stocked with “yesteryear’s style for today’s sweetheart,” an allusion to the character in the 1950’s girl-next-door Gidget movies originally played by actress Sandra Dee (followed by a perky, young Sally Field). Don’t expect only 1950’s inspired vintage here, though. Navarro promises “a variety of styles whether you're a pin-up babe, hippie bohemian, disco queen, glam starlett, punk rocker or a fly-girl.”
Permenent Pop-Up: Guesthouse in Madrona, a chic sliver of a store on 34th Avenue, that neighborhood’s small, but meaningful main shopping drag, has had a pop-up shop in Madison Park (4110 East Madison Street) for the last few months that owner Kate Sehulster plans on making permanent, moving both her retail stock and design office there. While Guesthouse’s design theme changes quickly (Indian, Moroccan and Persian influences now, with Safari coming this fall), Sehulster’s high-style stays constant and is a boon to our city’s small interior design shop community. Expect Guesthouse’s Madrona presence to remain in some capacity. Sehulster tells us she’s working on a new concept for that space. Watch this space for that news.
Sales
Cameos & Crowns: Speaking of Madrona, Guesthouse’s neighbor, Cameos & Crowns is having a huge sale on their inventory of body care, candles and accessories (Butter London, Antica Farmacista, Voluspa) to make room for more and varied stock. Buy one item and get 15 percent off; buy two to three items and get 25 percent off; and buy four or more items and get 50 percent off (exclusive of greeting cards, which are a flat 20 percent off).
Canopy Blue: This Madison Valley shop may have a new owner, but shoppers can expect the same stellar collection of beachy, ladylike inventory, currently on sale for up to 80 percent off. Get it while it’s hot, ladies.
Kuhlman: While known for its amazing menswear and bespoke tailoring prowess, Belltown’s Kuhlman also carries some great women’s lines, including Supermaggie, Stewart + Brown and Skunkfunk. Their summer sale is in full swing and they’re pulling out the stops on Friday, July 20, during a Happy Hour Sale from 3 to 7 p.m with some cool perks. During that time save 10 percent off any single regular priced item; 50 percent off the full retail price of any sale item; or 20 percent off your entire purchase when you spend $250 or more.
Arm Party: Bracelets are the rage these days, you can't go far without seeing stylish women with them stacked on their wrists, and newish Ballard boutique Trouvaille, carries some great ones from French designer Catherine Michiels. Check them out tonight, Thursday, July 19 from 4 to 9 p.m. during her trunk show, and save 10 percent off your purchase.
The Future File:
Seattle Design District Association Sidewalk Sale: Plan to spend September 8 in Georgetown for the second annual sidewalk sale from SDDA. Local pickers, collectors and interior designers haul out all their best stuff for this event. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for more info on participating vendors as the date nears.