Collaborators not competitors

Empty storefronts and “For Lease” signs have been a frequent sight along West Lake Street in Uptown over the last several years. But, it appears things are starting to turn over and along one stretch in particular, two new local businesses are injecting energy in the area - and they have a lot in common.

Legacy and Les Sól both relocated to the same 1600 block of West Lake Street - between Irving Avenue South and James Avenue South - last summer. The two businesses have a lot in common: Both are women-owned boutiques that sell primarily women’s apparel - Legacy with vintage pieces and Les Sól with mostly new, sustainably made items.

With those similarities, you’d think there’d be some competition between the two shop owners. But, not so, they’ll tell you. And in fact, both women say they gravitated towards this particular area because of the other.
“For me it was important to be around like-minded businesses,” Legacy’s co-owner Ruby Stinson said. “That’s why Les Sól was really important. We knew they were coming to this area, and we love them. It actually makes a lot of sense to be with someone that has something similar to offer, that has a clientele that would also bop around to us.”
“When we were both considering moving, we kind of knew we were wanting to go to the same place or similar place because we do kind of fit well together,” said Les Sól co-owner Mikaela Harrod.
Stinson said that if someone can’t find what they’re looking for on the many, colorful racks at Legacy, she’ll send them down the street to Les Sól. And when Harrod and her intern were looking to launch a line of trendy, upcycled denim maxi skirts for summer, she turned to Stinson to source the jeans.

LAKE + IrVING MARKETS
Nowhere is that spirit of collaboration more evident than at the “Lake + Irving Markets,” typically held once a month on Saturdays. The markets are the brainchild of Harrod and Stinson, and the two have brought other new and longtime businesses in the area such as Combine, a clothing and home decor store, and the popular French cafe Barbette, into the fold, as well. The businesses host exclusive pop-ups from local makers with entertainment and discounts with the ultimate goal of getting more people to come and spend a few hours shopping, dining, and just enjoying the neighborhood.
“People just honestly don’t know that stuff is over here again,” Stinson said.

‘WE’RE HERE’
It’s not all sunshine and busy weekend markets, though. Being a small business owner isn’t easy, and selling sustainable fashion, whether new or vintage, comes with an extra set of challenges.
Harrod said the items in her shop won’t sell on sustainability alone. They also have to be stylish and feel good to make people willing to pay the slighter higher price. That’s what she strives to curate at her store, and thanks to her background in apparel design, she’s filled it with pieces made from materials like bamboo and similar fabrics.
Stinson added that while shopping online is often quick and easy, finding the right vintage piece can take more time, even if it’s the same price. But, she promises it’s worth it for the quality you’ll get from the items she sources for her store.
The winter months can be really slow for retail stores, especially those that rely heavily on foot traffic. Both women say they’re happy to have each other to rely on as both friends and mutual business owners working towards similar goals.
“We’re kind of going down the same path,” Harrod said. “We always remind each other that we’re building something and we’re working for it and that, yeah it’s slow, but it will pick up and that is worth all of the stress and the slow days or stressful days of figuring that out.”
Harrod and Stinson are especially looking forward to this coming summer, as Uptown continues to undergo a revival of sorts. With Arts + Rec Uptown moving into the former Calhoun Square/7 Corners space, the reimagined Uptown Theater opening soon, and the new pavilion opening on Bde Maka Ska, they’re both hoping that will attract more people to the area – and to their stores.
“I think this summer will be a really great shift in this whole neighborhood,” Stinson said. “It feels like, to me, this is Uptown’s first summer to be like ‘We’re here!’”