8 1 5 4 B I G B E N D B LV D .
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314.801.7577
Civil Alchemy By: Jorie Jacobi Photog raphy: Car men Troesser
It may be reductive to say Civil Alchemy is
Meandering into the side room, where a mix of
unapologetically inspired by nostalgia from
c u r a t e d k i t c h e n i t e m s , l i q u o r, w i n e , b e e r, c o f f e e ,
a
where
appetizer trays and drink mixers are displayed
everyone knows your name. It is true that the
along with everything needed to fill up the
lifestyle shop harkens back to a time when
aforementioned appetizer tray with delectable
corner
businesses
meats, cheeses and crackers. Shoppers are also
w e r e t h e f i r s t s t o p o n o n e ’s s h o p p i n g a g e n d a .
i n v i t e d t o s a m p l e t h e b r a n d ’s o w n f l o r a l - n o t e d
bygone
era;
stores
the
and
community
independent
store
gin, which Barr has been developing for more than W a l k i n g i n t o C i v i l A l c h e m y, o n e w i l l l i k e l y
a y e a r. S h e c o - r u n s t h e s p a c e w i t h h e r s o n I a n
begin by wandering through the apparel section
Va n D a m , w h o r e c e n t l y r e t u r n e d f r o m a t r i p t o I n d i a
that carries goods from independent designers
working with vendors on new product offerings.
originating in the middle of America, like The
10
Normal Brand and imogene + willie. Then one
“ T h e r e ’s a r e a s o n w h y b r i c k - a n d - m o r t a r b u s i n e s s e s
might
and
will always exist,” he says. “People need to
lifestyle pieces, like hand-selected Japanese
interact with the thing that they’re buying and
tools, camping equipment and seasonal linen
the person selling it, and the internet can’t
b e d d i n g — a f a v o r i t e o f f o u n d e r K e l l e y B a r r. T h e
replicate that. So, in the meantime—for the
s t o r e i s a n e w , s m a l l e r d e p a r t u r e f r o m B a r r ’s
next 100 years, until the internet figures out
previous venture, K Hall Designs. “This is not
virtual reality—we have demand. When you
a b o u t m a k i n g a b u n c h o f m o n e y, o p e n i n g a b u n c h
h a v e s t r o n g c o m m u n i t y, c o m m e r c e a n d l o c a l
of stores and generating a ton of hype,” she says.
businesses, everything else thrives around it.”
discover
ALIVE MAGAZINE
artisan-crafted
GUIDED
jewelry
