In the past few months, the north side of Hyman Avenue has seen a revolution. Nearly every storefront from Hunter to Galena has turned over, revealing windows for "It" brands such as Rossignol and Frame, and highly curated boutiques. Take a peek inside these three super special shops.
Stepping into Res Ipsa’s cozy store feels part Turkish souk, part Southern gentleman’s haberdashery, which makes sense if you know the owners, Joshua Moore and Odini Gogo. The co-founders began designing while practicing law in Atlanta. On a sourcing trip in Istanbul in 2013, they had a chance encounter with a kilim producer and immediately fell in love with the traditional fabric’s bright colors, durability and nomad DNA. Their first prototype was a classic British loafer, and they expanded to include other travel accessories in kilim. The distinctive patterns were a hit, and the duo opened a flagship store in Nantucket. How did you land on Aspen, we asked? “Our customers kept telling us we should be in Aspen,” says Moore, and then, “We had a chance encounter with Tom Yoder of Kemo Sabe on a New York City subway. We were checking out his hat, he was checking out our loafers, and we struck up a conversation. He told us, ‘Go to Aspen. It’s so worth it.’” 505 E. Hyman Ave., resipsausa.com
Call-out piece: Camouflage-printed pony hair loafers ($325) are one of a kind, made exclusively for the Aspen store and online.
The backlit bags and shoes on display at Olivela exist in a perfect, Instagram-ready #shelfie setup. Silk Cushnie dresses mixed with denim separates hang from arches, and projected on the wall are the words Olivela lives by, “20 percent of the proceeds of every purchase goes toward educating girls worldwide.” Founded by Stacey Boyd, entrepreneur and former educator, Olivela taps into the value systems of today’s shoppers. If you can choose a bag from any store, why not buy from the retailer that will give 20 percent of the cost to a deserving nonprofit, at no markup to the customer? Of course, the store has to be offering what discerning clients want, and chief merchant Kristen Sosa has outfitted the boutique in a beautiful, contemporary edit of luxury women’s fashion and accessories. During the grand opening this holiday season, proceeds went to the Aspen Education Foundation. It doesn’t get more local than that. 427 E. Hyman Ave., olivela.com
Call-out piece: Swimwear is not easy to find in this neck of the woods, but Olivela’s mini edit of designer swim includes pieces by Solid and Striped, Dos Gardenias and Emilio Pucci.
Forty Five Ten is from Dallas (howdy). Like most things from Texas, the merchandise here is defined by the colorful, the furry, the sparkly and the fun. From the sculptural Boyy bags in the window to the rainbow of Comme des Garçons wallets, to the fashion by Thom Browne, Rosetta Getty and Monse, this jewel box store is simply full of art. Each piece is selected to play with color, pattern and proportions. The shop also carries hard-to-find skincare in Aspen, as well as unique home goods. Hostess gifts, anyone? Also, be sure to check out the stack of vintage Harper’s Bazaar magazines while you shop. 535 E. Hyman Ave., fortyfiveten.com
Call-out piece: Circumference NYC natural skincare is exclusive in Aspen.
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