Who: Mary Beth Bussen and Sarah Kelley
Where: 5127 Delmar, in the lobby of the MADE building in the Delmar Maker District
When: Fall 2024
Why: “Our customers were always telling us how they liked spending time in our store, even if they weren’t shopping,” says Kelley. “We wanted to find a way to weave Union Studio into their life in a new way.”
Who: Megan Temple
Where: 124 West Jefferson in Downtown Kirkwood
When: November 1, 2024
Why: “My goal was always to end up in Downtown Kirkwood,” says Temple, who owns and operates both Megan Temple Design and The Dollhouse. “I had been watching the area for a couple of years. This was the first space to open up that was the right size, right location, and right price.”
Who: Patti Porter
Where: 11037 Manchester
When: July 1, 2024
Why: “I loved being able to decorate the front of the store the way I want,” says Porter. “Where I was before, they wanted all the buildings to look the same so I wasn’t able to do something that helped make us stand out.”
Who: Lydia Crespo
Where: 610 S. Main, St Charles, Missouri
When: March 2024
Why: Crespo recognized the need for a retail store that tapped into the pride and culture that’s felt by many who live in the region. “For the locals this is big. We love living here and want that t-shirt, pint glass, and artwork that shouts this place out loud,” she says.
Who: Joe Rotskoff
Where: 6614 Olive
When: Spring 2024
Why: “This is one full contiguous space that feels like, no matter what brand is represented, you’re in the same spot. It just flows beautifully and the layout makes sense,” Rotskoff says.
Who: Ali Siegel
Where: 200 S. Kirkwood in Downtown Kirkwood
When: July 31, 2024
Why: “I love clothes and fashion but it was always more of a hobby,” says Siegel. “In the agency world I was an account person, but fashion and style were ways to express myself creatively. I was traveling so much and it was my favorite way to explore a city. I fell in love with resale shopping and wanted nicer things I couldn’t necessarily find on the shelves in St. Louis.”
Who: Madeleine Wiering
Where: 8130 Big Bend, in the Old Orchard area of Webster Groves.
When: Summer 2024
Why: “We have a lot of people who come in and are interested in fountain pens or certain kinds of stationery items, but they don’t know a lot about them. So we try to have our space be somewhere they can try a bunch of different pens, test out inks, that kind of thing. And that’s something that you can only get in-person.”
Who: Suzanne Woodard and Shawn Lipe
Where: 1304 Ashby
When: Summer 2024
Why: “Most people who are reselling think of estate sales and aren’t familiar with auctions, which can get them the best return for a certain kind of item. But once we explain it, they understand: There’s really no risk to them because we can set a reserve—This piece will not sell for less than X. So we can tell them, “We’ll guarantee a certain amount and you’ll get a huge audience,” says Woodard
Who: Diane Mantovani and Frankie Muriel
Where: 1902 Marconi on The Hill
When: November 2024
Why: “We kept it very minimalistic because, being a design firm as well, we don’t want to take away from what we’re showing clients. So it’s a very clean space,” Mantovani says. “We want the accessories and the items to be the focal point.”
Who: Danielle Kalish
Where: 736 DeMun
When: Fall 2024
Why: “I’ve only been looking for a space for 18 months, but this has been a pipe dream my entire life,” says Kalish.
Who: Lisa Lorenz
Where: 24 N. Gore
When: Sumer 2024
Why: “We’ve had such a great reception up here, being in a more visible and walkable part of Webster,” says Lorenz.
