You and Me
2114B S. Lyndale Ave.
Nestled between the place where you buy a bong and the place you get loaded off of legendary Wondrous Punch (Clown Glass and The Red Dragon), newly openedboutique You and Me serves as a metaphoric beacon of virtue on a stretch of Lyndale Avenue run rampant with depravity.
Opening the doors to their closet-like store (it used to be an alley) just last Tuesday, brother clothing design duo Thom and Tim Navarro, alongside jewelry designer Katy Vereide (of Katy Schmaty Jewelry) and her husband, Jim, are thrilled to be up and running.
âÄúNow that weâÄôre finally here, weâÄôre realizing that this location is perfect,âÄù Katy said.
The reasons for that are simple enough. Uptown is an epicenter of trendy youth, the prime market for a shop like You and Me.
Upon entering the small space, one feels more like theyâÄôve ventured into a friendâÄôs design studio than a store. And thatâÄôs because they have. The affable clan, all preparing for âÄúVoltage,âÄù have made their work area completely visible, adding a sense of connection to the customerâÄôs experience. You can literally see the environment in which your purchase is created.
The store has a lot working in its favor. The staff is approachable and friendly. The product, beautiful vintage-inspired clothing and jewelry, is reasonably priced. And if that doesnâÄôt have you sold, the puppy love from the storeâÄôs adorable canine mascots, Dora and Ernie, most certainly will. ItâÄôs the kind of store you can end up spending a healthy chunk of time in.
Supplementary to all of the positive vibes is the fact that, in the realm of local retail, these guys are seriously redefining the structure. There are no sizes on the clothing for a reason, and the designers take pride in explaining their self-coined âÄúcut and pasteâÄù system of operation.
âÄúAll of the pieces of clothing and jewelry are basically templates,âÄù Tim said. âÄúSo if you see something that you like, we can either recreate it or make something based off of it.âÄù
âÄúIf it fits you and itâÄôs on the rack, itâÄôs for sale,âÄù Jim added. âÄúIf it doesnâÄôt, weâÄôll make it for you.âÄù
In a city brimming with exorbitantly priced local boutiques that mainly operate through consignment, this business approach is unique and encouraging to people who feel limited in their ability to support local designers. You and Me expresses an honest desire to give its customers something distinctive and Minneapolis-made. Obviously they want to make some money along the way, but that comes secondary to being accessible.
âÄúThe best part of having our own store is that we donâÄôt have to mark everything way up,âÄù Thom said.
âÄúThereâÄôs no middle man. What youâÄôre paying for is our dinner,âÄù Jim laughed.
The fact that theyâÄôre all on the brink of their âÄúVoltageâÄù debut will surely help their cause. If thereâÄôs anything the glitzy MNfashion production undoubtedly does, itâÄôs putting talented local designers on the map, something the You and Me crew definitely deserves. For now, as they embark on this retail adventure, the most crucial ingredients for success are passion, lofty goals and a sense of humor.
âÄúI think that as a collective we could almost be our own fashion house,âÄù Thom said.
âÄúOne thing at a time, man,âÄù Jim replied. âÄúWeâÄôre operating out of an alley.âÄù
