The block party, officially billed as a chance to sell last season's merchandise and "have some fun," celebrated the transformation of the clothing store Revolution from what co-owner Kim Souza described as a quirky, community-oriented store featuring mostly local designers to a retailer of urban-chic clothing. Souza partnered with mother-and-daughter team Ann and Simi Johnston to reopen the store in February 2007 after it closed in September 2006 following low sales that were blamed on a limited inventory.
"The new store has been very well received," Souza said. "We had the opportunity to reinvent it, and it now offers a great balance of clothing."
Souza originally opened the store in 2002 as a "funky, vintage thrift shop," with clothing running from sizes "pixie" to "diva" rather than the more traditional small to large, Souza said. The store worked with local designers to bring an urban, yet eco-friendly sense of fashion to the community.
After the reopening, the team diversified the store's merchandise, while ensuring that the store remained environmentally friendly. The store now features the used clothing of many high-end designers, which it sells at reduced prices. Designer jeans that would sell for $300 new are sold in the store for $20, Johnston said.
"We are able to bring New York fashion to White River Junction," Johnston said. "And they can have this fashion without causing damage to the planet."
Despite the addition of national brands, the store continues to offer opportunities to local designers.
"It was important to keep the store alive for fashion diversity," Ann Johnston said, noting the lack of vintage and "quirky" clothing available in the Upper Valley area. "Vermont is not a state with a lot of industry. It's important to support those who live in our community."
Sigrid Lium, a local designer whose label is featured at the store, said that independent designers serve to show the unique qualities of clothing other than those made by national brands.
"So much of our culture is commercial and mass-produced, it's nice to see the quality of designs that are local and handmade," Lium said.
Another of the store's designers, Rene Gerrier, said that making clothes is an "art" that deserves one's full commitment. The 28-year-old designer of clothes and guitars takes part in every phase of the production of her clothing, from sketching the designs to sewing the finished garments. She said she hoped her love of the trade will serve to inspire those around her.
"It's inspirational for kids growing up and going to school around here to see local designers," Gerrier said. "It doesn't make fashion seem so big and removed anymore."
