Ballardite Nicole Miller is passionate about her business. She owns Blackbird men’s shop, Birgitta women’s shop, the new candy shop just off Bergen Place and now the newest Ballard mercantile, The Field House.
Located just off Bergen Place on Leary, where Art By Fire vacated this summer, this new shop is near and dear to Miller’s heart. With brands like Pendleton, Filson, Stanley and Woolrich, this isn’t your average trendy boutique. “I think we’ve gotten too much into this modern thing,” Miller says exclaiming, “What’s new!? What’s new!? What’s new!? I need to upgrade my iphone!” Slowing down and grabbing a red flannel shirt she says, “What’s wrong with a shirt that’s been around a long time? There’s a reason it’s been around.”
Inspired by her grandparents, she says this is a mercantile and will sell a little bit of everything: clothing, Stanley lunch boxes, Filson dog coats, Townsend Bay soaps, eggs and milk to just name a few of the items. The name was inspired by where her grandmother grew up in the South Park neighborhood and some of the decor, like the piñata dangling from the ceiling, came straight from her grandparent’s house.
Miller has the lease on the space for a three-month trial run and hopes the concept will stick. “I’m not trying to do an era, I’m trying to do a feeling.”
How excellently niche! Do you carry saddle soap or leather care products? And, any chance you'll carry some kids' weather gear (rain slickers & boots) or kid-sized Thermos (the Foogo line)?
any website..?
Filson?! At last, men's clothing.
Very nice. I probably won't be shopping there much (I prefer to spend way too much on trendy clothes, personally), but I really like the concept!
stop fronting. you are following a trend. there is nothing hotter than flannel right now.
Backward instead of forward. More my speed. ;-)
Sweet, all my favorite brands. All she needs now is Carhartt.
Agreed. Woolrich is very fashionable right now. They're working with Japanese designer Daiki Suzuki and advertise in Monocle and other mags.
Of course if you're going to follow trends this is not a bad one to follow. A 40 year old Filson coat looks as good today as it did 40 years ago (I know because I have one) – I don't think you'll be able to say the same for skinny jeans!
Flannel is on the way back, but it's far from the hottest trend. The precursors are there though.
i hear ya seaspider. i personlly love this as a trend much more than hoodies that look like candy wrapers or the skinny jeans you mentioned. and to be honest, one of the other trends right now is the “pop up shop,” so here 3 month lease is perfect.
i really do like the idea and the style of clothing, i just think she should have admitted to following a trend rather than pretending she is starting it. no hard feelings though. i still wish them luck.
Can you show me photos of how/where flannel is so hot right now? Leather, over the knee boots, fur, metallics. Those are hot right now.
While flannel shirts might be back in style and “pop up shops” are popular, I know of no other independently owned new shop in town that offers clothing, lunch boxes, dog bowls, candles, milk & eggs.
This is not your average trendy boutique. My words, not the owner's.
What about Fred Meyer?
Flannel is so in right now… at least, in my world it is (not me, though, I have never liked it, and never will). ALL my 20-something-band-artist-photography friends (guys & gals) are wearing it, and wearing LOTS of it, in every color scheme you could think of. I guess they are cold, or something.
the only thing I wonder is, with the economy, how can a place like this do well at all?
Probably the same way her way-too-expensive-for-the-economy boutique and way-too-unhealthy-for-the-current-health-craze boutique candy store do well at all.
Which is…? I'm guessing either bonafide miracle, or organized crime front. (Or both??)
…or neither, since there are people who will travel here just to go to Blackbird.
Just because something isn't your speed doesn't mean that isn't perfect for other people.
I don't set foot inside chain fast food restaurants, but they seem to be doing ok…must be an organized crime front!
Ugh. I was just making a joke/observation off of Melissa's post. Lighten up!
I love Blackbird and the candy store, and have given both of them quite a bit of my business.
Interesting concept but it seems it's an extension of her other store. Brands she was carrying online/in-store and now it's in another store. Am I going to buying eggs & milk from a clothing store. Highly unlikely. Am I going to dish out $$$$ for overpriced “Americana” flannel clothing ( oh what? It's “IN”?) ..Highly unlikely. Nirvana-rehashed but in Designer duds… You must be too young to have been around 20 years ago and 20 years ago, flannel grunge didn't cost you anything.