Napa’s major fashion infusion.
Napa Valley is having a moment — not with wine, but with fashion. In the past several months, two noteworthy boutiques, Forty Five Ten and Coop, have opened. A third, Maris Collective, is slated for a November debut at First Street Napa.
With 3.5 million visitors to Napa Valley last year alone, the appeal to store owners is obvious. That tourists and locals would be thirsting for shopping choices to complement the world-class wineries and multistarred restaurants makes sense. It comes as no surprise to Brian Bolke, co-founder and president of buzzy Dallas specialty chain Forty Five Ten: “Being from Northern California and having had the opportunity to spend the last several summers in Napa, I saw firsthand that the area is an untapped market with a huge demand for retail. It’s an area that sees incredible foot traffic.”
Bolke decided Napa was the place for a fifth store, and its first outside Texas. When the Yountville location at 6450 Washington St. (adjacent to Bouchon and steps from the French Laundry) opened up, Bolke and team pounced. “The alignment with Thomas Keller was appealing. I love the street frontage and being next door to Bouchon. And lots of parking!”
The 865-square-foot boutique opened on July 25 with a sharply curated mix of men’s and women’s clothing, as well as home, apothecary and gift items (such as Forty Five Ten x Diptyque candles). It also carries established and hard-tofind emerging labels such as Loewe, Mark Cross, Gabriela Hearst, Derek Lam, Khaite, Jacquemus, Tome and Kalita. Local cult beauty brand Vintner’s Daughter is also in the mix.
“We cover a wide spectrum with a distinct point of view and balance an artisanal vibe with a modern feel, and glamour with cool,” says Bolke, an established fashion player whose Bay Area pals include interior designers Ken Fulk and Jay Jeffers.
The fashion cred comes courtesy of industry heavyweights Taylor Tomasi Hill and Nick Wooster. Hill, a street-style star and Dallas native, served as accessories editor for both Marie Claire and Teen Vogue, and as creative director for high-end e-tailer Moda Operandi before joining Bolke’s crew as vice president for creative and fashion director. Wooster, who came aboard in May as men’s fashion director, is an experienced buyer, design director and stylemaker in his own right; his resume reads like a Who’s Who of top retailers, including Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, among others.
“They guide the brand direction for men’s and women’s fashion,” adds Bolke. “They both have extraordinary personal style and are creative and adventurous thinkers.”
Like Forty Five Ten, Coop, located at the Carneros Resort and Spa and open to the public, serves up modern clothes and accessories for women and men. The inviting 700-squarefoot-space debuted at the end of May and is run by California’s Maris Collective, a global luxury retailer specializing in hotel and resort boutiques.
Following the game plan for all Maris stores, Coop is a reflection of its environs: “In this case, there was so much good stuff to work with,” says Eric Lopez, chief creative officer, Maris Collective.
“Carneros feels like a moderninspired country compound … in some senses it’s like a grown-up summer camp with amazing food and a perfect location surrounded by wine vines. We drew from that (for Coop) — with wainscoting walls, jute fabrics, nailhead details and even a vintage sewing machine for custom embroidery. From a product perspective, we will be seasonal inspired and listen to what guests want.”
Currently on tap: resort-appropriate tees, dresses, pants, shirts, sweaters and accessories from eclectic designers like Figue, Iro and Lemlem, as well as California labels James Perse, Frank & Eileen, Clare V, Cult Gaia and Mara Carrizo Scalise.
Coop isn’t Maris Collective’s only Napa project: It’s also set to become the eponymous headliner boutique at First Street Napa, a $200 million 325,000-square-foot mixed-use development featuring the Archer Hotel Napa, several chef-driven restaurants (such as Charlie Palmer Steak) and a first-rate shopping area with 45 retailers. The first phase of the project is scheduled to open in late fall.
“First Street is a very different project for us,” Lopez says. “In scale alone, our First Street location is four times the size of Coop. They are very different in aesthetic and audience. We have been in talks with the developers of this project for the last few years and are really thrilled with what they are bringing to downtown Napa. We are working hard to achieve a November open date — fingers crossed.”