New retro shopping experience opens
Head to Toe on South Main has vintage clothes
If you’re looking for classic NBA team gear, a throwback Memphis State jersey, or a pair of back-in-the-day Air Jordans, there’s a shop in Downtown Memphis that hopes to attract fans.
Head to Toe, a pop-up shop featuring vintage, retro-style clothes and shoes, opened last month on South Main for the summer.
What’s in Store
Supported by the Open on Main Initiative, Head to Toe is spearheaded by three young entrepreneurs from Memphis and one from Virginia who are seeking to create an unusual fashion business.
Team members Kymer Levy, 26, Alonzo Green, 26, and Chris Jones, 25, grew up and went to area high schools. Levy graduated from Craigmont High School, Green from Collierville High School and Jones from Briarcrest High School. The fourth partner, Gia Ferrara, is from Virginia.
Having known each other through playing competitive basketball and other associations, the four came together after discovering the opportunity to open a pop-up shop Downtown.
Ferrara, 24, said that she and her fiance Levy had the idea to open a store after they shopped at a similar store in the South Beach section of Miami in March.
“He was obsessed with it, we went back every day we were there,” Ferrara recalled.
After returning to Memphis, the pair looked into leasing space in Midtown to open a store, reaching out to Jones.
While searching for a Midtown space, Levy heard about the Open on Main Initiative -- the opportunity to open their shop temporarily on South Main Street and attract customers before finding a permanent location.
Green became involved with the store after Jones mentioned to Levy and Ferrara that he would be a good fit for the team, as Jones had previously been working as a model for Green’s clothing line, Peso the Brand.
All three young men played basketball in high school and their respective colleges, playing a major role in their love for vintage sports apparel. The three Memphians all left college before graduating to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.
“I always loved shoes growing up,” said Levy. “With everyone else’s help, like, that made me realize that, hey, this is what I want to do.”
This is the first joint-venture launched by this team, and Green said “we’re bringing something new to the city.”
With a buy-sell-trade model, customers are encouraged not only to shop in the store, but also to bring in their own new or vintage apparel to trade with or sell to the shop.
Clothing and shoes brought to the store can be either traded for items of “equal value or close to it” or sold for cash, Ferrara said.
After the three-month stint on South Main, the team hopes to open a permanent location.
While visiting Nashville and cities in Arkansas and Mississippi, the group picks up pieces almost everywhere they go, said Jones.
New items, such as shoes and clothes from brands like Supreme, are ordered online, Ferrara said.
Each team member brings their own style to the store, ranging from ‘80s retro and cartoon characters to cashmere and customized pieces. The store also includes games such as bean-bag toss.
“We want to just wow the customers,” Levy said.
Located in a ground-level suite at 100 Peabody, the store is near the Peabody Place Trolley stop. It is is open weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday noon to 9 p.m.
Open on Main Initiative
The Open on Main program aims to enhance the Downtown Memphis experience while supporting local businesses and bringing attention to available properties on South Main Street.
Financed by the Downtown Memphis Commission, all rent and utility expenses are paid for.
According to DMC commercial strategist Erik Stevenson, the initiative’s goal is “to drive more foot traffic to Downtown to show the potential of the commercial spaces that are not being used.”
The program is designed to give tenants a feel for their business in a physical shop Downtown, as a temporary space for up to six months.
Reporter Harley Chapman can be reached at harley.chapman@com mercialappeal.com