January 2008
Visit Downtown Seattle’s West Edge Shopping District
The neighborhood nickname might be unfamiliar, but these shops are well known for innovative style.
Stroll south down Western Avenue below Pike Place Market; once you hit University Street, you’ll find the first gold mine, (1) Liave, stocked with carefully chosen European home décor. Owner Cornelia Veit scouts Parisian trade shows, bringing back finds like German-made lamb’s wool blankets ($150-$300) or Ahmaddy print scarves that come in asymmetrical shapes ($80-$120)….
Shopping in the International District
Enrich yourself both culturally and materially in the heart of Seattle’s Asian community.
Start at Main Street and Sixth and walk down to Jackson Street for two of the most stimulating spots in Japantown: (1) Kobo at Higo, a former Japanese variety store turned artisan gallery that spotlights Japanese and Northwest design. Its jewelry selection is particularly well curated, with elegant gold-filled wire leaf earrings by local artist…
Shopping in Fremont’s Funky ‘Downtown’
This funky strip is truly the center of the universe for vintage wear and statement accessories.
Start on Fremont Place North and Lenin (that would be the statue, not a street) and head southeast a block to embrace your saucy side at (1) Bellefleur, Jennifer Manuel Carroll’s charming lingerie boutique. Carroll is an expert at fitting and knows her merchandise thoroughly—which includes flirty panties and push-up bras ($18–$120). (Psst: Bellefleur also…
Shop Along Historic Ballard Avenue
Shop here for stylish urban wear: hipster plaid, “adorkable” patterned frocks and spunky jewelry.
Starting at the east end of the strip, at Ballard Avenue and 20th, first pop into (1) Monster Art and Clothing, a trove for quirky oddities, such as a bronze meat-cleaver necklace, spirited toe socks or a hand-printed octopus shirt. With a stock emphasizing Northwest designs (owner Tara Smith herself runs organic clothing line Revival…
Why Seattle is Still Paying for Watergate
It's the 40th anniversary of a notorious political scandal. Knute Berger shows how it hits home.
While we’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Seattle World’s Fair, which was hitting its peak-season stride in September 1962, another anniversary is running through my mind. It was the amazing summer of 1972, when so much of the promise of the New Frontier came crashing to the ground because of a burglary known as…
Bellingham’s Coal Play
Is the massive coal-shipping port planned for Whatcom County a blessing or a curse?
People living in Bellingham have a pretty forgiving attitude toward the trains that rumble through town. The shrill whistles, the squeal of wheels, the waits at crossings—that’s just part of life in this laid-back college town. But now something else is roaring down the tracks, and it has the town’s full attention. About 800 people…
Kathleen Flenniken Exercises Her Poetic License
Poet laureate Kathleen Flenniken is showcasing the work of countless local poets during her term.
A master’s degree in civil engineering isn’t a prerequisite for becoming Washington state poet laureate, but it does tend to make for a unique perspective. Kathleen Flenniken, who began her two-year term as poet laureate in February, lives in View Ridge, but grew up in Richland, the daughter of a chemist who spent his career…
Cuong Vu: Horn of Plenty
Avant-garde composer Cuong Vu’s trumpet playing sits on the cutting edge of music.
When Cuong Vu plays trumpet, it can sound like he’s underwater, or facing gale force winds or maybe contacting us from another dimension. The unique sounds he gets out of the horn range from spooky to sputtering—long, haunting notes that waver like seagrass, and staccato runs that leap off the standard scale, becoming syncopated gusts…
Matthew Smucker: Maker of Small Worlds
All the stage is a world for this local scenic designer
A set designer’s job is about overcoming a series of paradoxes: First, transform a familiar room into a completely new universe, without blowing the budget. Second, reconcile thematic relevance with physical limitations (and hurry up already). Finally, create something that both surprises the audience and feels totally appropriate within the context of the play. No…
Ben Kasulke: Lens Crafter
The Local cinematographer turns filmmakers’ vision into reality.
If you’ve seen any recent indie films set in Seattle, you’ve likely watched them through Ben Kasulke’s eyes. The cinematographer has been behind the camera on an astonishing number of local movies of note, including major success stories such as Lynn Shelton’s Your Sister’s Sister, Colin Trevorrow’s Safety Not Guaranteed and Megan Griffiths’ The Off…
Stacey Rozich’s Animal Instinct
At the Capitol Hill Block Party in July, musicians on the main stage had special accompaniment: a tiger, a dragon and several lime green, bat-like imps. The creatures, drawn in a vivid folk style and emblazoned on 23-foot-tall scrims flanking the stage, added a bit of reverence and danger to the proceedings—an aura of myth…
Get Tickets to Seamless in Seattle 2012 Fashion Show
Thirty-two local emerging designers submitted their portfolios this summer to be considered for our annual fashion designer competition. After several intensive rounds of judging and deliberation, five winners (and two runners-up) have emerged (read all about them here). We were inspired by their bold concepts (“I want to give women something beyond clothing; I want…