The Straight + Arrow
Step into the worlds of Currie Person and Lauren Wilkins, two local shop owners who know a thing or two about style and design. With the launch of their new blog, Arrow and Arrow, they give us a glimpse into what inspires them and their favorite designers.
In my rulebook for the Internet, there’s not much worse than a seemingly legitimate website that turns out to be nothing more than one giant advertisement, albeit with pretty graphics and a catchy tagline. This also rings true for blogs. Too often, an obscure Google search leads me to an even more obscure blog, where I get lost in a sea of posts and flashy links. Luckily, Person and Wilkins feel my pain.
The duo, owners of sister stores Spartan and Bows + Arrows respectively, launched a style blog this fall inspired by all that is currently rocking their worlds. A natural extension of their storefronts, Arrow and Arrow, features the latest trends that catch their eyes, while escaping the trap of becoming a blog-turned-advertisement. Known for carrying a well-edited selection of goods, the shops’ aesthetic translates effortlessly to their blog, which covers design, fashion, travel, food, and music.
Two simple words meld into the theme of Arrow and Arrow: inspiration and conversation. From the time they opened their stores to today, Pearson and Wilkins have spent countless hours volleying ideas back and forth; ideas that typically transform into tangibles found in their shops. “We share images, songs, articles… anything that can ignite a conversation or idea,” says Pearson. The same goes for the blog, and anything is game for the topics they cover.
For Pearson and Wilkins, Arrow and Arrow is all about “what is informing the point of view that not only shapes the look and feel of our shops, but also adds beauty and enjoyment to our lives.”
Outside of sharing their own inspirations, the two hope that the blog becomes a catalyst for readers to tap into a new and different community.
Avid travelers, many posts will be inspired by their journeys and favorite locations, notably Wilkins’ frequent trips to New York City and Pearson’s yearly trek to Paris. A natural perk of being a shop owner, the two explore many locales and uncover talented artists and designers still unknown to the greater public. While they can share these unique talents directly with their customers, Arrow and Arrow is a fresh avenue for introducing new artists to a general population that may not discover otherwise.
“We want to show a different side of designers,” explains Pearson. Many of the designers featured in Pearson and Wilkins’ stores have creative passions that lie outside of their signature styles.
Take Alexander Olch, a New York tie designer carried at Bows + Arrows, whose original desire was to create a documentary called The Windmill Project, which took five years to produce. Or local artist Alyson Fox, who not only shops at Spartan, but has helped Pearson connect with many other artists and designers that now mold the look and feel of her store. Arrow and Arrow delves into the lives of designers like these, exploring new sides of creative people that Pearson and Wilkins admire.
Now, fast-forward and take a look through the blog’s future archive. In a year or so, a trip through Arrow and Arrow’s history will uncover travel journals, designer profiles, and maybe a playlist or two of their favorite of-the-moment songs. But there are no limits to what will spark the pair’s next post, or what will ignite a new dialogue between the two and their readers. “Everything from the lighting of a little restaurant, to the color palate of an art show, to the special way that a guy or gal on the street is styling a look can get us really excited, talking and brainstorming ways to translate that inspiration into something new.”
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