Less than six months after expanding to the Wharf, Shop Made in DC is bringing its local allure to yet another location—this time in the heart of Georgetown.
The new boutique, which opens August 1, will be on the same block as a Gap, a Ralph Lauren, and a Madewell at 1242 Wisconsin Avenue. It’s one of the most competitive shopping corridors in the District, but co-owner Stacey Price says that’s the whole point. “We’re trying to make Wisconsin Avenue a little more local,” Price, who owns the company along with Michael Babin, tells DCist. “Our growth philosophy is to go where the people are. I want local to be in the mall of the city.”
The Georgetown location will have somewhat of a haute-couture bent, with products from local “high-fashion designers” that include Hugh and Crye, an online menswear boutique, Price says. The shop will also host workshops and carry many of its usual products from a list of 100 local makers.
Like everything else in the store, the interior is also being made by locals, and will feature a new mural and sculpture. With 25 new makers, Shop Made in DC is adding on its largest class of designers since the locally-focused venture launched in Dupont Circle less than two years ago.
The city helped start the first store with a seed grant, but the business grew quickly and is now self-sustaining. Price attributes the store’s rapid success in the District to its community-oriented mission of “enabling ideas, products, and people to converge and drive traffic to neighborhoods while creating low-entry to market opportunities for D.C.-based makers and small retailers,” according to the site.
“We started out as this economic development experiment to see how much money we could put in the local economy and we’re making progress,” Price says. “We’re realizing that the consumer is really connecting with the idea of having a dedicated space to do nothing but support people in their city.”
The other big news is that Shop Made in DC’s original location in Dupont Circle will be moving at the end of August. Price said the store’s two-year lease is coming to an end, and that she will be looking for a new spot in the neighborhood. The building where the shop is currently located on 19th Street will soon be renovated under new leadership from WeWork and the Meridian Group (it’s in the same building as other recently-shuttered spots The Front Page and Buffalo Billiards).
To mark Shop Made in DC’s grand opening in Georgetown, the store is planning a number of festivities on August 3, including live painting, a juice tasting, craft cocktails, barbecue, and a make-your-own succulent bar. Most of those events will be totally free with food and drinks included.
Price says that local designers who want to see their creations featured in the store can apply through a link on the website. But be forewarned, she currently has a backlog of more than 500 applicants. Price says she also spends hours scouting out new talent online. “I’m always searching for new people,” she says. “Honestly, I’m on Instagram in the middle of the night.”