The Shopkeeper, Re-Examined

The following rant is brought to you (unwittingly) by today’s visit from Leigh Nelson of Wessco Blinds. This is at least the third house for which I’ve had Leigh do window coverings. I really enjoy seeing and talking to her — and consequently doing business with her.

I’m just not sure a lot of people who venture into retail understand that the essence of maintaining business is building relationships with customers. There is a store that I love in Seattle (my hometown) which I sought to add to what hopefully is an esteemed list here at Derring Dude. The guys who work there are great, the concept is tremendous, but, yes, there is a “but.” It seems this place has a publicist. And, though nice enough in an email, the publicist sent me a release, said I couldn’t take photos and offered me a Flickr stream.

Yeah, really personable, this place.

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Published in: on March 3, 2010 at 3:49 am  Leave a Comment  
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Lost Boys Update: Shoes, Glorious Shoes

After poking, probing and trying on her clothes and thoroughly scanning her cool and inviting Lost Boys space, I asked owner Kelly Muccio if she also carried shoes. “I will,” she replied. And now she does.

SeaVees at Lost Boys

Before we delve into what Muccio inventories in the kicks department at her spot in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., we ask: Should it be an expectation for a clothing joint to offer shoes? I mean, flip it around. Certainly no one expects a shoe store to carry clothes, except for maybe socks (do socks qualify as “clothing”?). But, since the essence of the Lost Boys experience is having Kelly Muccio dress you from head to toe, I would say shoes probably are a must.

So these offerings from SeaVees are a welcomed addition — so much that a bunch of Muccio’s inventory flew out the doors the first day it was offered.
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Published in: on February 26, 2010 at 4:10 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Lost Boys: Found Fashion

She’s tall, blonde and 29, self-assured, effervescent and knows what you want. As DC Magazine recently wrote, “Kelly Muccio plays the role of the girlfriend you’ll never have.” So when she offers you a drink and her attention, it’s useless to resist.

Kelly Muccio, owner of Lost Boys

Falling under Muccio’s spell is the essence of the Lost Boys experience. You don’t walk into a row house in D.C.’s tony, historic Georgetown neighborhood seeking the cookie-cutter store you’d find in Everymall, USA, after all. The lure of a great boutique is the finely tuned vision of a passionate and knowledgeable owner — and so much the better if that vision intersects yours in a meaningful way.

For some, Lost Boys may require thinking a little out of the box. Set in such a seemingly buttoned-down hive that is our nation’s capital, the place has a nice West Coast vibe — cool and on the casual side with an emphasis on subtle quality. This probably is not an accident as Muccio spent some of her formative business years in personal finance out in La-La Land, home of the breezy, sometimes-gritty, details-turned-upside-down look that adorns her store, from display area to fitting rooms.
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Published in: on February 18, 2010 at 11:30 pm  Leave a Comment  
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