Unlike the opening of the new L.D. 50 stores, which came with ribbon cutting, confetti, and visits from the shop?s owners and local neighborhood leaders, wisp opened in a far more low-key manner. In fact, the store seemed to show up in Little Elfhame overnight.
The interior and exterior designers and decorators had worked at night or in the early morning whenever possible, and brown butcher paper covered the windows making it impossible to see what was going on inside. Working quickly, they managed to convert the old, empty toy shop next to Guiscard?s bookstore into a space that better fit their needs. Playful carpeting that featured a giant road and two dimensional renderings of buildings was ripped out, leaving behind the original wooden flooring. Several rows of shelves were also discarded, in favor of long clothing racks that flanked either side of the shop. The stop sign red paint on the walls was covered over with a hue that better matched the store?s new theme and owner. At the top, it was a deep cobalt blue that matched Locke?s eyes, shifting in gradients down towards the floor. About half-way down, it was the same color blue as Locke?s skin, and by the time it reached the ground, it was white. A small cash register desk with a glass display case built in stood near the front door. The case had a handful of baseball hats, with the same color scheme and gradient as the walls, with wisp?s logo on the front (the same logo hanging just barely in view on the exterior marquee): the shop name written in cursive, with the i dotted by a firefly. Restrooms and a dressing room were accessible in the back.
Unlike the L.D. 50 line, wisp seemed to focus narrowly on one kind of clothing, in a very specific style. Right now, that was men?s long-sleeved shirts with ombre designs very similar to the baseball hats in the display case. The tags on the clothing bore the store logo on one side, and on the other, a short bit of text: ?wisp #1: Ombre Hombre.? Beneath that was a facsimile of a signature belonging to the piece?s designer, and a number. The goods were of higher quality (and price) than L.D. 50?s, but of lower cost and construction than the haute couture of Highlife Haberdashery. Perhaps most importantly, there were a limited number of each item available for sale. Once a shirt sold out, that was it. No replacements, no new orders, nothing. Scarcity was the name of the game here.
On opening day, the butcher paper was taken out of the window, and an olive-skinned woman of average height with sun-streaked brown hair unlocked the front door. No one was waiting for the place to open, but as the day passed, and rumor (fueled by ?anonymous? tips to RhyDin Wear Daily and ?denials? by Locke that he was creating a new store or designing pieces for other stores) spread, business picked up. The store?s manager barely had time to post up a paper notice, handwritten on stationery with the firefly logo, before closing on the first day.
wisp #1: Ombre Hombre. Open 6-15-15 through 7-15-15, or until merchandise sells out.
The interior and exterior designers and decorators had worked at night or in the early morning whenever possible, and brown butcher paper covered the windows making it impossible to see what was going on inside. Working quickly, they managed to convert the old, empty toy shop next to Guiscard?s bookstore into a space that better fit their needs. Playful carpeting that featured a giant road and two dimensional renderings of buildings was ripped out, leaving behind the original wooden flooring. Several rows of shelves were also discarded, in favor of long clothing racks that flanked either side of the shop. The stop sign red paint on the walls was covered over with a hue that better matched the store?s new theme and owner. At the top, it was a deep cobalt blue that matched Locke?s eyes, shifting in gradients down towards the floor. About half-way down, it was the same color blue as Locke?s skin, and by the time it reached the ground, it was white. A small cash register desk with a glass display case built in stood near the front door. The case had a handful of baseball hats, with the same color scheme and gradient as the walls, with wisp?s logo on the front (the same logo hanging just barely in view on the exterior marquee): the shop name written in cursive, with the i dotted by a firefly. Restrooms and a dressing room were accessible in the back.
Unlike the L.D. 50 line, wisp seemed to focus narrowly on one kind of clothing, in a very specific style. Right now, that was men?s long-sleeved shirts with ombre designs very similar to the baseball hats in the display case. The tags on the clothing bore the store logo on one side, and on the other, a short bit of text: ?wisp #1: Ombre Hombre.? Beneath that was a facsimile of a signature belonging to the piece?s designer, and a number. The goods were of higher quality (and price) than L.D. 50?s, but of lower cost and construction than the haute couture of Highlife Haberdashery. Perhaps most importantly, there were a limited number of each item available for sale. Once a shirt sold out, that was it. No replacements, no new orders, nothing. Scarcity was the name of the game here.
On opening day, the butcher paper was taken out of the window, and an olive-skinned woman of average height with sun-streaked brown hair unlocked the front door. No one was waiting for the place to open, but as the day passed, and rumor (fueled by ?anonymous? tips to RhyDin Wear Daily and ?denials? by Locke that he was creating a new store or designing pieces for other stores) spread, business picked up. The store?s manager barely had time to post up a paper notice, handwritten on stationery with the firefly logo, before closing on the first day.
wisp #1: Ombre Hombre. Open 6-15-15 through 7-15-15, or until merchandise sells out.