Vintage clothing store Plume has taken over the upper level of its Bay View storefront as the business scales and finds new ways to bring shoppers through the door.
Plume opened its 750-square-foot store in January 2018 in the rear of a two-story building located at the corner of South Kinnickinnic Avenue and East Rusk Avenue.
The 1,200-square-foot upstairs space, dubbed The Nest, will function as a showroom for the store’s expanding inventory as well as a private event space with a bar and seating for up to 50 people, said co-owner Sheila Teruty.
The Nest will officially open to the public on Saturday, Dec. 14, with a holiday party and market taking place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Plume sells women’s modern-vintage apparel, accessories, jewelry and home decor. It also offers personal shopping services and private appointments.
Teruty, who owns the store with Maggie Solveson, said the showroom will allow the business to have more merchandise on display and to continue serving customers one-on-one.
“We’re trying to be more of a lifestyle shop up there, too, so we’re going to have candles and jewelry and stuff like that eventually,” she said.
Starting Dec. 14, the showroom will be open on Fridays and Saturdays with limited hours.
Adding an event space to the business was not always part of the plan for Teruty and Solveson. They had originally planned to expand into their own smaller retail space located directly above Plume’s current storefront, but that area is still under construction, Teruty said.
“We had the opportunity to take over this other space, and it’s really beautiful and has a bar, which is a huge draw,” Teruty said. “So we thought we might as well do something with events.”
Teruty said the move could be temporary as Plume will eventually occupy that upper-level space directly above its storefront.
The Nest is located directly above Belli’s Bistro & Spirits, which took over the former Pastiche Bistro & Wine Bar.
The restaurant opened in April last year despite pushback from neighboring residents, who voiced opposition to proposed usage of the second floor as event space, among other concerns. The restaurant’s owner later revised her plans to occupy only the building’s ground floor.
