If it’s locally grown zucchini or bok choy you’re after, you should have no problem getting your fix in the Twin Cities. But according to Joshua Sunberg, co-owner of the clothing store Cliché in Minneapolis’ Uptown neighborhood, getting your local fashion fix can be more of a challenge.
“There’s a great restaurant scene here,” says Sunberg, “but the fashion scene has had to kind of fight to have any kind of status.” And Sunberg would know. Cliché is one of a few Twin Cities fashion gems, carrying local brands like KathrynV, Needle and Black, Kjurek Couture, and Danielle Everine.
Sunberg started the store 8 years ago with his wife, Delayna. Neither of them had formal design or even retail background, but as Sunberg puts it, “We just had a lot of creative ideas and we wanted to experiment. There was no master plan.”
Yet the boutique-size store on Lyndale Avenue has survived, even thrived, despite the recent recession. Its success may have to do with the relatively reasonable prices and the fact that there are few options for one-of-a-kind clothing in the Twin Cities. “We’ve found our niche with girls who are sick of the typical Mall of America style,” he says. But selling “local” fashion for its own sake isn’t Cliché’s strategy.
“My proudest moment is when somebody buys something without knowing it’s local. Because I think that’s more sustainable. Customers have to really like [an item of clothing], and that’s only going to benefit the designers later.”
Minneapolis isn’t hurting for local designers who make wearable, accessible fashion. Danielle Everine, whose timeless style will be showcased in next week’s episode of MN Original, designs clothing that Sunberg refers to as “craftsman.”
“Not crafty; craftsman,” he says. “It has an old world quality that you’d associate with a brand that’s been around for hundreds of years.” He considers Everine a tastemaker, whose fashions are consistently relevant and yet ahead of the curve.
Given Cliché’s aversion to mass-produced fashion, you might think it difficult to find comfortable, approachable styles at the shop. But Sunberg insists he and co-owner Delayna aren’t trying to make a point with the fashions they showcase: “We just buy what we love.”
“Even when we buy a basic tank top, we still have to love it. Just because it’s basic doesn’t mean there aren’t some details about it that we love.”
For a close-up look at some of the designs Joshua and Delayna Sunberg love, be sure to tune in on Sunday for this week’s episode of MN Original, featuring designer Danielle Everine. Sunday, April 14, at 6pm Central on tpt 2.
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