The new lifestyle boutique offers a unique mix of home decor, gifts, and accessories
text and photos by Jahna Peloquin
When it comes to shopping for home goods and gifts, the plethora of mass-produced, well-designed products available mean it’s harder than ever to find a unique item that everybody else doesn’t already have. Enter Duke Albert, a new lifestyle boutique carries a unique mix of gifts, accessories, and home goods by independent designers from Minnesota and beyond. Located near the intersection of Lowry and Central avenues in Northeast, the concept was founded by two alums of now-closed designer clothing boutique, Arrow, Sarah Dwyer and Christopher Drees. The new store is stocked with an eclectic, unique assortment of handcrafted goods that Dwyer and Drees culled from Instagram, blogs, and visits to boutiques on the West Coast.
“Most of the products we carry are from small new brands that aren’t necessarily found in Minneapolis,” says Drees.
Among the unique offerings are leather skulls by Brooklyn design studio Heavy Eyes; custom-made leather accessories by Minneapolis maker Danielle Sakry; and horsehair tassels wrapped in colorful thread inspired by Middle Eastern talismans (which can be used as wall hangings) by Brooklyn-based design duo Fredericks & Mae. The store also sells jewelry by Minneapolis-based Larissa Loden, high-end candles in porcelain vessels rimmed in 22k gold, Moroccan handmade leather hassocks, and felt rugs in the shape of a bear, apothecary items, stylish coffee table books and magazines, greeting cards, and vintage clothing.
“As far as price points go, we wanted to have a mix of high, low, and mid-priced for variety, especially for this neighborhood, which is very much up-and-coming,” says Drees. The burgeoning intersection is also home to other new businesses such as Analace Coffee, Costa Blanca Bistro, Fair State Brewing, and Aki’s Bread Haus.
The store, which plans to host a grand opening party in September, gets an added visual boost thanks to the chalkboard wall artistry of branding and marketing agency Impulse Creative (known for their chalkboard mural menus at Norseman Distillery), which operates out of the back of the space.
Now open. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday from 11 a.m.–7 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m.–5 p.m. 2516 Central Ave. NE., Minneapolis, or shop online at dukealbert.com