SHOP DEAR SOCIETY + SEX AND ICE CREAM

Ellen and I went exploring and found 2 amazing new shops to KC. SHOP DEAR SOCIETY and SEX AND ICE CREAM. Two incredibly different retail spaces with completely separate vibes, looks, and feels yet sharing an incredible similar theme, empowerment.

Maria Casteel and Chanel Little started Dear Society as a means to reuse and recycle beautiful vintage pieces, breathing new life into classics. Muted colors, greenery, Bon Iver, throw rugs, leather; their shop is like your friend's living room who isn't just hip but also has a job, or at least a trust fund. The space is beautiful and the clothes are one of a kind. Their brick and mortar shop is a way for these two women's unique voices in the broad spectrum of retail to make some noise.

Sex and Ice Cream on the other hand is Nicole Leth's bold and unashamed rebound after a broken relationship. But rebound isn't doing her justice because it isn't about him. It is about her; her vision, aesthetic, direction. Color, pattern, and design is brightly mixed together and if not always aesthetically pleasing, it is at the very least interesting. With an apparent love of the 80's while retaining a modern edge, Nicole has gone on to become Kansas City's hippest post-millennial poster child. She has gone on to make a brand that reflects her vision so loudly it has even gotten the attention of NYLON.

These women are pursuing dreams, being creative, and taking up physical space all while rocking their individual looks. They are going out into a world mostly dominated by male voices and saying, We are here. We have dreams. We have a voice worth listening to. Though little tie them together aesthetically, these three women might have more in common then they even know.