A mobile boutique, West Asheville’s fashion renaissance – Asheville Citizen

The biggest trend in Asheville fashion this spring?

It may have less to do with what to wear — and more to do with where it’s from. With the opening of three new retail spots near Haywood Road in a two-week period, the city’s center of chic is moving west.

The addition of the stylish shops, all with a focus on local and regional designers, will add another texture to West Asheville’s vintage and second-hand traditions, established by such stores as Twice Round and Reciprocity.

And in the case of Betties Mobile Boutique, fashion is also on the move on the west side. Celeste Adams, a longtime service industry professional, recently transformed a 7-by-10 foot 1972 Travelaire camper into a fashion accessories shop on wheels.

Betties Mobile Boutique will feature jewelry, scarves, headbands, purses, wallets and belts from a range of local and regional artists and businesses, such as Asheville jeweler Amber Hatchett, Nerdy and Hip, a local handbag company, and On the Inside, an Asheville lingerie brand.

She focused her selection on classic designs, she said: “I really wanted to showcase local and regional craftspeople, and have an emphasis on keeping our money in our community.”

Adams moved to West Asheville 10 years ago and is a bartender at the Double Crown, the Haywood Road bar that will host Betties Mobile Boutique’s grand opening May 4.

“When I moved over (to West Asheville), there was really nothing going on, other than Westville Pub and West End Bakery,” she said. “Nobody would just be out walking around. The biggest reason (I want to be in West Asheville) is because of the foot traffic. Haywood Road is special in that way because it didn’t turn into a larger road.”

Adams, who moved to Asheville in 1995, first considered launching a food truck last year (She also ran a concierge service called Busy Betties for a couple years — “Bettie” is sort of her entrepreneurial alter-ego).

But after doing her homework, Adams, a UNC Asheville graduate, determined the food truck was not the right route for her, partly because of its high startup costs. So she looked toward what may be Asheville’s next food truck, so to speak — the mobile boutique.

It’s a concept that has already caught on in larger cities that Asheville often looks toward, such as Austin, Charleston and San Francisco.

Adams decided to showcase original, handmade accessories because she wants to celebrate Asheville’s vibrant arts scene. It also is “more my personality.”

“I am going to get to express all the sides of me,” she said. One side? Bright, bold, fun — with a wink toward the kitsch.

“It’s a total roadside attraction,” she said. She’s rolling out some AstroTurf, unfolding lawn chairs and hanging Christmas lights on the outside. Customers can relax alongside the pink flamingos, sipping lemonade outside the camper.

The inside is a total other side of Adams. “The inside will be really sleek, modern and simple,” she said. “It’s too small to have it crazy on the inside.”

Adams is still determining her shop schedule and location, noting that she will focus on West Asheville. The grand opening is from noon-5 p.m. May 4 at the Double Crown, 375 Haywood Road. “Over time, I am going to do festivals, markets, special events and private shopping parties,” she said.

Follow her on www.facebook.com/bettiesmobileboutique or www.bettiesmobileboutique.com.

Rhetorical Factory

Local fashion designer Bethany Adams started out just looking for a place to do laundry. And now, she’s celebrating the grand opening of a retail store for her line, Rhetorical Factory.

Adams wanted a workspace where she could easily and efficiently wash vintage clothing, which is the foundation of her one-of-a-kind vintage and recycled clothing line. (Adams then adds thoughtful screen prints to these items, all done from photographs she takes of sentiment objects and tools, like a typewriter.)

The idea evolved, however, into a full-fledged studio, retail — which will feature her work and other “100 percent good” artists and designers — and community space at 444 Haywood Road. The shop will host events, such as Mending Mondays, when sliding scale mending services will be available.

“It’s a really nice spot; it’s a wonderful community,” Adams said. “I’m already getting used to talking to people all day long. … It’s where our community is in a big way.”

The shop’s grand opening is from 4-9 p.m. April 29, with a ribbon cutting and mountain music by the Bog Turtles. For more, visit http://rhetoricalfactory.com.

Shelter Collective

Karie Reinertson, an Asheville handbag designer, developed her business mostly online, and through various national and local shows and fairs, like the biannual Big Crafty.

Reinertson’s work appears in boutiques, but she missed having the face-to-face interaction with her customer, and feeling like she was truly part of the Asheville community.

So Reinertson traded a more private space in the Wedge for the new studio and retail space, Shelter Collective, at 7 Brevard Road, a block from bustling Haywood Road. The shop, which is also the production space for partner and designer Rob Maddox, opened April 22.

The shop represents artists, craftspeople, makers and designers primarily in Asheville, with a few from across the country. The artist selection displays the duo’s interests in the “intersection of design, art and craft.” The shop is open from 11-7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, or by appointment. For more, visit www.shopsheltercollective.com.

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