While other retailers clamor to land a spot in the hottest Minneapolis neighborhood, Atmosfere, the Calhoun Square contemporary men’s store, wasn’t even looking to move to the North Loop. Father-son owners Dan and Damon Capetz were simply exploring Uptown properties when their real estate agent urged them to check out just one North Loop location. The garden-level space on Washington Avenue had all the hipster necessities: concrete floors, brick walls, exposed ducts, and wrought iron windows. They signed, and as a result, Atmosfere is finally beginning to command the respect it deserves after a decade of business.

In a neighborhood known for its minimalist aesthetic and if-you-have-to-ask-you-can’t-afford-it price tags, Atmosfere takes itself less seriously. The clothes are colorful; the prices are approachable.

With the North Loop location, Atmosfere is getting back into women’s fashion (not available at Calhoun Square), carrying items like trendy tops and casual dresses. “This is the Uptown of the ’80s,” Dan says. He would know: Dan owned Calhoun Square store Dimitrius during the mall’s ’80s heyday (think: Miami Vice white blazers and neon shirts).

Dan went on to work as a men’s manager and buyer for Neiman Marcus and helped launch short-lived menswear brand Kuhlman before feeling the familiar pull to once again open his own store. He debuted Atmosfere at Gaviidae Common, and after two ho-hum years, moved to Calhoun Square. His son Damon, now 29, joined him in 2007, working his way up from the sales floor to co-owner.

But keeping up with the company has been challenging. Atmosfere bounced from location to location within Calhoun Square before moving to a street-front spot at Lake and Hennepin, and then going back to Calhoun Square, where it is currently on the second floor. There was an all black, white, and blue period; a skateboarding phase; and a time when Atmosfere went heavy on embellished jeans. At one point, Dan had a second store called Suit Up, but formalwear got rolled into Atmosfere, which has become a popular resource for wedding parties. Groomsmen can get outfitted in a slim-fitting suit, shirt, and tie for $250.

Now serving nearly 100 grooms’ parties a year, Dan and Damon are considering turning their Uptown store into a custom suiting destination, and making North Loop their flagship contemporary apparel boutique.

It’s still a work in progress, and this father and son enjoy figuring it out together, with Damon adding new lines such as locally made Marked Leather and Mill City Fineries, and Dan keeping a close eye on the bottom line.

“He’s looking at how much money we have in inventory; I just know we need more swimsuits,” Damon says.

“I want to let him make this his own,” says Dan, who can’t resist unbuttoning shirt collars on mannequins, while Damon follows behind, buttoning them again. “But he still has a few things to learn.”

730 Washington Ave. N., Mpls., 612-333-1843, facebook.com/afmosfere

The store of the future looks a lot like an apartment. And that’s by design. Kit and Ace’s second-floor space on Washington Avenue is the ultimate urban loft, with wood beams and brick walls. There’s a big wood table, just waiting for its next dinner party, and a bed—even though the Canadian retailer doesn’t sell bedding. Kit and Ace specializes in luxury basics made of technical cashmere, but more than T-shirts and hoodies, this year-old brand is selling a lifestyle. And it’s a pretty nice one: The company was started by the son and wife of lululemon founder Chip Wilson. JJ Wilson, 26, talked to us about how he intends to build the next international super-brand.

113 Washington Ave. N., Mpls., 844-548-6223, kitandace.com

Semper Fidelis is the U.S. Marine Corps motto, meaning “always faithful.” That philosophy inspired Fidelis Co., a new company founded by U.S. Marine Corps Captain Tim O’Neil, currently stationed in the Twin Cities. Fidelis partners with manufacturers and craftsmen to make high-design, sturdy versions of practical goods, including paddles, pens, and the waterproof Rite in the Rain notebooks ($14 each) in rain-slicker yellow. That’s right—the pages will hold up even if your canoe flips (provided you use a ballpoint pen or a pencil). We’re anxious to see more from this promising brand. fidelisco.com

If you can whittle a marshmallow stick, you can build a cedar strip canoe. Or you could let the skilled team at NorthWest Canoe in St. Paul build you one, like the 16-footer pictured. northwestcanoe.com

Paddles, handcrafted in southern Minnesota, are a collaboration by Sanborn Canoe and Fidelis Co. $165 each, from fidelisco.com

The cinch tote is the perfect carryall: great style and durability. It’s handmade in Colorado. $89, by Topo, from Askov Finlayson

Garden Fresh Cleaning is more fun when it smells like sunflowers. New this month. mrsmeyers.com

Evereve, Hammer Made, Agra Culture—these on-the-rise Twin Cities startups have something in common beyond a focused idea, good timing, and perseverance. They share a secret weapon: Rick and Danna Atherton.

The Athertons aren’t just investors. They’re more than consultants. This enterprising duo loves the business of shopping—everything about it, from identifying trends to store design to consumer psychology to raising the capital and signing the lease agreements necessary to get the doors open. While they don’t have the kind of instant name recognition of, say, the Daytons, the Athertons have quietly become Minnesota’s retail power couple. They are the first—and perhaps most important—call among local retail and restaurant entrepreneurs. They have an uncanny ability to recognize concepts with the potential to blossom from single store to national brand.

That’s because they’ve done it themselves. Danna Atherton grew up in a retail family. We have her father, the late Tom Dekko, to thank for the 24-hour supermarket—an idea he pushed for in the 1970s as a vice president of Supervalu. Danna started her career in advertising at Campbell Mithun but went looking for a franchise opportunity after having children in the early ’80s. “In those days, bosses and babies didn’t mix,” she says. Danna’s mother Dottie Dekko and sister Lezlie Dekko Bork found the perfect opportunity on vacation in Sanibel Island, Florida. That’s where they discovered a little clothing store called Chico’s. They were struck by the easy style and comfort of the cotton collection and were certain Minnesotans would agree. The Dekko women made a formidable team: Dottie was a published author, chairwoman of an annual March of Dimes gala, and co-founder of the Minnesota Kicks soccer team; Lezlie had an M.B.A. and department store experience. They, along with the Athertons, convinced Chico’s owner to sell them franchising rights for Minnesota. The family went on to open a dozen stores that did more than $18 million in annual sales. They ran their Chico’s division, helping to raise the retailer’s national profile, for more than 20 years, finally selling it to the parent corporation in 2007.

Prior to joining Chico’s full time as chief financial officer, Rick Atherton ran Midwest sales and distribution for Steelcase Inc., overseeing franchises and contracts. That experience serves him well at Atherton Retail Consulting, but Rick actually speaks more fondly about his years as a dealer development manager for Ford Motor Co. “I loved working with the dealers—their passion, excitement. They put their money on the line every day,” he says. “It made me realize: If you’re going to do it, you’ve got to own it.”

The Athertons office at home in Excelsior. “He gets the west end of the house; I get the east. We meet in the middle for lunch,” Danna jokes. The couple often takes meetings while cruising Lake Minnetonka on their wooden Skiff Craft. They enjoy strolling Excelsior’s Water Street, home to more than one retailer that has sought their counsel, like Big Island Swim & Surf. “There [was] such a hole for resort wear in this town,” Danna says. “Try to find a sundress in January.”

Even if you catch them out to eat on a Saturday night, chances are, they’re talking shop. “The day doesn’t end at 5 pm,” Rick says. That might sound like a bummer to some, but Rick and Danna thrive on their shared passion. “When you work together, you share experiences. You’re always idea building,” Rick says. “And you learn about your partner—things you wouldn’t get to see if you went off to work separately.”

The husband-wife partnership was one of the many things that appealed to the Athertons about Megan and Mike Tamte, founders of Edina-based Hot Mama, which is now Evereve.

It was shortly after the Athertons sold Chico’s, and just a couple of stores into Evereve’s epic ascent as a national retail brand, when the Tamtes approached Rick and Danna for advice. Danna says she saw herself in Megan, a young mother of two with a vision for a store that would appeal to other moms—from trendy clothes to a play area for the kids. It was Chico’s for a younger generation, with jeans and blouses in place of cotton separates.

“There was magic in the store. The customer service. The social connection,” says Rick, who related to Mike’s handling of the contracts and finances. “The key to being a husband and wife in business together is having different talents so that you don’t get in each other’s way.”

The Athertons were early investors in Evereve. They both sit on the Evereve board of directors.

“They’re a wise counselor for us,”

says Mike, who serves as Evereve’s executive chairman. “They’ve helped us make good decisions, and steered us away from bad ones.”

Early on, the Tamtes considered franchising Hot Mama stores, but the Athertons talked them out of it, saying it would reduce the value of the company, which has surpassed $50 million in annual sales. The Tamtes also found themselves tempted by the frequent requests to open a men’s store. The Athertons said no—emphatically.

“Be exceptional at what you do really well. Don’t do any more than that,” Rick preaches to entrepreneurs. It was essential advice for Jason Hammerberg, founder of men’s shirt brand Hammer Made.

Hammerberg was selling private label, European-cut dress shirts out of the trunk of his car when he met Rick. “Jason’s understanding of design was spot-on. The shirt is the easiest thing to do—it’s a fashion statement for men,” says Rick, who serves as chairman of the board for Hammer Made. He assured Hammerberg that his best chance to make it big was by staying small: small stores, hyper-focused on men’s shirts—like they do in Paris. Five years ago when Hammer Made opened its first store, that approach was practically counter culture here in America, where bigger has long been considered better. Rick and Danna convinced the Galleria to give Hammer Made its original closet-sized storefront after Hammerberg had tried, unsuccessfully, to get in to the Edina center for two years. Now, Rick points out, you’re seeing more and more retailers downsizing—or as he describes it: “right-sizing.”

“He was instrumental in our first lease at Galleria,” Hammerberg says of Rick. “He has helped me dissect parts of the business that my creative, entrepreneurial mind doesn’t gravitate toward naturally, specifically in leasing and data mining. He is a ready, aim, and fire person where I tend to be ready, fire, aim.”

The success of Hammer Made’s second and third stores, at Mall of America and the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport tells Rick that Hammer Made is ready for a national stage. “I’m a strong advocate of getting operational excellence at home. Run three or four stores really well, and then move outside the market,” Rick says. “We can go to the top 50 markets in the next two to three years.”

And that’s not all the Athertons juggle. Danna is helping Hope Chest for Breast Cancer build its third store and connect with a broader audience interested in both upscale resale bargains and the mission to support Minnesota families impacted by breast cancer. Rick is on the board of advisors for a new app that you’ll probably be hearing about. Advance buzz for PurchaseBox has been overwhelmingly positive. It’s an app that keeps customer receipts and serves as a single hub for retail promotions and tracking shipments. Rick is also working with the founder of the healthy fast-casual restaurant Agra Culture on a new “play café.” Expect to see the entertainment food concept soon at a mall near you. “Malls need a draw for families,” Rick says.

“What they really need to do is turn themselves inside-out,” adds Danna.

With that, the duo is off on a topic they could deliberate for hours. And probably will.

Warby Parker, the hip eyewear startup that shattered tradition by selling high-design prescription glasses direct to consumers for as little as $95, just opened a showroom within the newly expanded Askov Finlayson in the North Loop. That makes five showrooms and 13 stores for Warby Parker, with seven more to open by year’s end. The only brand with higher sales per square foot is Apple. Co-CEO and co-founder Dave Gilboa talks about why the tech company is investing heavily in good ol’ bricks and mortar.

Did you always plan to open physical stores?

Our original model was designed to eliminate the need for stores, creating a great experience online. We were blown away by the response. People started coming to my apartment to try on glasses! We learned so much that led to better design.

Why the North Loop?

Eric and Andrew (Dayton) do a really good job of curating great brands. We’re excited to partner with them in a great space.

Why not a stand-alone store for Minneapolis?

The best spots are tough to come by. We want to build a bigger presence in Minneapolis—it’s consistently one of our strongest markets.

And you’re Swedish, so you should feel right at home.

Yes! My girlfriend grew up in Minnetonka.

Does being a tech company give you a retail advantage?

Huge. We built our own technology platform. We can leverage that to enhance customer experience. We can track what glasses a customer has tried on online or in store, so you can order with one click from an e-mail.

Could stores end up being bigger than online?

Online is still the vast majority of our sales. But we don’t care if you shop in the store, by phone, or online. Customers don’t view the world as different channels. They think of us as Warby Parker, the brand. 204 N. 1st St., Mpls., warbyparker.com

Our malls have to be feeling a bit like bachelors at a rose ceremony: anxious to stand out in a crowded field. So they’re dressing up, puffing out their chests, and tripping over one another to impress us.

It’s a fun time to be a Twin Cities shopper. The days of shopping centers coasting on past success and sheer habit (think: Southdale in the early aughts; Ridgedale up until a couple of minutes ago) are over. Malls realize we have too many other avenues to buy T-shirts and jeans. Too many other more interesting places to eat. And the kids prefer Starbucks to the old food court. So the regional centers are trying to woo new retailers they think will excite us. They’re bringing in fresh food concepts in hopes that we’ll stay a little longer. They’re emphasizing entertainment, events, and activities beyond shopping to keep us engaged.

“People are sick of the same old thing,” says Paula Mueller, past president of the Minnesota Shopping Center Association and general manager of Northtown Mall, proud home to the Twin Cities’ newest Hobby Lobby store. “Malls are really listening to customers.”

And what the malls heard customers want is Nordstrom. The long-awaited coming of Nordstrom to Ridgedale Center happens October 2 and brings with it a modernized center court, better restaurants, and a bevy of tagalong retailers sure to delight residents of the western ’burbs who are tired of driving to Edina for a LUSH bath bomb or an Athleta tank top.

Not to be overshadowed in the expansion department, Mall of America is currently positioning marble tables and hanging gold fixtures inside its massive new $325 million wing. Now it just needs the stores to fill it. The J.W. Marriot luxury hotel will open in the new section of MOA in November. On the third floor, fast-food restaurants have already begun firing up the fryers. But that leaves 163,000 square feet of available retail and restaurant space heading into the holiday season. It’s looking like J.W. Marriot will spend its first Christmas alone.

Jill Renslow, MOA’s senior vice president of business development and marketing, says the mall is being highly selective about the stores that will join the Marriot in the new wing, targeting luxury retail and concepts new to market. Those deals take time.

Outside experts say it’s taking longer than expected to sign stores, yet there seems to be a general sense of optimism. MOA owner Triple Five Worldwide has always had a “build it, and they will come” approach to development, and for 23 years, it’s worked.

So here’s what we know: Our strongest malls are getting stronger. They’re also becoming more distinctive and, with the exception of MOA, more focused on serving the immediate community around them, which should reduce the customer flight risk for Southdale and Eden Prairie centers when Ridgedale’s expansion opens. If anyone is hurt, it will likely be The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove, which recently lost Anthropologie to downtown Wayzata, and could have trouble holding onto Banana Republic once the brand returns to Ridgedale.

Here’s what else we know: Twin Cities mall operators remain determined to prove we can support luxury retail. And luxury retailers are interested, albeit, cautious.

“Conversations with luxury brands are active,” MOA’s Renslow says. “Luxury is definitely something we know this market can handle, but it’s about timing, location, the right mix of stores. They don’t want to come in by themselves.”

The MOA has enough room for Gucci to build the store of its dreams and invite fellow elite brands to join it. But don’t count out Galleria just yet. Sure, the Edina center has less space, and far less traffic—around 3.5 million annually to MOA’s 42 million. Still, Galleria has something no other Twin Cities shopping center can boast: a proven track record of supporting luxury retailers Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co.—without a Nordstrom to drive traffic.

Galleria will roll out the red carpet this month for Robert Redford’s Sundance store. It’s not luxury, but it is new to the market, and speaks to a jet-set lifestyle. The Galleria is close to announcing a couple more stores that will be firsts in town, general manager Jerry Cohen says. As for those that decide to settle at MOA instead, Cohen insists it’s all good. “It’s affirming to see successful retailers acknowledge that Minneapolis is an important location.”

All this to say: The state of our shopping centers is strong-ish. The developments this fall are likely to bring curious folks back, or in for the first time—if not to shop, then for a wood-fired flatbread at Redstone American Grill, which is moving into Ridgedale, or games at Dave & Buster’s, now open at Southdale. Among mall regulars, the updates are unlikely to dramatically change shopping habits (with the exception of some residents of Plymouth and Minnetonka, who may never venture east of Highway 100 again).

Industry experts say Ridgedale is far enough from Mall of America to avoid one Nordstrom robbing from the other. Ridgedale’s Nordstrom, while shiny and new and boasting some of the department store’s latest concepts, like an updated beauty department, is smaller than the MOA store, and it won’t offer clothing collections from Chanel, Prada, and other top designer brands featured at the MOA store.

“The really high-end customer is still going to go to Mall of America,” says retail leasing pro Stefanie Meyer, senior vice president with Mid-America Real Estate.

It all comes back to luxury—the topsy-turvy relationship Twin Cities malls just can’t quit, but haven’t quite figured out. Perhaps this time will be different. We’re more mature, we’ve learned from our losses, we’ve got our houses (of retail) in order.

And if not, well, we can draw pictures of the Gucci dresses we wish we could buy locally with crayons from the MOA’s Crayola superstore, opening next summer in the older part of the mall, where Bloomingdale’s once stood.

Malls: New + Coming Soon

Ridgedale Center: Nordstrom opens October 2, followed by Athleta, Banana Republic, Johnston & Murphy, Hammer Made, Michael Kors, Tommy Bahama, and TUMI, among others, plus new restaurants Redstone American Grill, Tiger Sushi, and Tiger Sushi’s new farm-to-table soup and sandwich spot, Oliver’s.

Mall of America: Culinary on North is now open with the usual food-court fare, but new fast-casual and sit-down restaurants are on the way this fall, including Piada Italian Street Food. J.W. Marriot will open in November. Elsewhere in the mall, Minnesota Children’s Museum will open a pop-up play space in late September. Kit and Ace will open this fall. Galleria: Sundance opens September 17.

Southdale Center: Dave & Buster’s is now open. Updates to the children’s play area are sponsored by Southdale YMCA–Edina.

All it takes to become an authority these days is passion, a point of view, and an iPhone.

Jen Coleman and Laura Wiertzema are fashion bloggers who found each other on the web and bonded over their penchant for mixing vintage apparel with Target designs. Last October, they started a joint Instagram account called Target Does It Again where they post pictures of their latest Target finds. They’ve topped 210,000 followers. In comparison, the official Target Instagram account has 85,000 followers.

It helps that Coleman and Wiertzema—both moms in their early 30s—can make a $12.99 Def Leppard T-shirt look sexy. Wiertzema, who lives in Los Angeles, spent a decade in visual merchandising for Anthropologie. Coleman, in Dallas, has worked as a personal shopper. The Olsen twins are their style icons, and it shows—in their long waves, big shades, slumped shoulders, and knack for styling cheap Target pieces into boho-chic ensembles. They shop across departments, too—a recent Instagram of a multi-colored chevron Crock-Pot got 15,400 “likes.”

At risk of sounding like a bitter traditional print journalist: Haven’t the thousands of people who were excited about a snapshot of a slow cooker taken by two random shoppers ever looked around Target themselves?

“I think the reason why we resonate is we truly, genuinely go in for milk and diapers and find an amazing top,” Coleman tells me. “We’ve had e-mails from new moms who said [Target Does It Again] has reignited their desire to get dressed and buy new things.”

It’s the same reason Mall of America recently gave away gift cards to shoppers who Instagrammed photos of themselves at the mall. And why Macy’s now encourages its guests to snap selfies as they shop. “It’s the greatest thing,” says Martine Reardon, Macy’s chief marketing officer. “Customers do the work themselves.”

But it’s tough to remain sincere while capitalizing on your Insta-lebrity. “Getting paid would be awesome,” Wiertzema says. “We love what we’re doing now, but we see bigger things.”

So does Target.

The retailer has flown Coleman and Wiertzema to New York to attend product launch parties.

And just as I was finishing this column, Target Does It Again earned its first paycheck for an Instagram post touting Target’s coupon app, Cartwheel, with the hashtag #targetpartner.

Five years ago, I believe Target would have put the kibosh on this amateur hijacking of the bull’s-eye. Target publicist Joshua Thomas concurs. Back then, Target had a media strategy and a separate social media strategy. Now, it’s one big strategy. “We’re looking for people who are going to authentically communicate about their experience,” Thomas says. “Consumers are looking across a variety of different channels at any point in the day. I think you need it all.”

We @mspmag agree, which is why you’ll find us on mspmag.com, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and even Vine. As we worked on our biggest style issue in years, we invited everyone along while we shopped our way through the Twin Cities, previewed new merchandise, vetted the trends, and styled models on locations all over town. (Go behind the scenes at mspmag.com/fallfashion.)

Now comes the payoff: 32 gorgeous pages of fashion highlights, all selected by our team of editors, sold locally, and available for you to linger over, even where Wi-Fi won’t go. #oldschool.

Of course, feel free to also tweet, pin, and post your favorites. I know I will!

This season is all about big statements—bold prints, boxy cuts, and textured fabrics. Weave all three together and you have a fresh formula for your fall wardrobe. Right now, home décor–inspired prints are hot, springing off the sofa and onto our clothes. But resist the tendency to pair bold prints with basic black. The key to mixing patterns without looking haphazard is to vary the size of the prints and pair pieces within the same color family. Speaking of color, there is still tons of gray—like, 49 shades of it, at least—trending and in our local stores and boutiques.

Top ($295), by DKNY, and fringed skirt ($375), by Fuzzi, both from Macy’s Oval Room, 700 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-375-2113, macys.com; vest ($2,295), by Nigel Preston & Knight, and ankle boots ($295), by Hudson, both from Grethen House, 4930 France Ave. S., Edina, 952-926-8725, grethenhouse.com; gold and brass necklace ($795), by Gretchen Ventura, gventura.com

Color + Shape

Mix shades of gray, and don’t be afraid to try it as an accent to other neutrals. Avoid looking like a marshmallow in a boxy top by pairing it with a figure-flattering bottom.

Hair and makeup by Ingrid Kent/ Wehman Models & Talent

When your good taste exceeds your budget, there are two choices: compromise or get creative. Fashion insider Tyler Copeland has an uncanny ability to spot the hidden gems on any clearance rack. [This style editor can attest to that: As childhood friends, Copeland and I spent many a Saturday digging around Ragstock and Tatters (R.I.P.).]

"When I lived in New York, I hung around with a crowd that could afford to pay full price," says Copeland, who boomeranged back to Minneapolis after working with noted fashion photographers including Herb Ritts. Locally, Copeland has worked with creative agencies and brands such as Target and Aveda. "I was trying to keep up, and then I realized, I could get the same look for less."

Sale shopping became a state of mind for Copeland, and now, it’s a fast-growing blog called The Sale Scout. Every morning, Copeland points his readers to what he considers the best deal of the day—Eastland Made in Maine boots; a Barbour jacket. What most people consider spam, Copeland sees as opportunity: He sorts through hundreds of retailer e-mails every day. "The goal is to help guys build a forever wardrobe—without paying full price."

Still, Copeland is sympathetic to boutiques that can’t afford to discount as much as online competitors. He regularly features indie stores on his blog, and takes pride in discovering new brands. "It’s about a healthy mix and being aware of how clothes are made and where they come from." thesalescout.com

After a quarter-century at the Galleria, under-the-radar women’s boutique H.O.B.O. is turning heads. All it took was gray-washed wood floors, pewter fixtures, and brighter lights. A sleek makeover is prompting a generation of shoppers too young to have visited R.D. Hinquist at IDS or Main Street Outfitters to discover what loyalists have long known: H.O.B.O. is a gem, and co-owner Dick Hinquist, a Dayton’s alum from the ‘60s, is a local retail legend. H.O.B.O. offers a sharp selection of elevated essentials from Vince, Theory, Three Dots, Chan Luu, and other contemporary brands. And a little thing like the Internet isn’t going to stop Hinquist and partners Jeannie Hughes and Mary Hughes (who ran the Oval Room in its heyday) from doing what they do best: delivering an intimate, one-of-a-kind boutique with service to match. “At our level,” says Hinquist, “people should touch the damn merchandise.” Don’t mind if we do. 952-926-3034, hobogalleria.com

Deep as we are into the “maker movement”—an era of handcrafted, hand-stitched, hand-dyed, hand-sewn, limited-run objects—I still can’t say “maker” without thinking of Play-Doh and potty training.

There’s just something so very basic about the word maker. And that’s the point. Quality goods. Constructed by hand, with care. In a world of big-box stores, the maker has become the unlikely hero—an answer to the generic sameness of mass merchandise. It’s the modern-day Little Engine That Could.

Of course, making stuff and selling it is the oldest story in business. A few years ago, we would have called these creative types artisans or designers or (shudder!) crafters. But the makers of today’s chic leather satchels and sculptural brass necklaces don’t want to be confused with those who make doilies in church basements. (Just wait, doily makers— your ironic “now trending” moment is no doubt coming!)

I recently discussed the maker phenomenon with Walker Art Center store director Michele Tobin. She put her finger on the nuance of the movement.

“The maker right now represents a desire for respite,” Tobin says. “Our digital world is sterile. It’s ugly. It’s making us crave touch points.” To that end, note the Etsy display at the Walker Shop this fall featuring objects that are handmade, but ready for the big leagues—like Milkhaus Design bags, hand dyed and stitched by Bethany Nelson of Madison, Wisconsin. “The line is small enough that she is intimately related to every product,” Tobin says, “and the quality is so high.”

Every retailer loves a maker these days. Local stores such as Forage Modern Workshop and Wilson & Willy’s in Minneapolis and The Golden Rule in Excelsior position themselves as storytellers, with modern makers as their protagonists. Even chains like Urban Outfitters are getting in on the act, inviting makers to showcase their goods at special store events. West Elm in Edina now features a weLOCAL department with locally made ceramics, tablewares, stationery, and more. The store plans to rotate its Minnesota maker collection seasonally, and that shouldn’t be a problem: There’s no shortage of independently created jewelry and clothing and textiles and candles and leather goods and beauty products worthy of shelf space. So are makers making better goods today, or are Etsy and Pinterest just making it easier to find them?

I posed that question to a true pioneer, a champion of makers since before there was a movement: Anna Lee, founder of MNfashion and a milliner by trade who produces hats under the label Ruby3.

“There’s still a layer of superficiality,” Lee says, hinting that social media makes it easy for a brand to seem bigger than it is. “But ultimately, the maker movement is about the work. Instagram is allowing artists to present themselves in ways we couldn’t have even five years ago. Technology in general has made it so easy to set up a website, a business—to do things we would have needed a whole staff to do.”

Lee devoted years to cultivating the Twin Cities design scene—helping designers think like business owners, shining a light on the creative scene and the need for domestic manufacturing. Eventually, she burned out. She went back to the corporate world, where the lack of sexy runway shows and creative cocktail parties is balanced by the regularity of paychecks and benefits.

But the maker movement has pulled Lee back in to the creative world. She recently left Target Corp. and opened Workerby, a product development studio in Northeast that “builds community and commerce,” according to her website, through consultation, workshops, and design and development. She’s staging events—more intimate than her days of selling out First Avenue for Voltage: Fashion Amplified, but also more focused on sustainable business.

“One of the core issues has always been not understanding the work that goes into making something successful,” Lee says. “There’s a whole different level of investment now. The ones that are sticking with it have figured out how to make it work. Plus, there’s more of an appetite for what they’re making.”

For anyone feeling the spark of creativity, that’s an encouraging trend—by any name.

Minnesotans appreciate a good bag—from Duluth Pack up north to J.W. Hulme Co. in St. Paul. There’s a newer line that has us repacking our books: Viska, handmade in Minneapolis by Ashley Duke, who has an eye for detail and the patience to get every stitch just right. Have a look at our fall favorite, the Crew Pack ($200). viska.us

Industrial-sized sacks of citric acid are piled up where the sofa used to be. A thin veil of powder coats the hardwood floors. The kitchen counter is covered with trays of freshly molded bath bombs. Finished jars of the dissolvable soaps spill onto the floor and block the living room fireplace. What started as a hobby for crafty teenage sisters Isabel and Caroline Bercaw is starting to look like a real business, and it’s taking over their family’s Edina home.

While their friends went to camp over the summer, Isabel, 14, and Caroline, 13, were busy making bath bombs in their basement. Their brand, da Bomb Fizzers, is now available at more than 50 stores in six states, and online. This fall, da Bomb Fizzers plans to open a kiosk at Southdale Center. Of course, the girls won’t actually be able to work at it—they’re too young.

It all started two years ago, when Isabel and Caroline entered the youth exhibition at the Uptown Art Fair with their homemade bath bombs. The sisters have always loved making things. Bath bombs were of particular interest to these competitive ice skaters, who enjoy a good soak after a long practice. “It’s been a journey with our recipe,” Isabel says. “A whole lot of experimenting.” They use seven ingredients to make their fragrant bath bombs, which they’ve given zingy names like the Cherry Bomb and the lavender-scented “F” Bomb—a top seller, much to their parents’ uneasy amusement. But the girls really felt like they were on to something special when they came up with the idea of putting a surprise inside each bath bomb. “It’s sad when it runs out,” Isabel says. “So we thought, put a toy inside, and you’ll be happy.”

They sold out the first day of the Uptown Art Fair—more than 125 bath bombs at $6.99 each. One of their first customers was Spalon Montage owner Mitchell Wherley. “I hadn’t seen a product like that—my kids love them,” he says. “The product brought me in, and I fell in love with these two young girls—their passion and knowledge.”

Wherley invited the sisters—who are in the process of trademarking the term “sisterpreneurs”—to do a trunk show at the salon. Momentum built gradually, with the girls selling their bath bombs at a handful of events and stores, including Uptown Minnesota at the airport. “We love telling the story of our artists as well as having a superior local product, and these girls have both,” says artist curator Suzie Marty.

Fueled by positive feedback, and impressed by the girls’ commitment, their parents, Kim and Ben Bercaw, took a more active role in the business over the summer, building an e-commerce website and hiring a designer to elevate the branding. It helps that Kim’s background is in advertising and Ben is a management consultant. The family hired a sales rep, and that’s when the hobby began to take over the house. The girls are producing as many as 1,000 bath bombs a week. Mom, Dad, and younger brother Harry help out—along with two recently hired helpers.

Right now, the money coming in is going back into the business. “The bigger our business gets, the bigger the expenses,” Isabel says. The goal, adds Caroline, is to turn a profit by holiday. The girls donate a portion of every sale of Earth Bomb, another popular variety, to groups that work toward saving the oceans.

“It’s a great real-world learning experience for them,” their father, Ben, says. “We do our best to let them call the shots, but we definitely weigh in if we see an opportunity for them to make a better decision.”

Adds Kim, “I just don’t want them to be stressed.” French lessons and algebra still have to take priority over bath bombs, even with the holidays approaching, and orders mounting.

The family conducts a nightly meeting to discuss the business. “It’s amazing to see how much more confident they’ve become,” Kim says. “They can sit in a room full of adults and run a business meeting.”

No doubt, there’s much more still to bubble up from these young entrepreneurs. dabombfizzers.com

Marion Parke doesn’t (yet) have the cache of the top-tier women’s shoe brands she hopes to rival, but she’s got something Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik can’t claim: a podiatry degree. Parke is a Minneapolis podiatrist-turned-footwear designer, and she’s determined to finally put comfort and style in the same shoe.

“I was sitting in biomechanics class—learning how to treat people with naturally high arches and thinking: Isn’t a person with a naturally high arch similar to a woman in a high heel?"

She started sketching her dream heels: luxe materials, rich colors, sexy ankle straps. No pain.

“The footwear industry hasn’t done the best job of educating consumers on what is good or bad for the foot. Everyone thinks if a shoe is soft and feels like a pillow, that’s good for the foot. But the opposite is true.”

Parke only recently stepped away from her podiatry practice to focus on her shoe collection, which will launch this month at high-end boutiques around the country, including Pumpz at Edina’s Galleria, and online at prestigious luxury website ModaOperandi.com.

After graduating from podiatry school in Chicago and completing her residency in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Parke worked for a practice outside of San Francisco. Her husband, a retina specialist, had a job opportunity in Minnesota—which Parke, an Oklahoma City native, remembered fondly from her childhood days at Camp Lake Hubert. The mother of a 2-year-old, Parke joined podiatry practices in Edina and Woodbury when her family moved to town in 2013. But her feet hurt. “I found myself standing in front of all my beautiful shoes, thinking, I love these shoes, but they hurt my feet so much. I’m going to do this.”

Parke found a Minneapolis orthotist to make her an insole prototype. She hired an intellectual property attorney and filed a patent on the insole she designed. Then she went to Italy in search of a shoemaker, and, through the connections of Twin Cities contacts, she struck a deal with the Tuscany factory that produces Jimmy Choo, Miu Miu, Isabel Marant, and Acme Studios footwear.

“They know how to make something beautiful, but it doesn’t always fit right,” Parke says. “I think they recognize this is something people want.”

Parke isn’t making any claims that her shoes will alleviate sore feet. Marion Parke is a luxury fashion brand that takes comfort into consideration. Just slip on one of Parke’s elegant heels to feel the difference—the way it cradles the foot and positions the toes. “Certain shapes can force your hallux into the bunion position. A lot of designers don’t know that. They’re not aware of the anatomy.” The highest heels in Parke’s collection are 3.3 inches. She determined it “is truly not possible to make a 4-inch single-sole shoe comfortable.”

Still, Parke’s got her work cut out for her. Brand recognition is huge when it comes to shoes (just ask Carrie Bradshaw). Parke’s strategy is to be the lower-priced alternative in the designer department. “So if the Jimmy Choo is $850, there’s a Marion Parke next to it for $100 to $150 less,” she says. “I hope that’s enough for a woman to try it on, and then realize the design is both beautiful and intelligent.” Prices start at $495. marionparke.com