OurCity Style

CLAYTON OPENS URBAN CLOTHING STORE

LSU football fans know Michael Clayton as a championship-winning wide receiver, but here’s something you might not know about the current Tampa Bay Buccaneer: “I’ve always been a man of fashion,” Clayton says.

So he partnered up with Alvin Brown and took over the former D.E.M.O. location next to Foot Locker in the Mall of Cortana, opening 80 Stitches to offer urban wear for males and females “who want to be relaxed when they go out,” Brown says.

Besides the wardrobe basics of RocaWear and Apple Bottom jeans, Clayton’s new store will offer value and style. “We provide clothing for everyone, not just the expensive stuff. If you come in the store with $25, you’re going to leave with $25 worth of nice clothes.” A grand opening is scheduled for Nov. 10. Eventually Clayton wants to host concerts and fashion shows benefiting his Generation Next foundation. —MATTHEW SIGUR

Heavens to Etsy

etsy.com

Online shopping is nothing new, but more than 70 Baton Rougeans have placed themselves on the other side of the virtual transaction: selling their handmade designs. With the help of etsy.com,

independent designers forego pricey brick and mortar storefronts in favor of online thumbnails. The site hosts virtual stores, free of charge, enabling sellers to make a living making things. Just ask landscape architect-turned-eco-friendly-designer Alison Albright, whose Etsy shop, Circular Accessories, has fans on nearly every continent. “I do all wholesale, and most of my online sales are out of state,” she says of her screen-printed clothing and accessories. “So thank goodness for online.” Consider it (local) fashion at your fingertips. —MEGHAN CORNAY

A RE:FRESHING CHANGE IN URBAN FOOTWEAR

Cousins Paul Judge of Baton Rouge and Brennan Rabb of New Orleans combined diverse backgrounds to open their hip Towne Center streetwear boutique, Re:Fresh. Judge is a high-tech entrepreneur, while Rabb is a former celebrity stylist. Their combined investment, ideas and energies are paying off. “The first wave of clients are those who already understood streetwear and were excited to be able to walk in and see and touch the items instead of looking at them on the computer screen,” says Judge. “Now we are experiencing a second wave of clients who were not familiar with the refined, yet comfortable look of streetwear and are now seeking it as an alternative to their normal daily attire,” Judge says. “This includes professionals that may wear business suits by day, but opt for premium streetwear for their personal time.”

Besides limited edition Nike and Puma sneakers, Re:Fresh stocks globally known lines such as Alife, Japanese brand A Bathing Ape and Gourmet, which produces a rainbow of sneakers inspired by Air Jordans, available at a reasonable price tag around $50. —PAIGE DAMPF