 |
|
Musician Lisa Miller, one of Avant Garage's co-owners,
helps a customer.
|
There's a lot of the unusual in Avant Garage -- vintage T-shirts, Johnny Cash paintings, faux fur coats, platform shoes and Farrah Fawcett pencils, to name a few. And this place holds bar hours. How cool is that? That's actually one of the things that instigated co-owner and musician Brian Driscoll to open a store. He got the idea while traveling in London and New York, stumbling across funky shops that were open late. He realized that there wasn't really anything like that in Cincinnati.
This city definitely has nothing else quite like Avant Garage. It's hip, it's bizarre, it's inexpensive and it's a hell of a lot of fun. Plus it has good intentions. Avant Garage is an eclectic blend of clothing and art, topped with a touch of music: The combination can be respected no matter what your taste is in any of the three genres.
Avant Garage recently made room for more mayhem by expanding its space. It's a mish-mash of stuff from different eras, with eccentric items and clothing from the '50s through the '80s. You'll find everything from velvet to velour and plaid to paisley. Plus random records, books, jewelry, lunch boxes, posters, knick-knacks, board games ... you name it.
"It's cool to see someone's face light up when they see something from their childhood or some collectable that they're infatuated with," says musician Lisa Miller, one of four co-owners.
The artwork on the walls is continuous, rotating and for sale at reasonable prices. Contrary to most galleries, Avant Garage has "closings" rather than "openings" with food, refreshments and DJs at the end of the exhibit. The art is odd and colorful, just like everything else about the store. Past exhibits have ranged from graffiti art, oil paintings, drawings and photography to basically just about anything that can be hung from the wall or the ceiling.
"We wanted to provide a place where artists could have their first show. We're targeting new artists -- people who aren't necessarily classically trained -- and up and coming local artists. It's cool for them 'cause there's not a lot of pressure," comments musician and co-owner Chuck Cleaver.
Avant Garage also sponsors a sporadic fashion show. The owners mentioned that a "guerilla fashion show" would be coming soon. The mental picture that it conjures -- models in pimped-out vintage clothes storming the local supermarket -- gives me the sneaking suspicion that it'll be much more funny than fabulous.
You could easily picture Avant Garage in Green-wich Village or Haight-Ashbury. It has a metropolitan flavor and uniquely refreshing philosophy. "We're cosmopolitan in a Northside kind of way. We're not the least bit pretentious," says Driscoll.
Avant Garage, with everything that it encompasses, is a great concept. It's fresh and fun and distinctly different to the norm in this city. While fashion, art and music are three unique entities; they compliment each other well in this venue. Perhaps Avant Garage's success could inspire similar outlets to sprout around town, targeting a variety of different styles, tastes and genres, melding the aesthetic of fashion, art and music.
Avant Garage offers style to a city that often lacks it. Cincinnati is screaming for something different, something more fabulous, more fun, more edgy and more self-expressive, and Garage is a great start. Will we ever catch up to those cities whose streets are dotted with designer boutiques, vintage shops, quirky music stores and places that have an offbeat, artistic flair? Fashion, art and music -- it's an intoxicating concoction, and this city could use another drink. I hope the buzz catches on.
AVANT GARAGE is at 4577 Hamilton Ave., Northside. Hours: 8:30 p.m.-midnight Thursday, 6:30 p.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday; 5-10 p.m. Sunday. 513-542-8268.
