Divas wanted
The A in the new Ellicott City shop A’Divaz Boutique stands for “Any diva.” “There’s something for everyone here,” says shop owner Angelina Brannigan. With a background in both retail and makeup, Brannigan says she has always wanted to open a store. Opportunity knocked and the North Laurel resident answered last summer. She set up her bright and colorful shop in what used to be Work.Play.Bark!. Score unique clothing items, such as shirts with ruffles on the bottom and funky necklaces. The store’s inventory comes from all over the nation—and while most stock caters to adults, parents can find cool items for their cool kids, too. “They just love the lipstick purses,” says Brannigan. 8104 Main St., Ellicott City, 410-461-8104
Solid as a Rock
Earlier this year Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was named as Under Armour’s newest spokesperson—this is not a drill. The hard-bodied former WWE champion-turned-Hollywood-A-lister announced via Instagram at the beginning of the year that he was excited to join the Maryland-made sports family. Under Armour expressed similarly glowing sentiments, a bird told Savvy. The brand will release product capsules including footwear and apparel inspired by Johnson and his current films. Johnson joins a star-studded list of UA darlings, including ballerina Misty Copeland, golf champ Jordan Spieth and Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn. As part of this new partnership, The Rock will be tasked with promoting UA’s HealthBox and Record apps. The first items out of the gate are backpacks and duffel bags, which Johnson’s arms will look great lifting. underarmour.com
The newcomer
Once Pennsylvania-based boutique owner Robin Cohen espied Green Spring Station, she said she’d do anything to move in. Luckily, due to Carole Halverstadt of Craft Concepts retiring and closing shop, Cohen didn’t have to go to great lengths to make her dream a reality. This will be the second location for Boutique W, a women’s wear store selling apparel, jewelry and accessories. Craft Concepts, which, of course, sold eclectic high-end women’s wear, left the building back in February. After the renovations are complete, Boutique W will take over the 1,600-square-foot store bringing brands like Planet, Sympli, Comfy, Liverpool and Surrealist. Savvy’s psyched. 10803 Falls Rd., Baltimore, boutiquew.com
The vanishing
If you shop in Mount Vernon, you’ve no doubt noticed that Strongbox, a vintage store established just over a year ago, no longer occupies its cute corner storefront. That’s because Strongbox, while not totally out of business, has become in a word, nomadic. “The decision to close the St. Paul storefront has been difficult to make for various reasons,” says owner Joseph Gouse, adding that “in some ways, it has been a total asset to the neighborhood, but in other ways, it has prohibited our growth.” Strongbox, which began in a bedroom of Gouse’s apartment, will regroup and—hopefully—restart. Until then, you can continue to shop from Gouse’s expertly curated selection of one-of-a-kind pieces at the Antiques Marketplace. Lestrongbox.com
Published in the April 2016 issue of STYLE.
