Shopping

Union Market’s New Retail Concept Thread Kicks Off Friday

Here are seven vendors you’ll want to check out.

As if you needed another reason to make your way toward Union Market, this Friday kicks off the revived marketplace’s first foray into the non-edible with a 24-vendor pop-up retail concept. The weekend-long market will play host to a stable of our favorite local brands, including some you’re already familiar with—such as DeNada Design, Anthom, Saint Clair Jewelry, and Hugh & Crye—plus several you’re probably not. Here are a few of those vendors (both local and otherwise) we’re most excited to shop. We suggest beelining their way.

Elaine B. Jewelry
The purveyors of hand-crafted cool at Topaz + Arrow turned us on to this jeweler from Charlottesville, whose geometric 3D designs combine wearable simplicity with sculptural modernity. We’re particularly smitten with her slender hexagon rings and edgy take on classic (faux) diamond studs.

Mutiny
Part retail brand, part art piece, this local collective takes an unusual approach to product curation, crafting a collection meant to reflect the “brooding man with a meaty intellect.” What that means: simple, well-crafted, and perfectly rugged pieces—many made right here in DC—that range from pencils and literature to apothecary and clothing.

Follain
The Boston-born beauty store takes a health-conscious yet style-savvy approach to skin care, hair products, and cosmetics, stocking high-end natural brands such as RGB, Rahua, Ilia, and Jane Iredale.

Shockoe Denim
This brand makes its pairs by hand in its Richmond showroom, using raw selvedge denim from a mill in North Carolina. There’s only a handful of styles—mostly slim and straight cuts—but Shockoe’s small-batch sensibility fits right in with Union Market’s concept.

Meg Biram Shop
Fans of Meg Biram’s eponymous blog probably already covet the shopping finds she posts on her site (and her Pinterest, and Instagram, and . . .); but her recently launched e-store transforms those picks into something shoppable. Her booth at Thread means this is your chance to peruse her carefully curated selection in person for the first time. Leather turbans, snake hand coils, and fringey bags? Yes, please.

Ernest Alexander
This menswear line, based in New York, prioritizes craftsmanship and form-meets-function for the brand’s carryalls, ties, and shirts.

Emily Cho
Luxe and modern, this NYC-based handbag line stands out for its high-end construction and sleek designs, with a focus on bold-yet-sophisticated colors and textured leathers.

Thread at Dock 5. Friday 1 to 8, Saturday 11 to 8, and Sunday 11 to 5. Union Market, 1305 Fifth St, NE. Get more information online.