Taxidermy Flamingo Anyone?

The first week of my project wrapped up with a focus on filling my creative bucket. Visiting shops with unique products for sale help give me a sense of what’s appealing to buyers right now and provides insight on how other sellers create “retail theatre.” I don’t know if that’s an actual term that anyone uses besides me, but for me it means a product or store that takes buyers out of themselves and into a different realm.

Isles Studio is just such a place. Located in the Uptown area of Minneapolis, it’s in a charming neighborhood that’s a combination of old homes and retail spaces. I spent an enjoyable half hour chatting with the owner who is a veteran of upscale retail in the twin cities region. He explained that this store represents years of learning experiences in all kinds of retail around the twin cities and is his opportunity to take that knowledge and craft it into a unique boutique experience, and he has! Beautiful French pottery, whimsical felted animals, taxidermy pelicans and luscious foliage all arranged in so many gorgeous vignettes, I couldn’t decide where to look first. It’s a candy shop for the eyes!

Photo courtesy of Isles Studio