Seattle featured in Estonian fashion magazine Säde
Earlier this year when Finnair unveiled a new flight route from Seattle to Helsinki, it unlocked a world of possibility for Seattleites looking for efficient connections to Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. The new service offering was also a catalyst for travelers from Europe to seek out convenient ways to explore the region and discover Seattle’s best shopping destinations.
I had the pleasure of meeting with Kristi Pärn-Valdoja, editor of Estonian fashion magazine Säde, during her visit to Seattle to discuss the local shopping scene and provide additional insight into what makes this city such a great place to explore. The meeting was set up by the team at Visit Seattle and served as a great opportunity for Gossip & Glamour to serve as an unofficial fashion ambassador for the city. When it comes to unique shopping experiences in Seattle, I proudly advised Kristi that local boutique flora & henri was a style destination not to be missed.
Launched in 1998 as an elevated children’s clothing brand, flora and henri expanded its product line in 2017 to include apparel for men and women, plus jewelry, gifts, and home goods. The company pulled back from its brick-and-mortar retail presence in 2012 to focus on wholesale and later opened a flagship in the historic Schwabacher Hardware building in 2017. The downtown storefront is quintessentially Seattle and is the perfect place to shop for local gifts.
My interview with Kristi is featured on page two of the spread and you’ll also find my image in the lower right corner (as pictured below). Thank you, Säde magazine for letting me be your local guide to the city!
As travel rebounds in the region and we turn a corner with the pandemic, tourists are looking for the best places to shop in the city. Here are 5 local boutiques that can’t be missed on a trip to Seattle.
Flora & Henri
401 1st Ave S.
Seattle, WA 98104
Neighborhood: Downtown
Sway & Cake
1124 E Pike St.
Seattle, WA 98122
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Purpose
11900 NE Village Plaza Suite 180
Kirkland, WA 98034
Neighborhood: Kirkland
Valerie Madison Fine Jewelry
1411 34th Ave.
Seattle, WA 98122
Neighborhood: Madrona
Prism
5208 Ballard Ave N.W.
Seattle, WA 98107
Neighborhood: Ballard
If you want to support even MORE Seattle designers and boutiques, check out this list of 100 Seattle Brands You Can Shop Online Right Now.