Thelma Siguenza

Thelma Siguenza

DOWNTOWN RETAIL

Parker & Barrow Store Opening on Broadway

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Store interior

For three years now, Thelma Siguenza has been thinking of turning her design studio on Broadway near the new Urban Outfitters outpost into a different kind of store where you can not only get finely made ready-to-wear clothes but also custom-made blue jeans, pants, shirts and suits.

Siguenza's dream has come true. On Friday, Dec. 19, she is doing a soft opening of a delightfully decorated space called Parker & Barrow, the last names of the famous Depression-era bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde. The space at 814 S. Broadway is just doors from Two Boots Pizza, a popular hipster hangout, and up the street from the happening Acne Studios and Oak retail spots. "We will be testing the waters," said Siguenza, who uses a small sewing factory a few doors away at 820 S. Broadway. "I think people who shop this street want medium-priced items, things that are not so cheap and not so expensive."

The designer and patternmaker has been working on the store's interior design, surrounding herself with the kinds of things she enjoys, which are re-purposed items that had a previous life. Take, for example, the metal sides of a bus that have been turned into a bench. Or the old metal lockers that look as if they had been in a 1940s-era gym. She has converted the old red floors into a subtly colored epoxied floor that has beige and light brown swirls encased under the shiny veneer. A wall painted a mottled beige reminds her of a patio in her native Antigua, Guatemala.

Siguenza knows this is a happening shopping spot that is only going to get better. Her plans are to offer modern, minimalist clothes that have a luxurious sense to them. Already on the racks are a few things from her own label, PB 1930. Her brushed chino pants in subtle colors sell for $125 and are made from a soft European fabric. There will be T-shirts and regular shirts for both men and women, and a host of other items.

For custom-made shirts, she has put together a fabric, silhouette and color board. Custom-made blue jeans will sell for $400. Customers can choose the cut, thread and buttons for their pants. She is also costing out a plan to offer custom-made suits too.

On top of all this, she wants to be able to sell items made by up-and-coming designers who have great ideas but may not know the ins-and-outs of the garment trade.

Helping her put the store together are Tarek Akaweih, who has his own label called Xeres, and designer Allison Ham.