By Stevi Costa
The retail space at 6108 Phinney Ave. N. that currently houses Sasquatch Studios was empty only five months ago. In fact, it had been empty for about five years before Sacha Maxwell moved in, transforming what Maxwell described as “a black hole in the neighborhood” into a vibrant, quirky retail space that sells a mix of handmade and vintage goods.
A former environmental consultant, Maxwell longed to find a way to bridge her environmentally conscious lifestyle with venture that would support her photography hobby. In November 2009, Sasquatch studios became that space. Maxwell’s eccentric collection of retail products has “a little bit of everything” from home décor to jewelry to clothing. There are two organizing factors in the items Maxwell sells at Sasquatch Studios: items that draw inspiration from the natural world and items that are produced using recycled and reclaimed components.
She features the work of 14 local artists from the Puget Sound area, as well as some work from artists from her former home on Cape Cod. Some items available for purchase at the shop include blankets made out of vintage fabrics by Red Dirt Road of Martha’s Vineyard. Sasquatch Studios also features local artist My Mother’s Buttons of Edmond, Wash., which creates handmade jewelry from vintage buttons and timepieces, and Ballard’s own Positively Green notecards, which are a line of green-manufactured note cards using soy-based inks. The store is also the exclusive retailer for Chatoyant Design and Glassworks, which offers a selection of handmade glass jewelry. The studio also sells Maxwell’s own photographs, framed with reclaimed wood from the 1920s homes.
Although running her own business has been a lot of work, Maxwell is grateful that Sasquatch Studios has allowed her to renew her creativity and be involved in every aspect of the shop. Her search for unique artists to represent has also helped her to bridge artists from her two favorite places: Martha’s Vineyard and the Puget Sound. Many artists she sells at Sasquatch Studios are friends and acquaintances from both coasts, which has made it easy to find art to sell. “I know a lot of creative people,” Maxwell said, “so it works out pretty well.”
One of those creative people happens to be Maxwell’s mother, who will soon be creating a line of stuffed animals made from reclaimed vintage fabrics exclusively for the store. Another soon-to-be-featured artisan makes children’s clothing out of recycled wool. “I think it’s important to have beautiful things around, but it shouldn’t be at the cost of the environment,” Maxwell said. Luckily for Sasquatch Studios, local artists will often deliver their wares directly to the store, minimizing the carbon footprint that would be created during the shipping process. Though Sasquatch also features artists from far-away Martha’s Vineyard, Maxwell minimizes the amount of intercoastal shipping as much as she can.
In addition to handmade and recycled items, Sasquatch Studios also sells vintage clothing. Maxwell collects the vintage pieces she sells from Etsy.com. While her selection is not as extensive as what you might find at a vintage-specific store, the shop has two small rooms filled with hats, coats, shoes, skirts and dresses from a variety of eras.
Opening a brand new independent boutique during the holiday season wasn’t easy – especially because Sasquatch Studios opened its doors on Black Friday, when shoppers flock to big box stores for big savings. However, the Greenwood-Phinney Ridge area has residents that like to keep it local. By filling in a long-vacant retail space, locals were immediately drawn to the new store, which has continued to receive new foot traffic from Sasquatch Studios participation in the Greenwood Art Walk. “It’s really nice to feel like people notice and are interested in what’s going on,” Maxwell said.
