Upper King Charleston

Upper King Street as seen in...

The Post and Courier's retail guru Bridget Herman spotted Andrea and Gustavo Serrano's new Suite Sole sneaker shop, scheduled to open September 20th at 47-1/2 Spring Street. The new, 580-square-foot boutique will feature limited-edition footwear from Nike, and some other hard-to-find lines of shoes. We think of it as sneaker heaven! The Serrano's other store, B'zar, located at 541 King Street, will continue to feature the freshest and most savvy looks for men and women.
Herman also reported on newest member rlee Collection, 47-A Spring Street, which opens September 13. Watch this space for more about Robin Lee Simmons designs, perennial Charleston favorites in stores like Finicky Filly and Copper Penny, now with their own retail and studio spot.

Video in India for Putumayo

Production Design Associates of Charleston (PDA) announced that the PDA video team will be traveling to India soon for Upper King Street’s Putumayo. “We are very excited to announce that the PDA video team will be traveling to India this fall to document the journey and inspiration for Putumayo's clothing line,” according to Kevin Harrison, PDA Creative Director.

Another Putumayo video recently produced by PDA featured the collaboration between Kathryn Peters and Gunjan & Rahul for their new collection, Sirali for Putumayo. The Sirali Collection merges art and fashion, with the thread performing the function of a brush and making the outfit look like a painting.

The video premiered at Putumayo's New York sales meeting and will be integrated with a new website launch. Said Harrison, “This is merely part one of the big picture.”

Countdown...Nancy Koltes sale days will soon be over

The great savings at Nancy Koltes at Home continue with an extension of their warehouse sale to the end of the month. The countdown begins! Specials include linens, loungewear and other great finds at exceptional markdowns. Even better, take an additional 50% off select sale merchandise! Then, stand back as Fall merchandise begins to roll in with beautiful designs for the season.
Nancy Koltes offers luxurious collection in the finest natural fibers to capture the warmth and spirit of the American lifestyle. The store is located at 438 King Street, and open from 10-6:00 Monday through Saturday.

Cupcake in the News

Kristin Kuhlke, owner of Upper King Design District's exceptionally popular Cupcake, was featured in the Post & Courier Sunday. In an article by Wevonneda Minis, Kristin described how homeselling becomes a special challenge when you have to rid your home of personal touches to give it more general appeal. One of Kristin's personal touches is that pink Volvo with the giant cupcake on top! 

Cupcake is open from 10-7 Monday through Saturday at 433 King Street, and Sundays 12-5 at their Belle Hall Shopping Center store.

Art for Dance at the Charleston Ballet Theatre

Mark your calendar; this is an event you won't want to miss. This year's Art for Dance, a fundraiser for the Charleston Ballet Theatre will be held at beautiful Lowndes Grove at 6:30 pm on November 6th. The dancers will perform a preview show from the upcoming season for lucky attendees, and some of Charleston's favorite artists will contribute new work to support The Ballet. More to come (watch this space!) on this event, or call the Ballet offices at 843-723-7334.

The Literary Mamas at Blue Bicycle Books

The Literary Mamas read at Blue Bicycle Books on Saturday and characteristic of the group, children ate cookies, drank lemonade and ran back and forth in front of and around their mothers reading. Literary Mama is an online literary magazine which features writing by mother writers about the complexities and many faces of motherhood. The group publishes fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, literary criticism, book reviews, columns, and profiles about writers. Reading from their work at Blue Bike...

Amy Mercer, freelance writer and editor of the Literary Mamas Blog
Suzanne Kamata Losing Kei and Love You to Pieces: Creative Writers on Raising a Child with Special Needs
Sonya Huber Opa Nobody
Amy Hudock A Cup of Comfort for Single Mothers
Melinda Copp read from a memoir in progress about living with alligators
Stephanie Hunt The Great Green Room

All books may be purchased from Blue Bicycle Books at 420 King Street, or call Jonathan Sanchez at 843.722.2666.

One martini lunch at the Swamp Fox

This martini is Shrimp and Grits by Swamp Fox Executive Chef Simon Andrews, soon to be national news (more to come on that). It's a delicious and perfect lunch and one of our favorite Upper King Design District choices.
    Chef Simon has worked his magic at the historic Francis Marion Hotel since 1998. In addition to the Swamp Fox Restaurant, he oversees the culinary program for the hotel, enchanting many wedding and business guests with his culinary skills.
    Born in Ireland and inspired by the great chefs of Europe, he immigrated to the United States to attend the Culinary Institute of America.
    Andrews was Executive Sous Chef at Sfuzzi, a prestigious Italian Bistro on East 56th Street in New York, and subsequently opened two additional Sfuzzi Restaurants in South Hampton and the World Trade Center.
    Lured by the regional cuisines of the south, he became Executive Sous Chef at Sanderling, a luxury resort catering to the Outer Banks most sophisticated palettes. Later Chef Simon assumed the demanding position of Resort Chef at Kiawah Island before settling in Charleston at the historic Francis Marion Hotel.
    And we're glad he's here. Especially for the Shrimp and Grits Martini. Amen.

Upper King Design Walk to kick off Charleston Home Market

This year's Design Walk will be even more special as it kicks off the new Charleston Home Market, hosted by Charleston Magazine and Charleston Home. The first-of-its-kind design event features the work of Charleston’s decorative arts designers and craftsmen, offering everything from contemporary furniture and glass to innovative lighting and textiles. A scaled-down, homegrown version of the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, North Carolina, Charleston Home Market will add a local stop to fall buying trips by pairing Southeastern interior designers, architects, and buyers with Charleston-made goods and the local talents who create them.    
            Honorary Chairman: Legendary blacksmith and ornamental ironworker Philip Simmons.
            Guest Speakers: International antiques expert Judith Miller, renowned Southern interiors author Susan Sully, and American College of the Building Arts founder John Paul Huguley.
            Upper King Design District Fall Design Walk October 23, 5-8 pm.   
            Charleston Home Market Trade Day October 24, 10-5 pm.   
            Charleston Home Market Open to the Public October 25, 10-5 pm.
            Sign up for our e-newsletter (upper right column) or check back for more details about all the special events planned for Design Walk and Charleston Home Market.