The Jackson Creative Cooperative is bringing a mix of retail and coworking space to The Jackson building at 1137 N. High St. Formerly the home of Short North Fitness, Jackson Creative Cooperative Owner Brad Howe says the new enterprise is a better use of the space, brining a unique retail opportunity to the growing Short North neighborhood.
Two retailers have set up shop in the retail bays that line the ground-floor space along High Street.
Women’s boutique JE Fashion House moved in about two months ago. Operated by Jazzmin Evans, the shop offers apparel and accessories from fashion brand Leeto as well as house designs from the JE collection coming in Fall/Winter 2018.
Evans operated at pop-up shops and online for two years before deciding to add a brick-and-mortar presence. She was drawn to the Short North’s energy and the foot traffic that the neighborhood offers.
“People come to the Short North area to explore and have a great time, and to try new things,” she says.
Now with a physical space, Evans is looking forward to connecting and building relationships with customers.
JE Fashion House will be joined this week by a pop-up shop from leather goods brand SEEL.
“We’re a handcrafted “punk/luxe” leather goods company produced entirely in Columbus,” says Owner Jamie Seel. “Each piece we make is guaranteed for life, so it starts with solid brass hardware and USA-produced full grain leather, and is built with some of the most solid construction methods out there.”
SEEL has been making the rounds at various markets and selling their wares through their website, but Seel sees the exploration into brick-and-mortar as important step for the brand.
“The greatest challenge we’ve come across as a luxury startup brand is conveying the quality of our goods to consumers online without having a longstanding reputation,” Seel says. “Picking out a high-quality leather item is a very tactile experience, and we hope that having a brick-and-mortar store will bridge that communication gap.”
During the pop-up, SEEL will be open Monday – Thursday 12-8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 12-10 p.m., and Sunday 1-6 p.m. JE Fashion House is open Thursday – Saturday 12-8 p.m., Sunday: 1-6 p.m. and by appointment only Monday – Wednesday.
More retailers could be coming to the Jackson Creative Cooperative as Howe explores the demand for the unique retail model. The spaces clocking in at around 200 square feet or smaller offer a less-is-more approach to retail with businesses able to control their inventory and leverage short-term leases.
For more information on SEEL, visit seelmade.com. Check out JE Fashion House at shopleeto.com. Both retailers will be open during this weekend’s Gallery Hop on Saturday, July 7.