A couple of quaint fashion boutiques are coming together to launch their combined grand vision in Allentown. Giovanni “Gio” Centurione from Trend Up, and Siobhan Taylor from MS Eye Candy, have identified a perfect location for their new shopping experience – 85 Allen Street (formerly Black Cat Vintage). The new space offers the two retailers plenty of room to not only accommodate their current clothing lines, they will also be able to add stylish shopping comforts to their respective fashion repertoires.
Gio’s Trend Up is currently located inside the Market Arcade building. He says that the smallish digs were always meant to be temporary – he envisioned the collective building as the perfect incubator for his business. But he also missed having a street presence, so the Allen Street spot is perfect for branching outwards and upwards. Gio told me that much of his current clientele hails from the Allentown neighborhood, as does Siobhan’s customer base.
Siobhan’s MS Eye Candy opened up on West Utica, near Elmwood, seven years ago. Since that time, she has been cultivating a dedicated clientele. The shop was always on the small-side, which meant that there was no room to grow. Like Gio, Siobhan put her heart and soul into the business, and knew that one day an opportunity would present itself.
Well, the time has now come for both of these retailers to realize their bigger ambitions. 85 Allen will have a large changing room area that will be somewhat “lounge-like”. The space will be divided in half, which will still offer more space than either retailer possesses at the moment. Gio and Siobhan are also excited to host events at their new location, especially during Allentown First Fridays. Together, they plan on bringing added excitement and enthusiasm to Allentown, while offering an old fashioned shopping experience that caters to the customer. According to Gio, “…we will have the dopest apparel and accessories for men AND women.”
Coming soon: Trend Up and MS Eye Candy – 85 Allen Street (near Delaware) – Buffalo, NY – Opening first week in May
