When russell+hazel announced it was closing its tiny Galleria storefront earlier this year, the Stillwater-based stationery brand revealed that it would open a new flagship location in the North Loop this past May. But summer came and went, and no store—until today, when the store finally opened its doors to the public.
It was worth the wait. The bright, airy space, located between D.NOLO and Pacifier, was designed in partnership with interior designer Greg Walsh, founder of russell+hazel’s across-the-street neighbor Martin Patrick 3. The brand brought over its binder bar concept from its Galleria space, and added a customization bar, where customers can customize and monogram their russell+hazel binders and notebooks. The store has also carried over stationery by russell+hazel sister brand Mara-Mi (they’re owned by the same parent company, Gartner Studios) and debuted a capsule line of luxe leather handbags it designed in partnership with Italian designer Kara van Petrol.
Tucked into the back of the space is a in-house, one-chair salon dubbed the “Style Studio,” helmed by nationally renowned hairstylist Pearson Knight. A staple backstage at New York Fashion Week shows and former Master Stylist for Juut, Knight has spent the past few years traveling between Miami, New York City, L.A., and Southeast Asia. When the opportunity to open the salon within russell+hazel came up, he jumped at the chance and moved back to Minneapolis. The opening of the store and salon comes in tandem with the launch of PK Hair, Knight’s haircare line that’s been in development over the past four years. The product line contains vitamin B5 to add shine, is environmentally friendly, and has a signature scent—which the hairstylist describes as “fresh, clean, with a hint of vacation.” The line currently is made up of four products—a styling foam, a beachy texture spray, a blowout lotion, and a dry texture pomade—and he says a shampoo, conditioner, and a hair mask deep conditioner are in the works.
In addition to its own line of stylish office supplies, the store is filled with a curated, highly giftable selection of products for the home and office, as well as stationery, jewelry, skincare, and cosmetics, selected by the store’s new buyer, Gail Lewis. When selecting products for the store, Lewis looked for unique products not found elsewhere in the Twin Cities, such as soap carved into gemstone shapes by Brooklyn ceramic studio Pelle Design, handmade mini leather duffel bags by Vancouver designer Erin Templeton, and bold stone pendants by Australia’s Elle Louise Designs—of which Lewis brought in only one piece of each style. (“They’re so graphic and make such a statement, I didn’t want two people walking around in the same piece,” she explains.) Lewis, who has sensitive skin, also made an effort to bring in natural, gentle makeup and skincare lines, including Rituel de Fille (the first natural makeup line used on TV, it’s worn by Lady Gaga on American Horror Story), New Zealand’s San Ceuticals ultra-moisturizing skin creams, Kosås lipstick, bath and body products by Mullein & Sparrow, and Agent Nateur organic deodorant (which was raved about in a recent issue of Vogue).
“I wanted everything to feel really special, so I selected a lot of indie, artisanal products,” she says—“mostly all handmade in small batches in someone’s little studio somewhere.”
219 N 2nd St #110, Minneapolis, 952-204-3138, russellandhazel.com
