Minnesota native Emily Johnson Kisa is no stranger to wanderlust: It’s what drew her to college in San Diego and then to study fine art for a year in Turkey. After falling in love, getting married, and living in the country for an unexpected five years, Johnson Kisa brought Turkey’s color and culture back home. She opened Kisa Collections Boutique in Minneapolis’s Lyn-Lake neighborhood, predominantly featuring pieces imported from Turkey and adding a distinctly European vibe to the area.
The open, airy shop houses fashion-forward pieces rarely seen in Uptown boutiques, including mod Esito dresses and handmade charm bracelets with evil-eye pendants intended to protect the wearer from jealousy and harm. Johnson Kisa makes some of the store’s signature statement necklaces herself, using Oya lace that’s hand-crocheted in Turkey. “When I was there, I was obsessed with women who did all of this amazing crochet and lace work,” she says. “I started a jewelry line in cooperation with them, adding in my own materials.” Johnson Kisa entwines the lace with chains, beads, and even leather from one of her father’s old jackets to create wearable masterpieces—it’s her own way of encouraging customers to do as she did and “trust your wanderlust.”
Kisa Boutique
722 W. Lake St., Mpls.,
612-823-5192, kisaboutique.com
