facebook fan drawing

We have so much fun on Facebook, we’d love for you to come join us (if you haven’t already)!

We’re having a drawing on our Facebook page – just leave us a comment there, telling us some of your favorite things about our store, and we’ll enter your name in a drawing for two $250 Substance gift cards.  If you don’t have a Facebook account, and aren’t looking to open one, don’t worry – you can send us an email for your entry.  Details are above and on the “What’s New?” tab on our Facebook page.  Good luck to everyone, and thank you for being our customer!

October 12th, 2009

reduction-is-back

Reduction is back! Take advantage of huge discounts from tons of Short North retailers including Substance, Collier West, Tigertree, Milk Bar, Rowe, Jinny, Paradise Garage, Ladybird, and Dr. Mojoe… all in one convenient location. Don’t miss out on some great deals! 12-5pm Saturday & Sunday, at 1201 N. High St. (near 5th and High).

Esther Chung, Kevin Kerr and Emily Stockwell – congratulations on being selected as our three finalists!

We were fortunate this year to have a larger pool of applicants from cities across the country.  But to our ultimate glee, all three finalists are local designers.   All the applicants had to submit images of their recent work and share with us their ideas on ways the fashion industry could do a better job of preserving the environment.   Maybe we’re biased but only the most exceptional designers are challenging themselves to create compelling fashion design while consciously considering how to minimize their environmental impact.

Just last week each of our finalists were given a box full of product to re-purpose in designing their own four piece collection.    December 3rd we will have an unveiling ceremony and announce the winner in our storefront.   Only one winner will receive the $1000 grand prize and have his/her designs featured for sale on our website in December.   We can’t wait to see what they come up with!

Friend us on Facebook for continuous updates on the collection unveiling event December 3rd.

-Christina

September 30th, 2009

fall-espe

For those of you waiting with baited breath, our fall Espe shipment arrived today.  Two giant boxes, filled to the brim with handbags and wallets, piles of convertible Groovi bags in grey, purple, and rust… bags for your laptop, bags for your phone, bags for the ladies, bags for the fellas, bags for anyone who loves a little bit of fun and not a lot of leather (none, in fact).  It seems like we have  an impossible and never-ending supply now, but Espe Precedent has taught us that a shipment this good won’t be around for long.

Soho Wrap by Indigenous Designs - in Ruby, $108

Soho Wrap by Indigenous Designs - in Ruby, $108

(that is, unless you want it to.)

Ask most anyone here at Substance about OSU football, and you’ll likely be met with a blank stare.   Half of us don’t even realize there’s a game going on until we’re suddenly surrounded by people clad head-to-toe in scarlet & grey.  For those like-minded individuals out there, we’d like to give you a shout-out and a heads up – one of the best times to go out on the town in Columbus is during an OSU game.   While everyone else is enthusiastically holed up in the stadium or in front of the TV, you can sneak out and enjoy a relatively quiet, low-key day in restaurants and boutiques alike.  Not many people park in the Short North for home games, so you’re in the clear for a parking spot (especially for us, as we’ve got a lot behind the store).

Need a little help to plan your fall Saturdays?  Here’s a quick link that’s handy for both Buckeye fans and football foes alike:  OSU Football Schedule 2009

September 16th, 2009

balcony-view-sept09

So much fall merchandise has come in, we’re running out of places to put it.   We’ve got sueded silk tunic dresses and blouses with cross-stitch embroidery from Interlud, super-long multicolored beaded necklaces from Acholi (along with more of the solid colored necklaces that we’d run low on), and more of the ever-popular message bracelets from Cynthia H.  A huge shipment of A People United arrived Monday, so we’re stocked with awesome mid-weight oversized jackets and full length skirts, produced with a great cause behind them.  Eco-friendly newcomer to us, Turk+Taylor, delivered us the perfect basic black knee-length pleated skirt earlier today.

We’re your affordable dark denim headquarters right now, as we’ve got 4 different styles of Levi’s jeans in stock!  Skinny, straight, wide leg… add to that our whiskered and gold-embellished Cartise denim, and you’ve got a great mix if you’re looking for the perfect fit.

Look for updates on our September Design Lab Collection, Mitered Matter, in the next week or so.  Heavy, yet cozy cropped skirts (perfect for over leggings or tights, paired with your favorite knee-high boot) and co-ordinating tote bags are in the works.
Donovan Jacket, by Sublet

Donovan Jacket, by Sublet

Stewart + Brown, Spiewak, and Sublet – three of our favorite things!

Sublet is pictured above, in the form of the beautifully structured and NY-produced Donovan Jacket.  Cropped, flannel-lined, and perfect.  Our 2nd delivery of Stewart + Brown includes lovely feminine layering pieces in muted fall tones (like the Virginia Blouse), crafted using their usual impossibly soft organic cotton.   Last but not least is Spiewak… we’ve got the down-filled Warren Jacket in 5 colors, the green-and-woolly tweed Chambers Coat, and the storm-weathering Everett Coat in black (perfect for city girls everywhere).  With still more to come, we’re looking forward to a wonderful fall.

a sneak peek of our new setup

a sneak peek of our new setup

We’ve done a huge floor change!  Our Design Lab workspace is now conveniently located in the front window of the store, with the Trim Shop and all our in-house collection pieces right nearby.  Now everyone’s got a great view on what we’re working on.   Plus, now we’ve got shoes right up front, and a great seating area (fully stocked with WWD magazines) to lounge in upstairs while browsing the sale department.

We’re expecting a ton of great product next week, so keep your eyes peeled… we’re hoping for more Melie Bianco, 49 Square Miles, Sublet, and an epic shipment of Spiewak fall/winter jackets any minute now!

aspiringdesigner3

We are now accepting applications for our 2nd annual Aspiring Designer Contest; the deadline is Friday, September 4th!   Click on the image above for more details and an application in .pdf format.

Fall Duet: A Sneak Peek

Fall Duet: A Sneak Peek

A lot is going on here at Substance… new collections are in the works, new items are arriving regularly, and a large volume of coffee is being consumed.  Here’s the run-down:

  • Number one on the list, our awesome designer and super-seamstress Betsy is off getting married!  Look forward to getting bombarded with some great photos in the next few weeks – all her bridesmaids are wearing Floral Fete dresses.   It’s a hand-crafted affair, from the brides’ dress down to the decorations.  Congratulations, Betsy!
  • Second, Maddie is hard at work on our upcoming collection, Fall Duet.  Using our favorite hand-woven Ethiopian cotton fabric, she’s making reversible shrugs.   Pretty much everyone on staff has picked out a color combo that they can’t live without… so this looks like a collection we’re going to have to keep around for a while, if for no other reason than to outfit ourselves.  To pair with the shrugs, she’s taking some heavier weight cotton trousers from last season and cutting them down into the perfect pencil skirt in 3 great colors.  Look for Fall Duet in the next few weeks as well.  We promise to not wear our shrugs all at the same time.
  • Next up… we’ve gotten new fall product in, and a lot of it is eco-conscious.  Our first shipment of Stewart+Brown for the season arrived in the form of organic cotton knits, including the “I Love You” tee which is just about sold out!  Soft drapey bamboo knit blouses and dresses came from Two Star Dog, as well as a few new re-purposed leather handbags from Gilbert and Leona.  We love our little group of beautifully tailored grey-and-mustard cotton sheath dresses from Nougat.   Finally, an amazing transitional collection of tunic tops and cropped dresses in cotton/silk blends from Trinity came yesterday.   Airy and light yet in rich fall color combos, they’re perfect to layer over your summery pieces.
  • Last but not least, Art Al Fresco is this weekend in the Short North.  An entire day of free public art – what’s not to love about that?