One year later, an artful success

FASHION TEMPLATES: Karen Beebe, left, and Devon King, owners of downtown boutique Queen of Hearts, offer their customers a place to purchase handmade clothing, accessories and home goods created by local artists and designers. /
FASHION TEMPLATES: Karen Beebe, left, and Devon King, owners of downtown boutique Queen of Hearts, offer their customers a place to purchase handmade clothing, accessories and home goods created by local artists and designers. /

High-energy retail results from easy access, store diversity and a large population of consumers. With parking issues and vacancy rate challenges, Providence’s downtown has not developed into the state’s hottest retail haven quite yet.
But there are a few hidden pockets and secret shops waiting to be discovered.
Next door to Tazza Caffé, the restaurant and coffee shop on Westminster Street, sits a small boutique called Queen of Hearts. The store is located across from Grant’s Block; a stark red-and-white flag is the only beacon that signals the shop to outsiders.
“We might be a little hard to find,” admitted Karen Beebe, who co-owns the shop with Devon King. But they have developed enough of a following to have survived there a year.
Inside, the small floor plan is offset by stunning 14-foot-high ceilings and windows that line the entire storefront. The 450-square-foot room houses a medley of goods from ceramic mugs and finely crafted jewelry to one-of-a-kind dresses, T-shirts and handbags. Part of the charm is the hunt, and walking slowly is the only way to take in all the creative pieces that are neatly organized into every inch of the store.
Queen of Hearts is not the average Providence retail shop. Featuring hand-made clothing and objects crafted by local artists, designers and fashionistas, the shop defies the norm and offers only handmade, high-quality items. Having sold and shown the work of more than 60 artists in the past year, including the work of the two owners, the shop is a base camp for the creative economy Providence is known for.
The ceramics of David Allyn and Richard Schwartz sell consistently and Jess Abernethy’s designs are a staple on the racks. Joan M. Wyand’s hand-stitched shorts and Tom West’s silk-screen shirts are displayed in the windows. Along the shelves are a series of little stuffed monsters by Corey Greyhorse’s line Smiley Jones. There are chunky necklaces and beaded earrings by Shine Jewelry as well as Lucille Rose handbags, scarves, hats and hand warmers.
“I like to be able to sell my own work, help sell the work of other artists and deal with customers one-on-one,” said Beebe. “If someone wants something fitted, I can do it right here in the shop.”
“If someone asks me to make a dress from a picture in a magazine, I tell them to go buy the dress instead,” Beebe said. “But I will offer to work with the customer, consult with them on the design and the fabrics they like.”
Beebe is a self-taught designer with an established clothing line called Lucille. She has participated in more than 20 fashion shows in Providence and was curator of more than half of them. Devon King graduated from Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandizing in Los Angeles with a degree in clothing design. The two have known each other for more than 10 years.
Two years ago, Beebe and King initiated The Providence Design Collective on Aborn Street. With more than 1,500 square feet of space to work with, Beebe and King encouraged participation from a network of artists and designers in Providence.
“Providence Design Collective was our flash store,” said Devon King, “a preliminary Queen of Hearts.” Through a partnership with the Arts & Business council, the ‘flash store’ opened for two months during the Christmas season and proved successful.
“When we understood that Karen and Devon wanted to take their concept to the next level,” said Peter Bramante, executive director of the Arts & Business Council, “we helped with a business model that would return higher sales percentages to the artists.” The Arts & Business Council also brokered a lease for the space.
For consumers, the price of a handmade item is often compared to the lower price of a mass-produced object. Standard retail markup at any store is 100 percent. But the markup at Queen of Hearts is at 55 percent because the more items that are sold, the more designers and artists are paid – and the more exposure their work gets.
Customers, meanwhile, enjoy a variety of distinctive purchases that range in price from $10 for accessory items, T-shirts and other apparel to $300 for originally designed dresses.
The shop functions much like a gallery, with creative designs, objects and wearable art. “It connects art and design with the business world,” said Peter Bramante. “The pilot has proven it can work,” he said, “and the Arts & Business Council is looking to continue the model, growing it carefully as we gain more visibility.” •
company profile: Queen of Hearts
OWNERS: Karen Beebe and Devon King
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Apparel and accessory shop, home goods, functional art and gifts created by regional artists.
LOCATION: 186 Union St., Providence
EMPLOYEES: 2
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 2006
ANNUAL SALES: WND

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