‘Tis the Season for Sophistication at RIZOM

With award-winning fashion and jaw-dropping jewelry, the Belltown boutique is a cornerstone of the neighborhood’s design strip.

There has been a strong fashion and design presence in Belltown for years, but the latest addition to the neighborhood, RIZOM, may be the neighborhood’s most sophisticated boutique yet. Co-founded by fashion designer Deborah Roberts of the SILVAE clothing line and jewelry designer Faris Du Graf (of the eponymous FARIS), the boutique features both of their works alongside clothing from other independent and high-concept labels, such as PARI DESAI, AlexaStark, and Collina Strada.

The space currently occupied by RIZOM (2316 Second Ave., 441-7541) has housed a number of unique retail experiences in the past, including musician Mark Pickerel’s musically inclined Damaged Goods and photographer/director Charlie Schuck’s design oasis O B J E C T. Schuck now operates in the adjacent design studio BC.AD; and when you add Peter Miller Books a few doors north, you now have one of the most design-centric blocks in the city.

RIZOM hosts its own small book shop in the upper mezzanine. Curated by designer Strath Shepard, Pacific Standard Books is a carefully edited selection of vintage, out-of-print, and newer books related to design, travel, and culture. The mood board on one wall is an inspiring view of its own, but it’s also worth checking out the rotating art displays on the walls of RIZOM itself.

At the center of this shop, though, is the clothing and jewelry. Roberts’ SILVAE line, available here, made a splash when it won top honors at the Independent Designer Runway Show in 2014. She has since collaborated with artist Olivia Knapp to create custom textiles for many of her collections, which have given select pieces a graphic burst. Most of her clothes use natural textures and fibers, impeccably tailored in minimalist, on-trend silhouettes with sensuous details. They are a dreamy, urban style that nods to the natural world with great balance.

The very same can be said of Faris Du Graf’s smoothly flowing adornments. For instance, her paired Rest Rings have an organic, seemingly random fluctuation of thickness, but are designed to nest beside each other perfectly. The open-ended Tula Ring flanks your finger with two pleasing nuggets of silver or bronze, and the abstracted Bamboo Hoops turn a trend into a timeless geometric treasure.

Du Graf releases her new line publicly this Thursday, so enthusiasts (and those looking for a great gift) should see her latest treasures at RIZOM. The store’s official site is yet to launch, but both FARIS and SILVAE have gorgeous websites of their own in case you want to browse virtually, too.