Nicole Benoist
Last week, Collective at MX (626 Washington Ave., 314-241-5420) unveiled its new St. Louis–themed private label, a line of products celebrating the Gateway to the West.
“Meet Me in St. Louis” coffee mugs are now available for $12 each, while totes and T-shirts are expected to hit the shelves by the end of summer. Collective founder Nicole Benoist says more items are in the works.
“Ever since I opened Collective, I planned on producing a private label,” she says. “The past year and a half has given me the opportunity to do my own market research within the store. It’s allowed me to see what [customers] are looking for.”
Benoist comes up with the concepts herself and then works with a designer to bring them to fruition. She describes the line as chic and clean without going “the kitschy route.”
As word of mouth has spread, Benoist says the shop’s customers have become more varied, from residents of downtown, to travelers on business or pleasure, to people who come from all over Missouri and Illinois. She wanted to launch the line during the tourist season, which runs through the fall.
“People are coming here and looking for something [from] St. Louis. What I really want to do with the private label is to develop products that would work in a kitchen in South County or could be taken to South Dakota,” she says.
Benoist, former style editor for St. Louis Magazine, opened the Collective at MX in the Mercantile Exchange district in July 2012, bringing a retail co-op concept to Downtown St. Louis. The store features apparel, accessories, home décor, paper goods, food items, and gifts from more than 40 local designers, businesses, and artisans.
