Courtesy of Moss Antiques
After nearly a year hiatus, MERCH is back to doing what it does best: bringing some of the most sought-after brands in fashion to St. Louis. This year, in time for Mardi Gras, MERCH founders Susan Sherman, Tania Beasley-Jolly, and co-host Nicole Gibson will present Moss Antiques, the Royal Street shop in New Orleans, to St. Louisans, delivering much-needed spark to the area.
Moss Antiques owner, Keil Moss, will showcase more than 80 pieces of vintage and antique jewelry on January 30 and 31, from 12 p.m.–5 p.m., at Cool Stuff Period. Shoppers who prefer to browse from home will have the option to shop virtually.
“I think that it’s giving people, hopefully, a little sparkle in winter,” says Nicole Gibson, key account director at Söfft Shoe Company.
MERCH was founded by Sherman and Beasley-Jolly in 2019 as a vehicle for bringing global fashion designers to St. Louis. The experiential retail concept focuses on bringing the new, the novel, and the next.
“This is old, but it’s still novel, and it’s still interesting,” says Sherman. “What’s important about antique jewelry is that it has a story–it has provenance.”
Courtesy of Moss Antiques
The collection will feature a variety of vintage rings, earrings, bracelets, and pendants in a range of price points. The collection will include pieces for women and men, such as vintage rings, cuff links, flasks, and shot glasses.
“I think that we have a little bit of everything here, but when you’re talking about antique jewelry, I don’t know if anybody does it as well as they do in some of these stores in the French Quarter,” says Sherman. “It’s kind of synonymous with New Orleans, so I think that we are bringing in something unique.”
“It’s really about discovering these people that are right under our fingertips,” Gibson says.
The event will take place at Ronnie Vinton’s Cool Stuff Period, which recently moved to a new location on Manchester. The new building is also more than 100 years old, creating an easy partnership and the ideal atmosphere for the event.
“It’s a gallery of sorts," says Gibson, in reference to the selection of jewelry. "It’s really everything–lots of different eras, generations, and styles and they all really meld together, and I think that parlays into the way a woman accessorizes herself,” she says. “We like modern things–things that have a story–and so I think that we adorn ourselves like we adorn our homes. It’s all a visual feast whether you’re wearing it or you’re putting it in your home.”
Masks are required to attend the event. Shoppers are encouraged to R.S.V.P. to Sherman at sdssk@aol.com with a desired shopping time in order to limit the number of people in the store at one time. King cakes and Champagne will be served.
