Store Spotlight: Combine

New Lake Street fashion and home interiors store Combine is a win for Uptown.

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Welcome Michael Pickart's Combine, the new kid on the Lake and Irving block.

Pickart is no stranger to the retail world, but rather—a veteran. For 28 years, he and his partner Karen Heithoff ran Uptown designer boutique Intoto—which was the go-to spot to shop pieces by high-end Italian and French designers like Isabel Marant, Etro, and Dries Van Noten. Once he and Heithoff parted ways in 2010, Pickart pivoted to the corporate world and took on a position as Director of Retail for Lifetime Fitness. 

Fast forward to 2018, where Pickart filled a creative void he was feeling while at Lifetime and embarked upon a new journey (not far from where his career in retail began) and opened the doors to his new fashion and home store Combine. "It really felt best to me to come back to Uptown," says Pickart.

The aptly-named Combine boasts a chill, casual vibe and is filled with classically cool, no-fuss brands for men and women including BALDWIN, Chan Luu, Lolë, Splendid, Velvet by Graham and Spencer, and more. Plus, a smattering of home goods—artisan pottery, throws and pillows—to round out the shop's eclectic product offering. Bonus: the 26-space parking lot located in the back of the building. 

"I wanted the space to feel like an old-fashioned mercantile-type store," says Pickart. Inside, Pickart dresses the warm, open space with flea market-like vintage display pieces like ladders and armoires to channel the old-world character.

It was also important to Pickart to offer a selection of unique-yet-approachable brands and goods to cater to the many different types of Uptown shoppers. Toward the end of Intoto's stretch, he felt that designer label enthusiasts were starting to shop for high-end, fast fashion pieces more and more online. Enter, his decision to keep Combine more casual.

Luckily for Pickart, he's noticed many a returning and familiar face inside of the new shop (he estimates that about 80 percent of his Combine clientele were also avid Intoto shoppers—many of which reside in Uptown's Kenwood 'hood), plus a mix of younger, Uptown dwellers.

A slam dunk shop for Uptown, I'd say.

From cozy cashmere to street-chic sneakers to a denim selection that doesn't quit—consider Combine the one-stop shop for the lover of classic, high-quality fashion and home basics, but with a unique edge. The shop is open Monday–Friday (excluding Tuesdays, which are open by appointment only) 11 A.M.–7 P.M., Saturday 10 A.M.–5 P.M., and Sunday noon–5 P.M. 1609 W. Lake St., Mpls., combinempls.com