Having teamed up for immersive parties and market events for years, Haley Himiko Hudson Morris and Cassie Trainer dreamt of one day creating a space that could showcase their flair for the vintage, artsy and fantastical sides of Cleveland.
Now, their dream is materializing in the form of Paradise Galleria, a new vintage shop that will take over the former All Things For You space at 3910 Lorain Ave. in Ohio City.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include details and photos of Paradise Galleria's grand opening event. The shop hosted a private preview event on Friday, Oct. 4, and it officially opens to the public on Saturday, Oct. 5.
“When we used to throw dance parties together, we used to talk and dream of someday opening an interactive shopping space in, maybe, a warehouse someday, because we knew we would need a lot of space to do what we wanted to do and build the things we wanted to build,” Trainer says. “It was sort of a pipe dream that we would just fantasize about. When this store became available, and we came to view it, we were like, ‘Oh my gosh, is this happening?’”
Inside the 13,000-square-foot space, the two offer a department store-styled layout on the first floor, inspired by the building’s history as a department store in the 1930s and ‘40s. A variety of vintage resellers will be stationed in the basement, including Ohio vintage brands like Future No Future, Re:collection, Creme de la Cleveland, Single Stitch Slayer, Suzy Q’s Redos and Ready to Stare.
And expect themed sections, with splashes of color — an essential, from the two store owners known for all-out themed New Year’s Eve parties and dance nights. The space includes a secret hidden door inside of a refrigerator inside the kitchen section, a heart-shaped bathtub filled with plastic balls, a spinning display of Falkor the dragon from 1984 movie The Neverending Story, and even a slide that lets shoppers descend into the basement section. Inside the entrance, a pink, six-foot-tall metal pegasus statue named Peggy stands guard at the front window.
“We’re describing it as a sustainable Barbie Dream House,” Trainer says.
“We were inspired by those kinds of colors, and then aspects of fantastical architectural elements, that you don’t see outside of storybooks,” Morris says. “We were very inspired by a lot of our favorite movies, some of my favorite nightclub interiors, ‘80s and ‘90s malls.”
It’s a major influx of energy into the space that was previously dormant since last September when All Things For You closed due to water damage caused by a malfunctioning washing machine in an upstairs apartment. (Later, the store reopened in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood.) Morris and Trainer say the building’s landlord has addressed the issue and installed water alarms and other features following the accident.
RELATED: Cleveland's All Things For You Vintage Shop Reopening in New Tremont Location
Since they took over the space, Morris and Trainer have been busy making it theirs. They've carted over store displays from the basement of Cool World, Morris’ separate vintage store in Cleveland’s Gordon Square neighborhood.
At the private preview event on Friday night, Morris DJ'd and tropical Moon Bunny Libations cocktails, designed by Trainer, were served. (Her mixology skills earned her a Best of Cleveland nod last year.) Customers poured into the shop, exploring each themed section.
Paradise Galleria draws from the duo’s past programming experiences and will host plenty of programming, too, they say. However, unlike one-off events, they see the store as something more consistently available to Clevelanders.
“This is kind of giving us an opportunity to rise to the occasion," Morris says, "and create our own wonderland that isn’t just for one night, and is ongoing."
“And we’re sharing it, with everybody,” Trainer adds.
Find more details and updates about the shop at its Instagram page, @theparadisegalleria.
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