Shane Brown is a man with big ideas and big dreams. Since the retail entrepreneur’s arrival in Summerland in 2020, his home and garden emporium has been a centerpiece of the seaside community’s shopping renaissance.
The Well, at 2350 Lillie Ave. across from the Carpinteria-Summerland fire station, has since become one of the town’s best lifestyle shops and a magnet for locals and tourists.
“After three years, we are always trying to elevate The Well, and we want our vendors to hold that same level of experience for our customers,” Brown — who is well known in Los Angeles for his Culver City-based Big Daddy’s home furnishings chain — told Noozhawk.
“… Our main goal has always been to continually create a space that people want to surround themselves with. We aim to inspire, and help our customers create the same energy they feel here in their homes.”
Brown recently added an adjacent cottage pop-up shop with rotating vendors, an industry trend known as “flash retailing.” The concept is a cost-effective way to generate interest and get merchandise in front of the public.
The Well’s most recent pop-up shop is Twelve Supply, which is owned by Michigan transplant Anna Alexopoulos and features jeans, sweaters, shoes, hats, dresses, pajamas, wellness products and handbags.
Brown said Alexopoulos — who has a bricks-and-mortar store in a converted old gas station in Sawyer, Michigan — approached him after she read my 2020 column.
“Her style was unlike anything I had seen in Santa Barbara,” he said. “She carries brands from all over the world, specifically curating pieces that scream one-of-a-kind.
“You’ll find that a majority of her pieces and accessories are hand stitched by their designers, which is apparent in both the quality and individuality of her pieces … and align with our mission.”
Alexopoulos’ passion for fashion has been lifelong for her.
“It is a way of expressing yourself without uttering a word,” she said. “That is pretty powerful, and why I felt it is something we can have fun with as men and women.
“It is not a one-size-fits-all approach, but more of how does it make you feel?”
Everything in the shop is something that Alexopoulos wears and uses personally, including wellness and apothecary products, clothing, accessories and journals.
She works with artists in Italy, Japan, France, the United States, among others, who produce her collections, most of which are made to order to help minimize waste.
“I do my best to select brands who produce similar items throughout the years,” she said. “This, hopefully, lessens the desire to lean toward trends or things becoming less relevant.”
Twelve Supply at The Well is located at 2380 Lillie Ave., Unit C, and is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.