Music and art have redesigned downtown St. Petersburg, giving it a vintage style with a modern twist.
USF St. Petersburg senior Kalynd Kryza has embraced the city and opened Blond, a retail store located in the front of Star Booty, a rock-n-roll hair salon.
Blond offers affordable vintage apparel, ranging from about $12 to $25, with their own T-shirt collection as well as T-shirts from local bands, records and tapes. Kalynd said she hopes to include more clothing designed by Blond and supply more locally made vinyl records.
Kalynd opened Blond with three of her friends from high school—Katie and Alexander Charos, and Bethany Muggleworth.
As current member of the band Alexander and the Grapes, and Talk Nice, Alexander Charos takes care of the music. Charos records local bands at his home and helps with Blond’s music inventory.
Katie Charos and Muggleworth are blondes, which inspired the shop’s name—Blond.
“(It is) sort of a play on the dumb blonde,” said Kryza. “Fashion can be perceived as something kind of silly. At the end of the day it is and should be, but you can be smart and creative with it at the same time.”
Kryza plans on graduating in the fall with a major in history and a minor in education.
“I think a lot of my interest in history, outside of the intellectual part of it, is just the nostalgia for things,” said Kryza, “taking that nostalgia and making it modern.”
Her love for history and fashion go hand in hand.
Kryza considered going into costume design. While living in New Orleans, Kryza played around with the costume designers on the set of Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter.
“It’s so much work historically, to get it right to the point where the clothes are so accurate you don’t even think about them,” Kryza said.
Blond hopes to host art shows and draw local artists to the shop. The owners also want to make Blond a place where people can come and hang out.
If you go:
Blond is at 681 Central Ave.
Open Tuesday through Saturday from noon-6 p.m.
www.facebook.com/Blondstpete
