A new chapter is about to be written for Storyville this week.
The Baton Rouge-based store, with its locally-themed graphic tees, is opening its sister store in Austin, Texas this Wednesday.
Owner Joshua Harvey, University alumnus and New Orleans resident, moved to Austin this summer to initiate the process and said he is already feeling positive about the additional location om the Lone Star State.
Harvey said he is already ahead of the game and excited about the new lineup of Austin artists, who will recreate the same concept of the original Storyville, located on Chimes Street.
“We are one part custom T-shirt design and one part outlet for local designers,” Harvey said. “We hope to extend our model.”
Harvey’s sister and co-founder, Elizabeth Harvey, University alumna, said she is pleased by the continuous development of their original shop and happy to bring their work to a different area.
“We will be able to showcase Louisiana artists in Austin and give them a new market place and more exposure,” Elizabeth Harvey said.
But despite reservations, the Harveys said they are ready for the challenge.
“We know what we can do,” Elizabeth Harvey said. “When we first opened, we had never made a T-shirt before. We know our capabilities.”
The siblings said they think they will be successful in Austin because, like Baton Rouge, it is a state capital which encapsulates a large college campus.
“Austin is twice the population [of Baton Rouge],” Joshua Harvey said.
Customers of Storyville agree Austin is the perfect place to branch out.
Jaclyn Dagro, business junior, said the Texas location will probably be more successful because the city attracts an alternative crowd.
Her sister, Kristen Dagro, undecided freshman, said she sees a positive future for the shop in Austin.
“The vibe of the city would fit with the store,” she said. “The culture is very different and unique.”
Joshua Harvey said Storyville is different than other T-shirt shops because it also serves as an outlet for local artists.
“We have become a hub for local designers to display art and customize,” Elizabeth Harvey added. “The new designers’ ideas keep things fresh.”
Elizabeth Harvey said the Chimes Street Storyville store will have live music on game days this fall and hold its first fashion show at Manship Theatre on Nov. 16.
“It will be more intimate showing more experimental stuff,” Elizabeth Harvey said.
Rebekah Harvey, the youngest of the three founders and University alumna, said she and her two siblings expect a playful competition between the two locations to see who sells more this fall.
Elizabeth Harvey said Austin is only the beginning of a new chapter in Storyville’s future.
“We would eventually like to go to other southern universities,” she said.
—–Contact Lindsay Gallman at [email protected].