Tucked in a darling two-story corner building at 101 N. Main St., an area known for nightlife and local dives, the marriage of art and fashion is alive and thriving.
It’s Gifthorse, the latest creation of Roberto Evans. The 27-year-old entrepreneur and artist has been carving a niche for artistic force in the Gainesville community since 2008.
This downtown addition, which officially opens Saturday, captures the mantra of Evans. Both a clothing store and an art gallery, Gifthorse provides a contemporary retreat from corporate homogeneity, reflecting the momentum of Gainesville’s young, inspired downtown scene.
His business model for Gifthorse is simple: The street-level shop is dedicated to a cozy apparel store featuring up-and-coming, affordable fashion, while the second floor is an intimate contemporary art gallery.
“I want to provide people the opportunity to find clothes that aren’t readily available at the mall,” he said, “and also encourage them to check out some amazing artwork that they may not have seen otherwise.”
Evans’ entrepreneurial career began with a gift store, Berto’s, which explicitly sold his visual art and silk-screened T-shirts. As Berto’s evolved, Evans began to include the work of other self-starting artists and designers. The collaborations proved to be a success, leading to the formation of The Exchange, located at 815 W. University Ave.
Since its opening, Evans said The Exchange has challenged the traditional structure typically associated with retail businesses. Providing exhibition and performance space as well as studio art classes for the Gainesville public, The Exchange fuses creativity and commerce.
With the opening of Gifthorse, The Exchange now stands solely as an art school and exhibition space, while also providing hip-hop and yoga classes – after all, that’s why Evans created Gifthorse.
“I definitely had enough clothing lines and merchandise available to open a strictly apparel store,” he said. “But I also wanted to make sure I was providing a space for art in Gifthorse.”
The clothing lines he selects are “sweatshop-free,” “design-progressive” and gentle on the bank account, he said.
Prices range from $20 to $65, and Gifthorse sells fashions for both women and men, who mostly fall within the ages of 20 to 45. Labels sold include Toms, Rosa Loves, Lifetime Collective and Good Society.
The grand opening will feature an exhibition of artist Victor Perez.
For more information, visit www.gifthorsedowntown.com.
