13 Shopping Days Left: Portobello Road
Facing the holidays with the perfect dress, hostess gift, and bag of goodies just became effortless. Portobello Road, a new store in Chestnut Hill opened by best friends Kristina Lyons and Marina Kalb, is a modern day multi-cultural bazaar filled with jewelry, home accessories, furniture, and clothing from around the world. It’s a serendipitous mix of style and substance. They like to call it “a store with a soul.”
Hand crafted women’s wear by Odd Molly has a Piccadilly meets Delphi vibe in crewel embroidered tunics and crest appliqued wool jackets. Designer Chan Luu melds dupioni silk, tulle, cashmere and velvet into wrap dresses, shimmering sheaths, and delicate tops in soothing tones of gun metal to plum. On our wish list: a buttery cream leather jacket by Ba&sh from Paris to wear over a silkscreened Geisha tee from Oligo Tissew.
For others, Sonia Spencer’s James Bond inspired cuff links make a cheeky gift. The Royal Blend vetiver and grapefruit candles come boxed with a wearable tiara brooch. The Ibide trays from France or a specialty knife collection from Claude Dozorme Laguiole are understated and elegant. All these fun finds are tucked amongst Southeast Asian furniture and fixtures from Cambridge-based Mohr and McPherson.
The store is a personal reflection of the duo’s collective experiences: working in film, working as moms, managing action packed social lives (Kristina is wife of restaurateur Patrick). Right now, the store is temporary, but Lyons and Kalb hope to extend the lease upon its end in January, but we don’t advise taking the risk.
–J. Sybylla Smith
Route 9, 47 Boylston St. (next to Legal Seafoods), Chestnut Hill, 617 -264-2020
PHOTO BY Sarah Philbrick
June 24th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
I had no idea this store existed. I will have to come by and check it out!
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Yah, I went to this store right before Thanksgiving. If you like over-priced pretentious items that you can basically get at Pier One, then shop here. The owners seem clueless as to the economy outside which is sort of funny. When I went, no customers were in the store for quite a while. I was with my mom and we shopped for about 25 min. Waste of time. One saleswoman, a blondish/very man-ly looking face (I think its the blonde in the pic above with the headband! that is a great pic-believe me) She was so full of herself, snotty, & was talking politics on the phone really really loud, and basically was so annoying we had to leave. I don’t think I missed anything in this store. Skip it. Believe me, the lease will not be renewed. They have no idea what they are doing.