Asterluxe is a new Providence shop that sells handmade, small-batch goods with a focus on women makers and wellness.
Erin Myles and Nicole Deponte like the small city feel of Providence. To them, the city has just a little more dirt under its fingernails, and, as small business owners, this is essential.
The pair recently found themselves in flux: Deponte had moved to Providence to get away from the big city feel of New York City, and Myles had left a 10-plus year career as a jewelry designer in the local costume manufacturing industry. The conversation to begin Asterluxe was an organic opportunity that fell into place while living as neighbors in the West End of Providence.
Asterluxe has had a good response since opening in October. “People are excited to have something new and special in the neighborhood, and engagement in our workshops has been growing,” says Myles. “We’d like to continue to engage more people in our neighborhood and across Rhode Island, and make Asterluxe and the West End neighborhood a destination for food and great shopping.”
The shop’s tagline, “Abode, Adornment, Atmosphere,” describes its focus on the home, the body, and the space between them. Fittingly, the boutique sells handmade, small-batch goods with a focus on women makers and wellness.
“We want Asterluxe to be a destination away from the chaos of our busy world, a place where you can feel cared for while also supporting our community of American-made makers and artists,” Deponte says. Asterluxe supports its makers in many ways, including monthly blog posts on their Maker Profile blog that introduce readers to a new artist that the shop carries.
As makers themselves, Myles and Deponte feel it’s important to educate customers about the importance of handmade and its place in our culture. “We both take immense inspiration from the stories of our makers, their daily rituals, sneak peaks into their workdays, and their catalysts to create,” says Myles. “We want to bring that inspiration to our community.”
To provide this inspiration, Asterluxe has begun hosting workshops at the boutique. The most recent workshop in a series called “Crafting for Good” focused on bookmaking and completely sold out. The workshop was hosted in collaboration with local maker Christian Roy, and all proceeds were donated to a local charity, Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island.
With an online shop set to open this summer, Asterluxe is poised for expansion beyond Providence and into the greater New England area. “Asterluxe brings together our love for our neighborhood and our goal to support makers and artists across the country,” says Deponte.