Metropolitan Soul- Beauty from far and near
It all began in a South Carolina surf shop. Between folding tee-shirts to creating hand-drawn maps for tourists in search of a good bar, Tracy Monaghan Darcy did everything in her nine years of work. While she wasn’t working, Monaghan Darcy was pursuing her childhood dream of opening her own store.
“It was probably in middle school when I knew I wanted to own my own store” she recalled.
As she worked, Monaghan Darcy chased this dream by studying fashion merchandising at Winthrop College in South Carolina. It was during these years of work that she realized the importance of having a strong relationship with shoppers—an evident trait shown in her warm interactions with store regulars at her downtown Bangor boutique, Metropolitan Soul.
From west coast to east coast and the far reaches of Europe, Monaghan Darcy has seen the beauty of fashion worldwide. She understands the importance of her customers being able to connect and identify with the artwork and fashions of her store.
The large wave mural that hangs behind the counter of Metropolitan Soul is a token of just that—identity through artwork.
With its striking deep-blue tones, the hand painted wave, created by a local artist, is nothing short of breath taking. It is near mirror image of the owners wave tattoo worn on her wrist– even her own husband mistakenly thought this painting had been custom made. This image is representative of the many years she spent in South Carolina living, studying and working at the local surf shop. This is one of thousands of treasure in the store that owner and customers alike can identify with.
When Metropolitan Soul opened in 2005, Monaghan Darcy was unaware of how diverse the store would grow to be. From the Egyptian glass vases, Japanese bowls and Kenyan soapstone to local pottery, jewelry and paintings, the stores diversity speaks for itself. It has been referred to by one local therapist as her therapy and by another– a museum. The open concept of the boutique allows visitors the freedom to take away from it what they want.
During the busy holiday season this past winter, Monaghan Darcy recalls one Japanese woman who came into the store and purchased twenty of Metropolitan Soul’s Japanese bowls.
“If a Japanese woman can walk into a store in Maine and buy some American sold, Japanese made bowls for her friends and have it represent who she is and where she’s from, but somehow through my store—that’s really cool. And all for around twenty-dollars each.”
Another store quality, as evident as its diversity, is its affordability. “You can come in here with a twenty-dollar bill and say ‘OK, I need a little gift for teacher, mom, sister,’ whoever, really- and get it for under twenty dollars.”
Having sold everything from tee shirts at a surf shop to selling $36,000 pearl necklaces at a high-end store in Philadelphia, Tracy knows that “there is really cool stuff out there that’s not expensive.”
With its close proximity to the University of Maine, Metropolitan Soul seemed fit for expansion into Orono. While driving to and from football camp with her son last June, Monaghan Darcy couldn’t help but notice the vacant store at the corner of Mill and Main Street in Orono. After only two months, the vacant store was hers. In August 2011, the Bangor boutique expanded into the college town.
Although she occasionally wishes her two stores had one solid theme through out, it is the diversity that Metropolitan Soul has to thank for its success. Through her travels all over the globe, Monaghan Darcy has acquired a vast appreciation for all styles, so by exploring different trends in her store, everyone can find something that speaks to their own identity.
As with the Japanese woman at Christmas time, Metropolitan Soul hopes to continue speaking to their clientele through its eclectic mix of styles that embody all that the store stands for; beauty for far and near, all brought home to Maine.
photo credits: google images