Describing Zipper is pretty much synonymous with describing its owners, Elizabeth Cashour and Steven Saden: fascinating, fun, eclectic and surprising, as well as welcoming, accessible and possessed of an exceptional aesthetic.
Fine, but what is the shop? It’s a modern mercantile emporium, according to Cashour and Saden, whose philosophy is that customers should enjoy the experience, savoring all the things they are drawn to at their own pace. “We want people to spend time in the store, not just shop here,” said Saden. “We encourage them to touch, smell, browse and try out what catches their imagination.”
Last July, a serendipitous set of circumstances led the partners to open Zipper at Cornerstone Place down on Highway 12/121. “We feel very at home in the natural garden setting at Cornerstone,” said Saden, “though our other location in Los Angeles is a fast-paced, urban setting.” Each brings an artist’s sensibility to the business, Cashour is a former playwright and arts executive; Saden was a fashion designer for Perry Ellis and Carolina Herrera. Together, they opened Zipper in Los Angeles in 1993, becoming among the first retailers to create a “lifestyle” kind of store that soon attracted a high profile, celebrity clientele.
The Sonoma shop’s soft white interior, with its high ceilings and abundant natural light, provides the backdrop for an impressive blend of products, many of which are exclusive to Zipper. Handmade faux ostrich chairs and couches from Peru created with textured vinyl coexist alongside the high concept interior design pieces such as a 20-foot-long honeycomb black tissue paper screen by Molo and an ultra-soft lambs wool bench and cushions made in Tibet.
There’s a children’s section populated with bright, primary colored items: a vanilla-scented doll from France, toys and games and a line of books based on musical greats like Miles Davis and Ella Fitzgerald, each with a CD that reflects their music and as popular with adults as they are with kids.
“We spend a lot of time choosing the products we carry,” Saden said. “We ‘curate’ the children’s section in a sense. We read every book and evaluate the toys and games, looking for quality in the manufacturing and concept, and we always have one or two ‘over-the-top’ items.” This season’s “big fun” items are a child-sized red Ducati motorbike, and a sea-foam green Vespa, based on a limited edition collectible model by Piaget. Both have training wheels and are powered by a 12-volt battery.
Home accents at Zipper range from the whimsical to museum-quality art. Known for his exquisite torn edge pots, John Scott has collaborated with architect Richard Neutra and artist Frank Stella. “John Scott represents the kind of people we seek out and form relationships with,” said Saden. “They are independent artists and designers who we can bring to the public.”
A particular love of Saden’s is the book section, an uncommon assortment of the extraordinary, the curious, the grand and the gritty. “In My Stairwell” is Mark Seliger’s dramatic collection of black and white photographs of celebrities from Mikhail Baryshnikov to Paul McCartney, all photographed in the artist’s stairwell. For those with a tendency toward capacious bosoms, there’s “The Big Book of Breasts,” which covers (or uncovers) the biggest and the best, chronicling the Golden Age of natural curves.
However, the hands down, best gift for any man is “The Book of Cool.” This unique concept includes three DVDs and a 320-page book that incorporates incredible filming, far-flung locations and an insider’s look at dozens of sports, skills, tricks and more, performed and explained in detail by experts from around the world.
Now that’s cool.
Zipper art form + function
23592 Hwy. 121; 707.996.7956; www.zippergifts.com
Open daily, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
