The Jewelry Designer Behind Union Market's 'Brief Assembly' is Opening Her Own Store

Shelter founded Brief Assembly along with Carolyn Misterek, the designer behind DC-based handbag line Matine in December of 2017 Located at 1287 4th Street NE, the store attracted foot traffic from nearby Union Market, offering shoppers leather goods, organic beauty products, and handmade jewelry, drawing in the same clientele that might stop into Union Market on a Sunday afternoon for Korean tacos and a browse through Salt & Sundry Alas, like a proper pop-up, Brief Assembly shuttered its doors on July 1st.

But that wasn't the end for the jewelry designer, who was already working on her next project: a retail concept dubbed Shelter The eponymous jewelry store is set to open this Friday at 1258 5th Street NE, near Politics and Prose and O-Ku The 1,087-ft space will include a storefront housing Shelter's jewelry designs alongside other brands, with a working studio in the back.

As she became increasingly aware of other designers and saw the way customers responded to her own pieces, she began to realize just how large a hole there was in the DC jewelry market Alongside her own label and found vintage pieces, inventory at the store will include designers like Melissa Joy Manning, Molly Debiak, Bario Neal, Ariel Gordon, Page Sargisson, and Sarah Swell As for the store location, Shelter has long been committed to the Union Market District. Source