New Eco-Elegance shop recycles weddings

April Randolph, a former sea turtle biologist, shows off a silk Vera Wang wedding dress in her brand new Eco-Elegance consignment shop on Market Street in the Old Port. While the store offers a sleek, polished look, this isn't your typical bridal boutique. All the gowns are "pre-loved" (as April calls them), and the goal is to help local brides reduce wedding costs and then recycle wedding items after the big day has passed. As an example, this Vera Wang dress cost $5,000 new and is selling for $2,500 at Eco-Elegance.

A number of the gowns have never been worn. It's not that the weddings didn't happen, but rather reflects the trend of brides buying more than one dress before deciding (often just a day or two before the wedding) which one to wear. The other dresses, with tags still attached, can't be returned to the retailers where they came from, but they can be consigned to Eco-Elegance, where the bride will get 50% of the sales price.

For April, the switch from scientist to shop owner came when she realized she wanted to put her environmental values to use in a way that allowed her to interact more with people. So she swapped biology for ball gowns.

The shop also accepts bridesmaids gowns, mother of the bride dresses and general evening wear.

Oh yes, and there are shoes too. The only new items in the store are the lingerie pieces.

Another really cool feature of the shop is the section selling candles, cake cutters, flower baskets, napkins, centerpieces and other decor items. Many brides put hours and hours of time and significant amounts of cash into creating gorgeous decorations that are only enjoyed for a few fleeting hours. Now brides can recoup some of this time and money, and brides-to-be can get first rate decor for discounted prices.

No appointment is needed to come into the shop and try on dresses. Even though the atmosphere is laid back, the store's design and amenities are just as elegant as the name.

Eco-Elegance is located at 157 Middle St, near the entrance to Videoport & Bull Moose. It is open Wed-Sat 10 am-6 pm and Sun 1-6 pm. FMI call 828-4696.

Shop shuffle in Old Port

In the past month, a number of my favorite storefronts have packed up their bags and moved to new digs. Here are a few of the highlights.

Aucocisco Galleries is now settled into the spot previously occupied by the Daniel Kany Gallery. Since I walk by this window at 89 Exchange Street almost daily, I'm thrilled to have the chance to check out this majestic Bernard Langlais sculpture every time I pass. The gallery also puts on an awesome reception for every First Friday Art Walk.

Down the street a bit, near the intersection of Exchange and Fore, Puzzles & Games Etc has moved into a new shop at 299 Fore Street. (It used to be on Wharf Street.) This is an excellent place to pick up a fun board game or a puzzle before you head out to camp. It's also a great spot to buy gifts for those hard to shop for people.

With the warm weather here, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy a bottle of wine. If you're looking to pick up some at Old Port Wine Merchants, you'll want to know it's moved from Fore Street to 223 Commercial Street. Should you need buying advice or want to try something new, proprietor Jacques deVillier is always happy to help. And while I don't know the first thing about stogies, the shop has a big walk-in humidor and what I hear is an excellent selection of cigars.

Compositions opens with flowers, art & jewelry

The Compositions boutique opened only two days ago, but it's already filling orders for local celebrities. This gorgeous arrangement is being sent by a friend to Rob Evans, who owns Hugo's and Duckfat. Monday night Rob won the James Beard Foundation's award for best chef of the Northeast region, which is the foodie equivalent of an Oscar.

The guys creating such sleek floral designs are James McBride (left) and John McVeigh. According to John (who's both a renowned opera singer and a fantastic jewelry designer), the full service florist service aims to create floral design in an "upscale, European style."

The shop also offers a few gift items, artwork and jewelry. Right now, a number of Shoshannah White's encaustic flower photographs are on display, and the plan is to change out the art ever other month ahead of the First Friday Art Walk.

John's nature-inspired jewelry is for sale in the shop too. These pieces include lovely earrings, brooches and necklaces. He creates a number of designs for men as well, and says his jewelry designs grew out of his opera work, where colleagues would often ask him to create cuff links and other masculine accessories. For brides and grooms, John offers a custom wedding ring design service.

Should you want to check out the space, stop by this Thursday night, May 7, from 5-8 pm for the grand opening celebration. You can find it at 13 Free Street or access it from the Monument Way indoor mini-mall that connects to Monument Square. The shop is open Monday-Friday from 10 am-6 pm and Saturday from 9 am-2 pm. You can call in your floral orders at 899-2211.

Upscale resale shop moves to Exchange Street

New England resale chain Second Time Around recently moved its Portland consignment shop from Fore Street to Exchange Street, into the storefront previously occupied by Simply Chic. The Exchange Street store is now the main store, while the spot on Fore Street is called the Annex and all the clothing there is priced between $5-$20.

This shop is a popular stop for local fashionistas who don't want to drop a lot of Benjamins for the latest looks. Browsing through the racks, I spotted all the hottest labels from Gucci and Marc Jacobs to Banana Republic and DKNY.

Here's Manager Jessica Powers sorting through a stack of clothes dropped off today. She says business is booming, and she expects the new location on the high foot traffic Exhcange Street to boost sales even more.

Should you want to bring in your own gently used threads into the store to sell, here's what you need to know.

1. You need to call or go online and make an appointment
2. Everything needs to be in perfect condition
3. Nothing you drop off can be more than two years old
4. You need to clean the clothes before you drop them off

Clothing that still has tags attached is marked at 50% off retail price and everything else is priced at 40% off retail.

Second Time Around is located at 28 Exchange St. It is open Mon.-Sat. 10 am- 6 pm and Sun. noon-5 pm. Second Time Around Annex is located at 367 Fore St. and maintains the same hours. FMI or to schedule a time to drop off items, call 761-7037.

Posh new digs for Head Games & The Landing

The Head Games Salon for Hair & Body recently moved into an expansive space, which includes the brand new Landing Center for Healing Arts. Salon owner Alanna Peterkin kindly offered to show me around the renovated salon, which features lots of planet-friendly materials, such as cork floors and low-VOC paint.

When you first walk into the space at 116 Free Street, you see these salon stations (note the hanging hair dryers) and the curved bar. At the bar, stylists not only mix up hair color, but also cocktails for customers.

To the right of this area is a lovely white couch, where Peterkin (center) and her team of first-rate stylists agreed to gather for a photo.

Tucked into the well-lit area at the front of the shop, there's a make-up station featuring the all-natural Young Blood line. The salon also offers its own line of hair care products called Use Me, which I wrote about last September for Switch.

Peterkin's good friend Deanna Talarico (left) is the force behind The Landing, which offers daily classes in things like yoga, spinnng, Zumba, pilates, KettleBall, Latin Dance and Tai Chi. She's standing here with instructor Valerie Davis who offers LifeBreath classes. The drop-in rate for classes is $15 per hour, and you also can buy packages, such as the 10 Hour Package for $120, which allows you to attend any classes you want and includes a one month membership to the Heat Suite.

Speaking of that Heat Suite, the basement level of the buildings offers a number of massage therapy rooms, showers, a regular hot air sauna and this infrared sauna, which uses infrared radiation to instantly and directly heat your body. Come spring, Peterkin plans to add lockers and a storage area for bikes. She'll then sell passes to bike commuters allowing them to use the showers and changing rooms.

Need a cut or a color? Call them up at 773-8393.

Utopia makes old stuff cool again

I've been wondering what was going into the storefront in the recently completed glass-fronted building attached to the Portland Harbor Hotel, and today I found out. It's a sleek new furniture gallery called Utopia, where everything on display is created from reclaimed materials.

Shop manager Elena Usova was kind enough to show me around and tell me about the company's green philosophy. The wood comes from things like old pickle barrels and tobacco barns, and the metal in one of the pieces began life as a bridge. A few pieces are made from eco-friendly bamboo. Veering away from petroleum-based lacquers, finishes for the wood include citrus oil and natural wax.

Utopia runs a manufacturing facility in Gorham, where it's been making custom fixtures and furnishings for stores and restaurants for a number of years. Rather than showcasing commissioned work, the retail space contains Utopia's own line. But custom orders are welcome too.

Here's the Kinetic Table and Kinetic Chairs, which boast clean lines and a modern aesthetic. The table sells for $3,000 and the chairs go for $780.

This edgy table ensemble is one of president Ty Parr's latest creations. Parr and Brett Miller are the designer brains behind all this beauty.

Here's the Cashmere Sofa ($3,600), which is an utter dream to sink into. Should you want to give it try, head over to Utopia tomorrow night, Dec. 11, from 7-9 pm for a grand opening party. I can't promise Shangri-La, but I do hear there will be free drinks.

Utopia is located at 470 Fore St. It's open from 10 am-8 pm seven days a week. FMI call 899-4266 or click on over to www.utopiadesigns.com.

Utopia makes old stuff cool again

I've been wondering what was going into the storefront in the recently completed glass-fronted building attached to the Portland Harbor Hotel, and today I found out. It's a sleek new furniture gallery called Utopia, where everything on display is created from reclaimed materials.

Shop manager Elena Usova was kind enough to show me around and tell me about the company's green philosophy. The wood comes from things like old pickle barrels and tobacco barns, and the metal in one of the pieces began life as a bridge. A few pieces are made from eco-friendly bamboo. Veering away from petroleum-based lacquers, finishes for the wood include citrus oil and natural wax.

Utopia runs a manufacturing facility in Gorham, where it's been making custom fixtures and furnishings for stores and restaurants for a number of years. Rather than showcasing commissioned work, the retail space contains Utopia's own line. But custom orders are welcome too.

Here's the Kinetic Table and Kinetic Chairs, which boast clean lines and a modern aesthetic. The table sells for $3,000 and the chairs go for $780.

This edgy table ensemble is one of president Ty Parr's latest creations. Parr and Brett Miller are the designer brains behind all this beauty.

Here's the Cashmere Sofa ($3,600), which is an utter dream to sink into. Should you want to give it try, head over to Utopia tomorrow night, Dec. 11, from 7-9 pm for a grand opening party. I can't promise Shangri-La, but I do hear there will be free drinks.

Utopia is located at 470 Fore St. It's open from 10 am-8 pm seven days a week. FMI call 899-4266 or click on over to www.utopiadesigns.com.