The Ponce City Market is a great destination for visitors to engage in conversation and take in wonderful pieces of artwork while simultaneously shopping. Ironically so is Kit and Ace (675 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta, Ga. 30308; M-Sat 10-9 p.m., Sun. 12-8 p.m).
The Old Fourth Ward location opened in November and is located immediately to the right of the mall's outside entrance off Ponce De Leon Avenue. Kit and Ace is much more than just a place to grab a beautiful accessory for a night out -- if you're in the market, the signature finishing scarf ($108.00) would make quite the choice.
It's also the only store in the city of Atlanta (for the moment) where one can experience technical cashmere. What exactly is technical cashmere? Technical cashmere is cashmere enhanced with technical fabrics like elastane and viscose.
The store's founders Shannon and J J Wilson, a stepmother and stepson team, explain it this way.
"Technical cashmere is the fundamental fabric from our Qemir (the trademarked name for the product) family," said Shannon Wilson in an email. "It's easy to wear, easy to care for and retains its shape throughout the day."
At the Ponce City Market location store director Kerry Gronewald will readily point customers in the direction of the supper club tables full of dana tees ($78.00) and uniform fit v-tees ($98.00), both pieces are made of technical cashmere flat locked for comfort and "enhanced with stretch to move with you," Shannon said. To the touch, they both feel like they should immediately be included among your weekly dry-cleaning load but surprisingly are machine washable.
The Kit and Ace More Volume skirt ($188.00) and Raleigh skirt ($118.00) are the perfect combination of work-casual and weekend-ready.
"Our clothing offers the same performance you'd expect from technical athletic apparel but is created using luxurious proprietary fabrics," JJ said.
"The technical fabrications and designs set us apart," Shannon said.
The seed for an Atlanta location was planted after a successful pop-up studio stint at Ponce City Market last fall. "We saw a positive response to the brand," JJ said.
According to the founders, Kit and Ace was born out of necessity.
"We attempted to create a new venture that reflected an effortless way of living," Shannon said.
"We ultimately developed an entirely new category of clothing -- technical streetwear -- that functions for everyday wear," JJ said.
With spring in full gear and the temperatures about to rise in Atlanta, the Crossover polo (available in navy blue, heather gray and white, $98) and Breezeway polo (available in white, heather camilia (salmon-like) and charcoal, $108.00) are perfect examples of doing just that. What better time than now to put that technical cashmere to work on your next day or night out?
The Wilsons have plans to open a 2,250-square-foot Kit and Ace location at The Shops at Buckhead in May. Stores also in the works for 2016 are in Dallas and Austin, Texas; Bethesda, Md.; Boston; Burlington, Calif.; Chicago; Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio; Denver, Detroit, Miami, and at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. There are also plans to expand internationally to Australia on the Gold Coast and in Sydney.
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