The New Normal in Charleston
artistic swagger. Even more delightful
is the fact that much of this high falutin’
artistry is enveloped in a smack sense
of humor, revealing that the city is not,
thank heavens, taking itself too seriously.
The aesthetically-inclined are rewarded
wherever they turn in this tiny urban
oasis dotted with palm trees, parterre
gardens, hipster dives and niche boutiques. Step into Magar Hatworks and
you will find milliner, Leigh Magar,
creating a range of custom-only
toppers from feather-festooned felt
fedoras to headpieces that border on
performance art.
Gaze into a glowing backlit, velvetlined case at Gabrielle Jewelry, and
you’ll see the delicate and exquisite
cast-lace creations of millennial metalsmith Gabrielle Bratton who “soaks
bits of lace in hot wax to make a mold,
or cast, before pouring molten metal
into the cavity to set the design.”
Magar Hatworks. BOTTOM: Cast lace
neckpiece by Gabrielle Jewelry.
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In Charleston’s northern neck, a former strip club has been resurrected
as an artisanal woodworking factory
which, on occasion, seems to be going
up in smoke. Charring—a technique
the Japanese developed to ward off
rot and insect infestation—has been
mastered by Moran Woodworked
Furniture and is used to “achieve