Best New Shopping Cities

Minneapolis

This progressive metropolis is finally having its shopping moment: Indie stores abound with labels both international and local, plus affordable antiques.

Covered

Home to the University of Minnesota, the bustling Dinkytown neighborhood was shockingly devoid of any small-label boutiques before the emergence of Covered, which offers undergrads a stellar assortment of largely under-$100 pieces by names like Tulle, L.A. Made, and Topin, all in a tiny yet welcoming space.
402 14th Ave. SE, 612-378-4776, shopcovered.com

Design Collective

More than 100 talents from all over Minnesota are represented at this off-the-beaten-path design incubator. We were most impressed with Adrianne E. Gammie's pinafore jumpers and curve-flattering jersey dresses by third-season Project Runway contestant—and Minneapolis native—Katherine Gerdes.
1131 W. 26th St., 612-377-1000

Hunt & Gather

The key to this antique outpost's greatness is that owner Kristi Berkvam Stratton has a hand in what each of the store's 25 vendors sell, so there's not a shred of junk. And the merchandising is brilliant: One educational-themed room features 1950s flashcards, bright wood letters, and amusingly outdated globes displayed among old classroom furniture.
4944 Xerxes Ave. S, 612-455-0250

Ivy

Since its 2005 inception, this has been the go-to spot for on-the-cusp small labels, many of them European. Currently on offer: By Malene Birger kimono tops, LP&P paper-bag-waist pants, and Designers Remix swing coats fastened with oversize buttons.
3001 Hennepin Ave. S, 612-827-2764

Letterbox

Helmed by husband and wife Kimberley Yurkiewicz and Zach Barocas, this charming paper goods shop is an excellent resource for cards by Tall Cow and Bella Muse, plus prints and wrapping paper.
2741 Hennepin Ave. S, 612-870-4529

Luehmann

That it's both tiny (200 square feet) and located down a residential street perfectly suits this curiosity shop. Inside, it feels as if you've been transported to a bizarre world that's equal parts natural history museum and eccentric study. Every inch of space has been dramatically arranged with taxidermied porcupines, old pharmaceutical vitrines, and faded daguerreotype portraits.
5005 Bryant Ave. S, 612-285-8467

Salon Rouge

Veteran salon owner Richard Staab transformed an unlikely locale—his condo's century-old basement—into a lavish toile-wallpapered, rococo-mirrored, heavily chandeliered palace of upscale beauty products. What's lining the gilded filigree shelves—Comme des Garçons perfumes, Hervé Gambs candles, Mason Pearson brushes—provides as much of a draw as the interior.
6 S. 13th St., 612-374-2201

Soleil Brulé

On the tranquil shores of Lake Minnetonka is this global bazaar, brimming with artisanal market finds from far-flung points like Morocco, Haiti, Egypt, and Mali. Look for mother-of-pearl inlaid settees, embroidered poufs, and Berber wedding blankets.
726 E. Lake St., Wayzata, 952-476-9600

Walker Shop

Museum gift shops often disappoint with their all-too-predictable stock. Not so with the store in the Herzog & de Meuron-designed expansion of the celebrated Walker Art Center. The airy space has the casual feel of a Malibu beach house and is loaded with inspired odds and ends, like Hella Jongerius beaded bowls and Tivoli retro-looking radios, plus a library's worth of hard-to-find art and photography books.
1750 Hennepin Ave., 612-375-7633, shop.walkerart.org

Bella Lana

This knitting shop has a sleekness that's atypical of most craft-supply emporiums. The light-flooded space is accented with more than 150 white paper lanterns, which provide a striking backdrop for the many neatly organized skeins of high-quality yarn and designer patterns.
21 Fourth St. SE, 612-331-3330
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