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New indie fashion retailer Ritual plans to bring an edge — and conscience — to Pike/Pine

Two industry veterans are coming together to create a new fashion shopping experience on E Pike they hope moves beyond faceless, soulless big box retailers.

“We both became a little more disillusioned with faceless, fast profit, fashion companies,” William Rheinhardt tells CHS about Ritual, the new store he and business partner Sarah Randall Williams are creating in the 900 block of E Pike in the middle of the neighborhood’s nightlife and club scene.

After meeting in the trenches working on West Coast efforts for Swedish retailer H&M, Rheinhardt says he and Williams are breaking out after a combined 40 years in the industry to create their own fashion shop featuring clothing as well as household and lifestyle goods.

“We’ve been looking to partner with brands that have a social conscience,” Rheinhardt said. “We see that as the greatest need in fashion.”

 

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2014 vs. 2018 at 914 E Pike (Source: Google)

Combining their expertise in aesthetics and logistics, the partners also know price is an important part of the equation along with social and environmental considerations. “We know that people want to spend their dollars correctly,” Rheinhardt said.

With a look planned to be industrial and “maybe” a little medieval, the new store is planned to open in early November in a space formerly home to the popular Ballet Vietnamese restaurant that had previously been lined up for another food+drink project in the Rancho Bravo family of restaurants. The space, Rheinhardt says, is beautiful with an exposed brick wall and fir floor — and huge. They’ll have around 1,400 square feet to spread out in.

As for the look on the racks, expect ritual to have an edge with a focus on form and fit — not just function. Maybe think of All Saints — but more interesting.

With the neighborhood’s style and accepting and open culture, Rheinhardt says E Pike and Capitol Hill will be the ideal launching pad for the new business.

“Capitol Hill is where my life revolves around,” he said. “I chose to live here because of the Capitol Hill aesthetic.”

Ritual is planned to open in early November at 914 E Pike. You can learn more at buyritual.com.

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Tom
Tom
5 years ago

I hope someone helps them with that logo.

Julia Kaplan
Julia Kaplan
5 years ago

Well, we don’t really have big box fashion stores up on Capitol Hill and we have had previous Industrial and edgy clothing stores up here before, when we actually had Capitol Hill people who
bought and wore that kind of clothing and still thru went out of business. I am hard pressed to think that the soulless, bland, drab clothing of the Amazon contract workers that live in the Hill now will shop there, nor the weekend flicks of woo girls, bachelorette parties or agro-bros will shop there. But I will be rooting for them and will def be visiting them and wish them all kinds of luck…and strength.

Pam
Pam
5 years ago
Reply to  Julia Kaplan

Have more faith in your local goths.

Cory
Cory
5 years ago

Let’s get real, if you don’t have a lot of money you won’t be able to shop there. That is the way most of Capitol Hill is going.