Lane & Kate

Nestled on High Street in Oxford, there’s a beautiful little shop full of sparkling trinkets, jewels, home goods and positive energy. What was once a store under a different name, two sisters purchased and rebranded it. Today, it’s Lane and Kate, a shop that specializes in fashion, gifts and home decor, with an emphasis on shopping local, creativity and community.

Rachel Pfeiffer was an associate at Collected Works, the store that previously called this space home, while she was studying at Miami University. Since she was local, she stuck around after graduation for seasonal shifts. The opportunity then arose to purchase the store. That’s when Pfeiffer and her sister Jessica Greene jumped at the opportunity because it was the perfect fit for their personal and professional passions.

“We love the Oxford community and really had a long-term vision for how we wanted the store to evolve – it was and still is a very exciting time,” Pfeiffer says. “The name change to Lane & Kate reflects mine and my sister’s middle names, Rachel Lane and Jessica Katherine.”

With no expertise as business owners, the two have grown together, hand-in-hand, discovering new things about each other and the business world. “When we first started working together, we honestly weren’t sure how it was going to play out,” Pfeiffer says. “But, it’s made our bond even stronger as we’ve weathered this challenging, rewarding, crazy, amazing, fun chapter in our lives.”

Shopping local and supporting the local creative community has become truly important to the sisterly duo.

“We’ve learned so much as both business owners and members of our community,” Pfeiffer says. “In terms of people, we’ve become much more privy to what goes on behind the scenes of our vendors and artists and just how much work goes into what they do, so definitely gaining appreciation for that group. We have such a great appreciation for our customers because we do know they are actively seeking to support our artists and lines, our store, and the local economy.”

With two different sisters, come two different personalities in the store reflected in their merchandise. “Lane is our music festival girl, our nature lover with perpetual wanderlust – she’s where we get our inspiration for a lot of the raw and natural pieces and lines that we carry like Efflorescent Metals, Old Hills Design Co., Aspen Bay, Emily Amey, and Gentle Fawn,” Pfeiffer says. “Kate is our polished fashionista who never misses Sunday brunch, always sends a ‘Thank You’ note on impeccable stationery, and looks for more classic and feminine pieces – lines like Rifle Paper Co., Katie Waltman, Rachael Ryen, English Factory and Olivia Burton are inspired by her.”

Staffed mostly by students, Lane & Kate works to engage a younger audience through social media and buying decisions. “When we hire new associates, we not only look for kind hearts and a good work ethic, we look for people who really identify with our brand,” Pfeiffer says. “In turn, we have a team who is very excited about not only our inventory, but our emphasis on creative expression – so everyone is really on the same page when it comes to crafting a thoughtful post.”

Aside from the beautiful items sold in the store, Lane & Kate offer signature workshops that have become a huge part of the soul of their business. Just about once a month, Lane & Kate bring in local artists to teach everything from floral design to calligraphy. “We love these classes so much because they blend community and creativity together in such a lovely way,” Pfeiffer says.

“There is no greater compliment than when someone walks in and says they want to stay here forever,” Pfeiffer says. “The atmosphere that we strive to create absolutely stems from the dynamic personalities and talents of our team.”

Lane & Kate is located at 29 East High Street in Oxford, Ohio. If you’re looking for like more information, visit their website at http://www.laneandkate.com.