5/9 – Frye’s Shrine to Leather

The air inside smelled like leather. Leather belts hung from steel frames from the ceiling. Boots lined the walls. Tasteful things that ‘match’ leather adorned every corner, such as patina’ed card catalogues, antiqued globes, exposed steel pipework, and low, warm accent lighting. My favorite objects were the absolutely enormous leather armchairs, presumably for people to sit while trying on fine leather shoes. For me however, although I walked in with dinged up Engineer 12Rs on my feet, I wasn’t there to buy… just enjoying the art and smell of a beautifully executed consumer palace.