Garage Collective Shines In Chamber Of Commerce Spotlight

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — If you've driven by Surf and Sand Hotel, chances are you've seen Garage Collective. Laguna Beach native Kristin Lewis grew her store from a collaborative "pop-up" effort with friends into an actual thriving store five years later.

Located at 1524 South Coast Highway, on the land side of the street, the store bills itself as "a curated mix of unique finds, local artisans, and global goods." Browsing Lewis's Facebook and Instagram worthy photos, her love of design and self-introspection translates to offering products for those who want to create a beautiful yet affordable lifestyle in Laguna beach.

How she developed this plan was recently expanded upon by the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce.

"I read the book 'Big Magic' by Elizabeth Gilbert and to say I was inspired would be an understatement," she told the Chamber. "The book, which I have read about four times since, talks about creative living and not allowing your fear of failure (and other fears, insert list of a hundred other fears here) hold you back from doing what you want to do."

Inspired by the book, Lewis decided to put the ideas into action. She reached out some talented friends and floated the idea of a pop-up sale using their personal garages as a storefront. With that, GARAGE collective was born.

"For a year we transformed my garage and a couple of other locations into a store. We also began to do pop-ups with local businesses. Each of us offered a unique product. I specialized in rugs, textiles, pottery, and leather."

Much of the original idea remains the same.

"When I opened the shop I wanted to expand my product lines and you can't be good at everything. I found women in my same position. They were makers and wanted to branch out from doing only pop-ups or online to the retail aspect of a business. So in essence, their shop is within my shop. They rent shelf space for a specific time and eventually are rotated out with new makers so that the products change."

GARAGE Collective also allows makers to work in the space and use it as their creative time.
"That allows them to connect with their customers and curate their products," she said. "In addition to sharing in overhead, we also collaborate and support one another. "

Visit GARAGE Collective at shopgaragecollectivelaguna.com