Midtown apparel alert: The Peacock Room to open in Park Shelton building

"Most women don't like to dig. They like to shop."

With a boutique setting, an emphasis on personal service and presentation, Rachel Lutz says she plans to open The Peacock Room, offering shoppers a mix of upscale consignment, vintage and new apparel options for men and women, in the lobby space of the Park Shelton this year.

Lutz, a former personal shopper with eight years experience in the luxury fabric industry, debuted the concept with five popular pop-up trunk shows around Detroit this summer. "It's been difficult for me to keep up with demand," she says. "I've already built a following that's eagerly anticipating the opening of the shop."

While Lutz owns that she's always dreamed of opening her own apparel store, she says she was inspired to take action by a study released by the DEGC last year. "The study said that Detroiters spent $200 million on groceries outside the city and $321 million on apparel outside the city," she says. "I'm trying to step up and give a much-needed amenity to people who already live or are considering living in Detroit."

With the help of an architect, retail consultant and designer, she says the 1,000 sq. ft interior space, will be "very well-merchandised, and very beautiful. Because the Park Shelton is a historic building, I want the design to pay homage to the city's history, while bringing the building into the future."

The mix of upscale consignment and new clothing is meant to serve the diverse needs of Midtown's population, she says. "I like that my merchandise will speak to the sophistication of professionals but will also be accessible to a student budget. Midtown offers me that wide-ranging audience," she says. She also plans to stock hard-to-find wardrobe basics at the shop.

The Peacock Room's name, for history buffs like Lutz, also denotes a little-known piece of Detroit history. The Peacock Room, a masterpiece of colorful interior murals, was designed and created by eminent American painter James Abbott McNeil Whistler. The entire room was shipped to Detroit, where it was installed in the mansion of prominent industrialist and art collector Charles Lang Freer on Ferry Street.

Lutz adds that she's excited to join other apparel retailers like Pauline's Closet, The Black Dress, Sole Sisters, GOODS and Flo's Boutique, and looks forward to adding to Midtown's increasing reputation as a retail destination. "The time is right for the neighborhood, the time is right for this kind of business -- it's all coming together at the right time."

The Peacock Room will be located within the lobby of the Park Shelton building at 15. E. Kirby at Woodward (with signage on the building's exterior). A website, peacockroomdetroit.com, will be online soon. In the meantime, become a friend of The Peacock Room on Facebook.

Source: Rachel Lutz, owner, The Peacock Room
Writer: Ashley C. Woods