A man should be able to lose his suitcase and pick up everything he needs at Dune.
This is the mantra co-owners Annette Luna and Jamie Kiersted had in mind when planning their new men’s clothing store on Winter street in Edgartown. Offering everything from beach attire to a smart suit for a summer wedding, Dune hopes to be a one-stop shop for the Island set.
The husband and wife team opened their new shop at the beginning of April but they are not new to the Vineyard. Mr. Kiersted grew up on the Island before transplanting as an adult to Los Angeles, where he spent over a decade in the advertising industry. Like so many other wayward Islanders, Mr. Kiersted returned to the Island and his family’s business — The Boneyard — with Ms. Luna at the start of the pandemic.
The idea for a mens’ store soon took shape.
“I always expected there to be a men’s shop here sooner rather than later, another iteration of Sundog,” Mr. Kiersted said. “Eventually I just realized that there probably wasn’t anyone better suited to do it than us, having another store in town already.”
Mr. Kiersted and Ms. Luna spent the winter renovating their two-story Winter street space, painting the lower floor a rich navy blue and lining the stairwell with vintage concert posters and photographs. A sculpture of an arching shark sits over the doorway.
“We wanted it to be masculine, but flamboyant,” Mr. Kiersted said. “We went all in, and we knew that we wanted to land with a splash — not like, ‘Oh, that’s kind of cool.’”
“We have one opportunity to make a first impression,” Ms. Luna said.
On the store’s lower floor, casual shorts and camp shirts circle a large rack of smartly patterned swimsuits. Upstairs, a modest selection of jackets, dress shoes and simple knit goods for more formal occasions surround a vintage couch upholstered in bright-orange chevron.
The couple said they wanted to create a space that felt at home on the Island, and help men break out of their old habits so they can explore the fun and expressive side of dressing.
“I think that sometimes there’s an idea of what someone from New England should dress like, and people kind of buy into that,” Mr. Kiersted said. “They don’t really think about how it expresses who they are.”
“I have a reverence for the Island aesthetic, but I also know what rules should be broken,” he added.
Among the season’s best sellers are fine knit polos and breezy linen shirts, done up in colorful stripes and best worn with the hem untucked and sleeves easily cuffed.
Although Dune has been open for a few months, the season really began to pick up with Memorial Day, the couple said. This weekend, they face their most important holiday of the year: Father’s Day.
As she spoke with the Gazette, Ms. Luna briefly dashed off to help a young woman select the right pair of shorts for her husband.
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