This housewares and lifestyle boutique charms with colorful, whimsical style
By Emily Kovach
For Shannon Maldonado, owner and founder of Yowie, Fabric Row has always been special. As a middle schooler, she and her mom would search the fabric shops together for vintage patterns, trims and textiles. When she began looking for a home for her own retail concept, this bustling strip of Queen Village just seemed right. We chatted with her to learn more about her new housewares boutique on South 4th Street.
What’s the aesthetic inspiration behind Yowie?
SM: Yowie is a container for all of the things that I love… The aesthetic is meant to be modern with nods to past art movements, old films, and read as a collage of color, different raw materials and a bit of humor. I love the way all of our objects play off of one another and create a fun, inviting and bright space that people want to spend time in.
When exactly did you open?
SM: We opened on Friday, June 23, to a packed house of friends, family and people we’ve met through our year of pop-ups. We were working up to the minute that we opened. That being said, it was a perfect night and I wouldn’t change one second of it.
How do you curate the shop?
SM: It’s mostly intuitive… There’s no exact process other than me falling in love with things, mostly on Instagram and through trade shows, and some interior sites that I admire. I try to find artists that are doing something different within the home goods space or ones that don’t create home goods that we can experiment with. I believe in every object in our shop.
What would you like to offer that you currently don’t?
SM: More soft goods, such as textiles and pillows. We’re working on solving that problem with our first in-house products that we will be launching next year. We’re also working hard to increase our exclusive product range through collaborations with our artists and friends. We always want the shop to feel new and refreshing.
How have you seen retail/boutique culture change or evolve in Philly?
SM: I was living in New York for the past 12 years before returning to Philly last summer, and part of the reason I opened Yowie here is that I felt the retail landscape was finally ready for something different. It’s exciting as we enter our fifth month in the shop to feel like we’re forging these deep friendships with our neighbors, customers and even passersby that just stumble upon us. I don’t think there’s been one day that I haven’t smiled when I walk through the door.
Yowie, 716 S. 4th St.; no phone
