Six Picks: Christine Kostyrka of The Philadelphia Museum of Art
Christine Kostyrka is the Director of Retail at The Philadelphia Museum of Art. Her love of design and handcraft has led to a 30+ year career overseeing buying and product development for Home and Lifestyle at Martha Stewart, Crate and Barrel, and Urban Outfitters (where she was part of the resurgence of turntables and vinyl!). After joining The Philadelphia Museum of Art during a huge expansion which included the opening of four brand new stores and several exhibition shops, she has helped to introduce and support the work of almost 100 local artisans, while also sourcing from global vendors on buying trips both stateside and overseas. “Our goal is to provide a shopping experience that is just as transportive, educational and inspiring as the galleries and collection itself,” she says. Here are six of her favorites from Shoppe Online’s marketplace, curated alongside her Buying team.
What kind of products/objects are you most drawn to right now?
Objects with a soulfulness or touch of hand. Pieces that have slight variations that help tell the story of how they were crafted. After being immersed in digital forever, it feels like we are longing for tactile experiences again, and surrounding ourselves with the warmth that comes from handmade.
What is the best purchase you’ve made for yourself this year?
A Sora Daily Moon Calendar from Hot Cool Tokyo designed by Koyomi Seikatsu 曆生活 and crafted from Junpakushi Paper, which is kind of like Glassine. I’m obsessed. It has wonderful images and spots for making notes or sketching. During the pandemic, I got into astrophotography, so this is the perfect tool to help me keep track of the moon’s phases!
Name an item that you can’t seem to keep in stock!
Guests seem to really love the set of Spinning Tops from Areaware in our Design Store. They are so sculptural and so fun to play with.
What’s your personal go to for retail therapy?
Independent bookshops, always. If I ever have a little extra cash on me, that’s where I’m going! Printed Matter in NYC is a favorite. So fun to explore, especially the art zines. I feel strongly that books should be the backbone of our stores, so we put a lot of thought and time into the assortment. I always feel I can spot a great museum store by their book offerings. Our five stores are completely different, so guests will discover a different assortment in each and they all live online. Plus, each holiday season we ask staff to choose their Top 20 favorite titles which we feature in store and in our gift guide. It’s always great to get input, too, from our reps at Artbook D.A.P., Aperture, Phaidon and others.
Favorite Shoppe Online brand discovery?
There have been so many! If I have to choose one, it’s probably Isatopia. I really love the aesthetics of Risograph printing and their folk art-inspired designs have a wonderful, playful quality to them that work so well in the children’s section of our Design Store and in our American Gallery store as well.
CHRISTINE’S PICKS
Harappa Aizu
Cotton Pouches
“Our accessories buyer, Barbara Azuelos, brought these in for our Matisse in the 1930’s Special Exhibition store, because the palette and stripes felt so in sync with the striped motifs contained in his paintings. I use one as a wallet, and it fits essentials like my phone and favorite red lipstick perfectly! Each one is a little jewel, woven so beautifully. We love the thoughtful attention to detail, like the heavy brass zippers.”
Papier Tigre
The Travelers Sketchbook Band
“We are all fans of interesting stationery and sketching tools here, but none more so than our paper buyer, David Lincoln. In fact, our Main Store has a Pencil Bar we designed which houses 50 of our favorite pencils from around the world. There is nothing we take more joy in than seeing guests sketching in the galleries. These handy, colorful bands keep the pencil of your choice firmly at hand for when inspiration strikes!”
Earth & Nest
Oak Bootjack
“These live in our American Gallery store, as they have the same beautiful simplicity and functional design as many of the objects in our Shaker gallery. Home buyer Connie Thompson loves this line for its timeless craftsmanship and utilitarian appeal.”
Anchal
Quilted Cocoon Jacket
“We love the easy-to-wear profile of this jacket – it’s so cozy and looks good on everyone! The handwork and careful stitching reminds us of both the Indian Kantha quilts and traditional American patchwork quilts found in our collection. Our Marketing Manager, Savanna Eosso, bought one before we even received them into the store.”
Djeco
Inspired by Van Gogh Scratch Board Kit
“We first spotted Djeco on a buying trip to Paris and were so excited to be able to source them through Shoppe Object. These colorful kits are affordable and beautifully designed. Our Education department are big fans, as are our littlest patrons.”
Gestalten
House of Joy
“Such a fun and inspiring book by one of our favorite publishers. Their children’s book designs are always guest favorites – buyer Choti Weiler always highlights them in our Design and Main stores. This book is one of our Top 20 staff picks for the holiday season. We think it’s one of those books you both gift and buy for yourself!”
