Shopping At Sundance

Me on Main Street at Sundance. Martin Margiela faux fur coat, Marni real fur bag, Keen Snowmass boots.

At 4pm last Thursday, my dear friend Jody, whom I’ve known for 35 years since high school, picked my up at the Salt Lake City Marriott to whisk me to Park City, where we would spend 1.5 glorious days together before I flew back home.

I had no business extending this business trip.

Work was piling up. Bills were piling up. All manner of home crap was piling up.

But I needed to do this for me.

And spending this time with Jody was worth far more than spending more time on a Powerpoint presentation or letting the lawn go.

Me and Jody in our vintage duds from “The Exchange Consignment” in Park City. Not the greatest photo of us, but fuck it.

I love Jody, and as I’ve gotten older, I appreciate and need my friends, especially women like her whom I’ve known forever. These special relationships age gracefully and strong without social Botox, and make us feel beautiful and happy and important and full of life just by there very existence, and are the best form of anti-aging anything.

We spent Friday strolling and shopping on Main Street, ground zero for The Sundance Film Festival, which was winding down.

Kristen + Lois, from the Exchange Consignment, Park City.

Jody did not know what she was in for, shopping with the likes of me, a self-professed “championship shopper.” Not only did we discover things about each other, we discovered three truly hidden gems.

We first stumbled into The Exchange Consignment shop down Swede Alley, behind “The Spur” bar, off of main street. Lois and Kristen, the owner, have curated an astounding array of vintage and consignment pieces. It was here that I learned the Goob (what I’ve also called Jody, as it’s a play on her last name) had never owned leather pants. What? With an ass like that? We found the perfect vintage pair for her.

Sorry Goob, you’re in leather pants now and there’s no looking back.

We next found Farasha, upstairs through a restaurant at 605 Main Street. The lovely owner and stylist Vanessa Di Palma Wright features emerging designers and one-of-a-kind pieces straight from the local runway.

Vanessa Di Palma Wright at Farasha, Park City.

But perhaps the most fun, as it was the oddest and most decadent shopping experience, was the secret 70% off room of the Alaska Fur Company, which could only be accessed with an employee (Sergio), who escorted us out of the main store, outside through an unmarked door, and upstairs to “The Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” of fur. It all seemed so clandestine that I was afraid to take photos, so you’ll just have to use your imagination.

During this whirlwind trip, I discovered great shopping at Sundance, more things to love about Jody, and how important it is to take the time from work to do things like this.

If you ever find yourself in Park City, check out these discoveries of ours. And tell Sergio Paula and Goob sent you.