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HomeBusinessInclusive vintage clothing shop moves to downtown Duluth - Duluth News Tribune

Inclusive vintage clothing shop moves to downtown Duluth – Duluth News Tribune


DULUTH — The Rainbow Room, a vintage clothing and home goods shop, is reopening downtown in the storefront previously occupied by Legacy Glassworks.

Because it was bursting at the seams in its previous location, the Rainbow Room closed March 1 and has since relocated to 32 W. First St.

The front entrance of a business space used for a new clothing and home good shop.

The front entrance of the Rainbow Room at 32 W. First St.

Dan Williamson / Duluth Media Group

The Rainbow Room first opened in March 2023 as an intentionally inclusive vintage thrift shop inside the

Adeline Inc.

hair salon, a queer, women-owned family business in the East Hillside neighborhood.

“Adeline Wright decided she wanted to pass it along to me as another entrepreneurial spirit who is really into fashion and holds a lot of the same values that Adeline Inc. Salon does — and just bring it to the next level in a bigger space with more inventory,” said Isabella Taylor, who took ownership of the Rainbow Room in April.

A woman organizing clothes hanging from a circular rack inside of a shop.

Isabella Taylor, owner of the Rainbow Room, organizes clothing on a rack.

Dan Williamson / Duluth Media Group

The new storefront was formerly home to Legacy Glassworks until the head shop relocated to Lincoln Park under the name

Legacy Cannabis.

The building is owned by Jason Taly. Taylor said she found the rent is more affordable downtown than in other areas of Duluth.

The newly renovated shop received a fresh coat of paint and new flooring, ceiling tiles, lighting fixtures and shelving. At 1,450 square feet, the space allows for large retail displays and natural light with ample street-facing windows. There is also a stage for live music.

“Just anything that we can do to build community and make some connections within the downtown community with our shop. I’m really looking forward to doing that,” Taylor said.

Hats and jewelry displayed near a counter inside of a shop.

Hats and jewelry for sale are displayed at the sales counter.

Dan Williamson / Duluth Media Group

Rainbow Room reopened Saturday, adding a splash of color to the downtown area.

“The Rainbow Room is all about celebrating self-expression,” Taylor said. “I am hoping that the shop will brighten up downtown a little bit more.”

The vintage clothing and home goods store offers a variety of sizes and price ranges to its degendered wares. Shoppers will find blazers, dresses, tops, coats, sweatshirts, skirts, pants, jumpsuits, lingerie and more, mostly from the 1930s to 2000s.

There are funky contemporary and modern pieces and accessories like hats, scarves, belts and jewelry.

“We do consignment, but we’re very selective about what we take in. We have a really curated selection of clothing and goods,” Taylor said. “I also purchase wholesale from private sales. I source from all over the place — estate sales and stuff like that.”

Vintage dresses hanging from a clothing rack inside of a shop.

Dresses for sale hang from a rack.

Dan Williamson / Duluth Media Group

Over the years, Taylor has built up quite a unique selection of inventory. Taylor first moved to the city at 10 years old and got her start about four years later by handcrafting jewelry and artwork.

For several years, Taylor sold items at various art fairs and markets throughout the Twin Ports under her business name, Intrepid Turtle, before transitioning her focus to clothing.

“As I grow older, I still really love to create with my hands and make things,” she said. “I may even have a few little surprises of my creations in the shop to be sold.”

Her passion for fashion began as a means to express herself beyond what she found at the chain stores in the mall.

A couch and race of clothing displayed inside of a shop.

A sitting area near a rack of clothing.

Dan Williamson / Duluth Media Group

“I grew up as a little queer kid and I didn’t feel like I fit in with the rest of the crowd so much,” Taylor said. “Funky clothes and vintage fashion was a way to express that dissonance between myself and hetero-normative society.”

In her opinion, a good vintage piece depends on individual taste. She leans toward 1990s grunge and floral prints from the ’60s and ’70s.

“A good vintage piece, to me, means something you can style with a variety of different things,” Taylor said, “something that is kind of fun and out there a little bit. That’s my favorite.”





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