Seattle’s Pretty Parlor provides ‘gender-bending’ styles to locals and stars
When Grammy’s come to mind, you think Hollywood stars and designer dresses; but this year’s Grammy’s had a couple of Seattle connections.
The jazz group SAJE took home a Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instruments, and Vocals. Some members are right here in Seattle. One of them stopped at a Capitol Hill Boutique before hitting the red carpet.
Pretty Parlor’s Manager, Kitty McKenzie says band member Amanda Taylor popped into Pretty Parlor about a week before the Grammy’s but was coy about why she needed a dress. Then Sunday night, employees saw a dress from their store on the Grammy’s red carpet, along with an accessory they don’t sell, a Grammy.
“We are SAJE we are all female creators we range and release and produce all of our own music, so we hope this feels like a win for female creators,” said member Sara Gazarek during her Grammy acceptance speech.
The group won at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, and Amanda accepted the prestigious award decked out in her Pretty Parlor dress.
“They low-key mentioned that they were going to an award show and then it kind of slipped that it was the Grammy’s,” Kitty said.
Kitty says she didn’t realize SAJE was nominated until they popped up on stage.
“Honestly we felt pride, we feel proud to know that our pretty parlor glam is good enough for a red carpet,” she said. “It was really crazy to see the dress up on stage, them holding the Grammy with it.”
The store is a bright pink beacon on Capitol Hill. In the over two decades It’s been open, many celebrities have walked through these front doors. Pretty Parlor’s Owner, Anna Lang says the store’s even caught designer Betsy Johnson’s eye.
“We see them quite often it’s been a long roster of celebrities,” said Anna. “We try not to fan girl over them.”
Anna says it’s Pretty Parlor’s mission to make everyone who shops there feel as important as someone walking the red carpet. She called it a safe space for sparkling people of all sizes, sexualities, and genders to come play dress up.
“So, whether you’re Catherine Keener, Betsy Johnson, Zooey Deschanel or a Grammy award winner or you’re someone trying on gender-bending clothes for the first time,” said Anna. “You’re still going to get the same treatment so it’s really near and dear to our hearts that everybody feels comfortable and safe in here to play dress up.”
During Transgender Awareness Week, the store closed to the public for a night of exclusive shopping solely for trans women. It’s something they’re hoping to do more of.
