This weeks blog is by Barb Ebright, COO of Mukha Spa & Mukha Essentials

Ahhh… the Short North!  I’m not even sure where to begin.  I suppose I should start with the fact that it’s not so much the VIEW outside my window but the EXPERIENCE outside my window that I love most about working in the Short North, especially this time of year.

Having always lived in the “burbs”, coming to work everyday in the Short North is such an exciting experience on every level.  The interesting architecture, the amazing art seen everywhere you turn, the outstanding food and drink options right at my fingertips, and everything in-between.  When leaving work, there are few evenings that I walk to my car not thinking about how much I’d like to trade-in my suburban home and lifestyle for a far more interesting way of life in the Short North.  Who knows, maybe some day!

Then there’s working with the amazing talents of Tim Maurer and Sanito Mendoza, owners of Mukha.  It has been a great privilege to work with them the past three years on product development, staff development, and everything in between.   Finding personal beauty is an art, and it’s so exciting to be a part of this very special art form right here in the heart of the Short North.

First class experience… that’s what I see both inside and outside the windows of Mukha.  The people, more than any other aspect of the Short North, are the most rewarding part of the area.  Where else can you greet everyone on the streets - from the business owners to the casual strollers - and feel like you are REALLY part of something special?  Not many places can boast this characteristic.

As a very wise woman once told me many years ago, there is a season for everything.  This is such an exciting season for the Short North, for so many reasons.  I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of it all!

For years, the Short North has been heralded for its art, culinary and entertainment offerings… all steeped in a healthy appreciation of independence. Over the last few years, however, the Short North has been quickly building a strong reputation on a different front, fashion.

It seems there have always been fashion offerings in the district (Columbus Barber and Beauty began in 1936, Byzantium is fast approaching their 25th anniversary, Loot just crossed the 20-year mark, and Torso and The Garden are celebrating 10 years of success). The Bohemian spirit and artistic flair of the Short North nurture the expressive nature of fashion… and the adventure of defining personal style.

In the last few years, however, fashion has really begun to make a visible impact on the Short North mix. Today, scores of boutiques pepper the strip. On the clothing side, the list now includes Rowe, {Milk Bar}, Paradise Garage, G&Co, Loot, Substance, Emperor’s Newest Clothes, Flower Child, Torso, Tiger Tree, Lady Bird, Saavy On a Shoestring, Measure of a Man, Take 2 Apparel, American Apparel, Lululemon and Jinny. The roster has become synonymous with the Columbus fashion scene. Keeping pace with the clothing, a formidable ensemble of accessories, cosmetics, beauty care and salon businesses has also developed, including: Byzantium, Collier West, Columbus Eyeworks, Image Optical, Global Gallery, Max the Salon, Waldo’s On High, Lai Boom, Phia Salon, Mukha Custom Cosmetics & Medi-spa, Luxe de Vie and Columbus Barber & Beauty.

That’s nearly 30 fashion destinations, and I’m sure I’m missing a few. It seems new boutiques are opening monthly… next on the block is “Go Figure” at the old CounterCulture space.

The Short North’s stature as a fashion destination made headlines nationally not too long ago in the New York Times Style Magazine. Headline: “Columbus Cool” The article spotlighted a host of the District’s boutiques and touted Columbus as the new “Style Capital” of the Midwest. In the latest issue of Columbus Monthly, Short North fashion takes up a full 7-pages in “Shop Talk: Spring Fashion 2009.” The article features shop owners modeling their own fashions and sharing tips on current fashion trends. Jin Fillinger (Jinny), Cindy Zafar and Goutam Biswas (G&Co.), Christina Getachew (Substance), Michelle Woljevach (The Emperor’s Newest Clothes) and Maren Roth (Rowe) are spotlighted.

If you haven’t been in the Short North for a while, or haven’t taken a stroll from end to end, you might be surprised by the changes. You might also be surprised how well the fashion scene fits you.

Morgan has put together a bit of an overview of the boutiques with a spring fashion series of her own which is now posted on shortnorth.org. You can take a peek with a click. Enjoy.