Katheryn Menaged shares a story of a brief encounter--an ember of inspiration--that long burned within her, especially during a pivotal time in her life. At the time, Menaged was 18 years old, working as a receptionist at the Empire State Building in New York City. “She blew into the office,” Menaged says of the wife of a company owner, who worked in the Empire State Building. “[I thought], ‘Oh, my, gosh. I want to be eccentric like her.’ She was her own woman. She owned it. I loved the confidence, and I loved the crazy. I don’t even know her name,” Menaged says.
Fast forward to eight years ago when Menaged found herself in need of recovery. She left New York for Minnesota and entered Hazelden for treatment. A bout with Lyme disease and a change in her personal life compounded the fog hanging over her world. With time and a permanent move to Saint Paul, it began to lift. “As my head started clearing, [I realized] that this young girl, who saw this woman [in the Empire State Building], wasn’t done,” Menaged says. “I’m going to make my dream come true,” she recalls thinking, explaining her desire to open a boutique.
Menaged began visualizing her shop; she fell into the memory of a 1970s high school visit to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, recalling how the experience made her feel. “Scarborough Fair,” a traditional, medieval English canticle, served as her memory’s score. In 2013, Menaged opened her shop, called Scarborough Fair, on W. Seventh St. which she says reminded her of Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood and its artistic energy.
Menaged describes her store as a “goddess-inspired shop with fine art, handmade jewelry and repurposed goods,” alongside vintage-inspired clothing, which is comfortable, feminine and romantic. “I like to say Stevie Nicks is our patron saint,” Menaged says. The shop features an eclectic wall of smart hats and fascinators and clothing by Lee Anderson and Nataya. As of this month, Scarborough Fair will be the exclusive Saint Paul retailer of Eileen Fisher. “I’m thrilled, and I’m honored we’re going to have it,” Menaged says. Virgins, Saints and Angels is among the jewelry designers, and handbags from the Mary Frances collection are equal parts statement purse, conversation piece and objet d’art.
Any customer interested in making a personal statement with her wardrobe will certainly find something to say at the boutique. Even brides drop in to find wedding dresses, which marry romance and elegance. When acquiring her bridal attire, Melissa Franzen started from the shoes up, needing a dress that was the perfect match—to her shoes and personal style. “I found a great, nontraditional dress that fit my persona and personality,” Franzen says. The vintage-inspired dress by Nataya (a Russian designer out of California) was reminiscent of attire featured on the British drama series Downton Abbey. “I just felt like it was made for me,” Franzen says. “It has ease to it. It had grace to it. It just came off really classy.”
Menaged is well versed in the world of retail and fashion. In the mid to late 1980s, she and her former husband ran scünci International (hair accessories). She went on to become one of the founders of Amici Accessories. Finally, Menaged ran Fashion Doll, which sold into high-end stores including Barney’s, Bloomingdales and Lord and Taylor. She grabbed that experience and translated it into her current venture. “Everyone has a unique talent,” Menaged says. “The perfumers have noses; I have an eye.” Scarborough’s inventory inspiration alights from around the world, including England and Italy.
Earlier this summer, Menaged moved Scarborough Fair to a new location in St. Anthony Park. What should customers expect of the eclectic store? “If they haven’t been here, they don’t know what to expect,” Menaged says. “We wrap you up in enchantment.”
(Katheryn Menaged at Scarborough Fair.)
