| by Molly Jenkins |
The Lathery, a men's grooming supply store in Fort Worth, opened in late March at 200 Carroll St., Suite 170, in The Foundry District. The creative mind behind the idea is also the owner of Fort Worth Barber Shop, Jonathan Morris. The Lathery serves as both a retail space and third location for Fort Worth Barber Shop (the second is located inside W Durable Goods).
The space, designed by Morris himself, has a bachelor-pad-meets-bathroom vibe. In one corner is the barber shop; in another sits a white bathroom sink and mirror set up for customers to test products. All around are ocean blue walls, hexagon bathroom tiling and an array of male and unisex toiletries.
The Lathery offers customers water and espresso and is complete with large open windows that let in rays of golden sunshine, portraying a morning aesthetic. Morris said he wanted the environment to feel as if it were morning so customers could get a better idea of what it would be like to actually use the products in their daily lives.
"It gives you a vibe like a fresh, clean start," he said.
Products include soaps, shampoos, hair products like Triumph & Disaster's Coltrane Clay, and perfumes – Morris said his current favorites are the Carlen Parfum and West 3rd fragrances. Most of the products are male centric, but there are tons of products that are unisex. The products come from a range of places from L.A. to Portugal, many of which Morris had discovered on his travels.
The idea for The Lathery developed after Morris took a trip to Portland, Oregon, where he discovered an apothecary store filled with soaps he loved. After the trip, Morris asked himself, if he wanted to find an awesome soap in Fort Worth, where would he go? He realized online was his only option.
Morris decided it was time to create a space for men where they could find a selection of excellent products for sink and shower. He wanted to fill that void and give them a chance to "touch, smell and feel the products."
"Guys have never really had that before," he said. "Women have been doing it forever. I wanted to present that same concept in a way that was palatable, particularly for guys ..."
But he wanted women to enjoy coming to The Lathery too.
"I also want to make sure that women feel very comfortable that they can come in, whether to buy gifts or even just find things for themselves because a lot of the products are very universal," he said.
"We are just looking to create a space where people discover things," he said.
