Stilo owner and Albuquerque native, Stefanie Montano, cultivated her passion for first-class finds at a young age assisting her mother on estate sale hunts. “I gained experience locating quality merchandise in places that normally were ignored,” Montano said in a recent interview.
After tragically losing her 18-year-old brother to an accidental drug and alcohol overdose, Montano and her husband, Sean Montano, devoted themselves to raising drug/alcohol awareness via their love of urban art.
Top recent Stilo finds: 1) Togs from the Caustic Threads line, featuring original, hand-dyed unisex tees for all ages (the baby stuff = perfect shower gift) by localDuke City Derby roller-babe, Erica Voges. 2) Vintage, cog-laden jewelry by local artist, Eddy Downing. 3) Ties that Don’t Suck, a Detroit-made line of killer color/design combo neck and bow ties. 4) San Francisco’s the Balm cosmetic line.
According to Montano, there’s always room for more artists/vendors in her ever-growing flock. “I love encouraging the kids and teens we get in the store to create items we could feature,” she said. “Our big focus is to continue to raise awareness to the local kids about the epidemic of heroin and its effects on our city and the rising number of overdoses and deaths each week.”
Click here to read the rest of the column.