New London pop-up shop carries clothing and prints from local artists
New London — A group of local artists and designers have opened a pop-up shop in downtown New London, a project one has referred to as putting the band back together.
Frank Marchany (also known as DJ Frank Lo), Denny Rivera (also known as Klashwon) and Cristin Rivera opened The Annex at 60 Bank St. in mid-February, selling their art alongside products from Semra Apothec Co. and work from an artist going by the name wormnlct.
Denny Rivera is a visual artist whose murals can be found in Winthrop STEM Elementary Magnet School, C.B. Jennings International Elementary Magnet and on the back of the building next door to The Annex, facing the train tracks.
Cristin Rivera, who is married to Denny, designs and sews clothing under the brand C*kin, which she describes as "femme comfort." Marchany founded the apparel brand The Famous New London.
At 60 Bank St., The Annex is filling part of the gap between NoRA Cupcake Company closing its location there last year and a new business coming later this year. Marchany and the Riveras will be there at least through May, and they are looking for a permanent space.
The Annex hearkens back to 2007, when Marchany and Denny Rivera opened a sneaker shop/art gallery on Green Street, called Muse. Two years later, the Riveras opened a boutique called Aticc; both closed in 2010, before the Riveras moved to New York City. They moved back to the area in 2017 and now live in Niantic.
"I always thought it if I did a smaller offshoot of Muse, I wanted to call it The Annex, kind of like if you were in high school, you had the main and you had the smaller high school, which was the annex," Marchany said in a video made for The Annex. "Somehow, we got lucky and this fell in my lap, and now we put the band back together. It's cool."
Under The Famous New London brand, he's selling hats, hoodies, sweatpants and crew-neck shirts in different colors. Marchany collaborates on designs with Patrick Regan of Faire Harbour Art, and prints are available of designs of city landmarks like Ledge Light and the Cross Sound Ferry.
Marchany said The Famous New London started as a way to make "cool stuff that was aesthetically pleasing but didn't make me look like a mascot, so you can rep your city."
Some of the finds from the C*kin clothing line include T-shirt dresses, paisley printed leggings, flowy crop tops, sparkly items and shirts printed with artwork by Cristin's brother, Kevin Gallagher, and by Denny Rivera. Most are in the $40 to $100 range. Cristin Rivera also makes and sells face masks.
Commenting on New London's eclectic vibe, she said, "I can make anything I want to make here and somebody will like it."
The artist wormnlct sells T-shirts, hoodies and onesies with images of her signature worm — "not a hot dog!" the artist points out — that range from $12 to $35, along with worm prints and succulents with popsicle-stick worms.
The Annex also carries products from Semra Apothec Co, such as soaps in scents including jasmine and patchouli, orange vanilla, and geranium, and lip balms.
Business Snapshot
Business: The Annex
Where: 60 Bank St.
Owners: Frank Marchany, Denny Rivera and Cristin Rivera
Hours: Noon to 8 p.m. Thursday to Sunday
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