Topdrawer, the Boston-based supplier of nomad tools, opened their newest store in Coolidge Corner on July 3. Though their parent company, Kolo, is located in Japan, Topdrawer’s headquarters are in South Station. Located right next to Brookline Booksmith – a dangerously alluring combination – Topdrawer Brookline offers everything from sleek notebooks and fountain pens to chic eyewear and rain boots.
“Topdrawer is all about making life on-the-go easier,” says Anna Stabler, business development manager for Topdrawer’s Boston area stores. “If places like Apple make our phones and our computers, we make the bags and everything else that goes in it.”
With the advent of the gig economy, more workers are operating remotely, traveling frequently, or using alternative schedules. That’s Topdrawer demographic. For on-the-go munchers, the Brookline store features a whole wall of Bento boxes. In fact, Topdrawer is the largest distributor of Bento in the area.
In addition to being hyper trendy, many of Topdrawer’s products are sustainable. They’ve championed the renaissance of the fountain pen, so you can buy the plastic pen once and refill it with ink. They’re also bringing back handkerchiefs (even if you don’t use them as a tissue) in bold colors and patterns. “With everything that’s going on in the world, we want to be sure we’re making a positive impact,” says Stabler.
Kolo is known for its house slippers, reversible, machine washable slippers that are great for hotels, planes, and home wear. They also design and produce a line of canvas backpacks and stationary pens, all available at the Coolidge Corner store.
Practicality isn’t the only law at Topdrawer, whimsy reigns as well. Notebooks by the Italian company Slow Design deceptively depicts a book cover on the front but are blank inside for you to write your own story. Their phone chargers, complete with a decorative knot, double as a keychain, so you always have power on you.
On June 28 Topdrawer celebrated the new store with an open-to-the-public party featuring sushi, a craft cocktail inspired by travel, and a sneak preview of the stock.
The first Boston store is located on Newbury in a much smaller space. Among other things, coming to Brookline has allowed Topdrawer to spread out and offer more products in-house. Stabler says they’re also excited to be a part of the tight-knit community. “The town of Brookline has been amazing. It’s a higher percentage of neighbors rather than tourists,” says Stabler. “A lot of our customers are returning.”