Storecasting: Henry Duarte and Mike Vensel Plotting Fashion Co-Op

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In some of the more intriguing gossip we've heard lately, local designers Henry Duarte and Mike Vensel are apparently scouting locations for a joint retail venture. A brief primer on the duo: Vensel, aside from designing slinky, space-age cocktail dresses and swimsuits, also dabbles in art, photography, publishing, and event production (see the short-lived Kitten Fashion Week, which some of you may remember from 2007). Duarte, who rose to fame creating stage costumes for everyone from Axl Rose to Lenny Kravitz to, er, MC Hammer, has launched several rock-inspired lines over the past 20 years—most recently an androgynous, yet no less dramatic venture called Duarte No. Q65.

In an e-mail, Vensel confirms the rumors, saying "We are doing a fashion retail co-op run by designers...that's all I can say right now!" The general location and other designers involved are still TBA, but if you've got a space or collection you'd like to put forward, Vensel is welcoming suggestions by e-mail.
· Mike Vensel [Official Site]
· Duarte No. Q65 [Official Site]