Peachy the Magazine June July 2014 | Page 136

The New Normal in Charleston artistic swagger. Even more delightful is the fact that much of this high falutin’ artistry is enveloped in a smack sense of humor, revealing that the city is not, thank heavens, taking itself too seriously. The aesthetically-inclined are rewarded wherever they turn in this tiny urban oasis dotted with palm trees, parterre gardens, hipster dives and niche boutiques. Step into Magar Hatworks and you will find milliner, Leigh Magar, creating a range of custom-only toppers from feather-festooned felt fedoras to headpieces that border on performance art. Gaze into a glowing backlit, velvetlined case at Gabrielle Jewelry, and you’ll see the delicate and exquisite cast-lace creations of millennial metalsmith Gabrielle Bratton who “soaks bits of lace in hot wax to make a mold, or cast, before pouring molten metal into the cavity to set the design.” Magar Hatworks. BOTTOM: Cast lace neckpiece by Gabrielle Jewelry. TOP: 134 PEACHYTHEMAGAZINE.COM In Charleston’s northern neck, a former strip club has been resurrected as an artisanal woodworking factory which, on occasion, seems to be going up in smoke. Charring—a technique the Japanese developed to ward off rot and insect infestation—has been mastered by Moran Woodworked Furniture and is used to “achieve