Bow & Arrow Collection

The Galanti sisters designed their store from the ground up. Literally. When it began, the permanent location of Bow & Arrow Collection was nothing more than a blank, concrete space. “We got to design everything exactly as we wanted,” Casey Galanti says. “The walls, the configuration, everything.” The result is a streamlined, meticulously-curated shop that seemingly begs to be Instagrammed. Crisp white walls with accent pieces, neon signs, large windows which invite sunlight even on the gloomiest days, and a sense that everything is ready for a selfie with a Paris filter.

If God is in the details, then Bow & Arrow Collection must be heaven.

Except for the one accent wall of giant floral wallpaper, the color blocking is entirely dependent on the merchandise. The Galantis—and their supercharged team of employees, each one more enthusiastic than the last—have found a way to sort items by color while maintaining a sense that each table corresponds to a different gifting or party need.
For three very different talents, the sisters found a common passion in gift-giving. “We didn’t realize there could be something that would include all aspects [of us],” Danielle says. “But we are so passionate about gifting and being personal and [the store] is a way for us to share that with other people.” Like so many thriving businesses in Bucktown, Bow & Arrow Collection was born out of both a need in the community and a little bit of rolling the dice. Danielle explains that enough people told the sisters that they loved their eye for finding the perfect gifts so much that they decided to combine forces and show the community that (like their sign says) life is a party.

Fast Facts:

Established:

2015 (pop-up)

2017 (main store)

Favorite Brands:

Baggu

Sugarfina

Sugar Paper

Favorite Places to Unwind After Work:

Café Robey

Etta

Big Star

“We didn’t realize we’d ever be able to do something

like this together.

…we combined the best of all of us to make it work.”

The secret to curating their store turns out to be similar to the secret to finding the perfect gift for someone: paying attention to the details. There are a thousand little objects for sale at Bow & Arrow Collection, but the quantity of each item on the floor is kept to a minimum, making guests feel like everything was hand-picked just for them. The shop has also retained an impressive number of regular customers by working hard to have brand new inventory every week. “We want to make sure that everyone can find something different every time they come in.” Nicole says the team is always on the lookout for up-and-coming brands to check out and support, especially fellow female-led companies.

Photography by Alina Tsvor

Text by Eric Grant