From The Early Days Of Hipster Shopping Mecca South Congress To A Global Fashion Following, Emily Hoover’s Feathers Shop Remains The Gold Standard Of Austin Chic: Bold, Beautiful & Unmistakably Original
In 2005, long before South Congress became a pilgrimage site for influencers and out-of-towners with cameras in hand, one boutique quietly opened its doors with a mission to bring curated cool and a little bit of Manhattan mojo to Austin. Its name was Feathers, and its founder, Emily Hoover, had a vision as clear as it was bold: create a New York–style vintage boutique with Texas charm and prices to match.
Twenty years later, Feathers isn’t just a store: it’s a state of mind. A living, breathing, wildly stylish time capsule that has helped define the ever-evolving notion of “Austin cool.” Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, Hoover reflects on her journey from New York fashion insider to one of Austin’s most enduring tastemakers, and what it takes to keep a creative business soaring for two decades in one of the fastest-growing cities in America, as our fashion and culture arbiter Lance Avery Morgan learned.
The Birth Of Feathers: From The Big Apple To Lone Star Vision
“When I opened Feathers back in 2005,” Emily Hoover recalls, “my original vision was simple: offer a tightly curated New York–style shop with Texas prices.”
Fresh from her time in New York’s fashion and retail world, Hoover returned to Austin carrying a mental Rolodex full of lessons learned from the industry’s best. Along with her original co-founder, Masha Poloskova, she transformed that experience into something uniquely Austin: equal parts chic, accessible, and unmistakably personal…