“I’m always creating,” says fashion designer Scott Spahr, owner of Scott Spahr clothing in Downtown Sarasota. In 2000, Spahr opened a clothing store by the same name in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on 43 Baltimore Ave. When he discovered Sarasota almost two decades later, he said he “immediately clicked” with the city. In 2019, Spahr rented a pop-up store in Burns Court, which he said was very successful for the business, and in 2021, he officially set up shop in Sarasota. The Pennsylvania native always loved fashion. Spahr previously worked with two people at a vintage clothing store and fell in love with older fashion styles. “It reached a point where I wanted my own store, but I wanted to sell my own clothing line,” Spahr says. All the men’s and women’s selections at Scott Spahr clothing are entirely his own and produced in-house—as he’s a self-taught sewist. “I’m constantly working on designs for both men and women,” he explains. Nothing is seasonal, but all clothing is made in small batches. For example, with women’s dresses, Spahr may create four to six of the same dress with the same fabric. The store is also filled with jewelry, accessories and home decor items that are brought in from other companies based in New York and San Francisco. Spahr says he has a table full of fun, inexpensive earrings and another with more designer items. He sells coffee mugs with faces on them, candles and wicker bags. Spahr hopes that his clothing store can fit in among the vibrant retail scene of Sarasota, and he says the city is great at being accepting and open-minded. “Sarasota has such a diversity of people coming from all over, especially in the arts,” he says. “It is a destination spot, but I think it’s really going to be on the map of the world as a great place for shopping and living.” In the future, Spahr says he wants to focus more on his brand’s social media presence with more consistent posting on Instagram. Although a website exists, he says it’s not set up to have customers make purchases, and online ordering could help expand reach. He is also constantly looking for new products. “It’s tough because you want to get a product that no one has ever seen before—that no one can Google and try to buy online,” he explains. Spahr is always experimenting with colors and prints, as well, “keeping things fresh and not falling into a rut.” In the meantime, Spahr is continuing to praise the location of his store and his love for Palm Avenue. Located across the street from the Mira Mar, he says he’s very excited about the renovations to the famous hotel and believes his section of Palm Avenue will continue to grow throughout the next few years.  SRQ