Expired by Perime on Newbury Street provides platform for Boston’s local artists
March 14, 2021
20-year-old Boston local Sam Roller, founder of Perime Magazine, rallied up his team and discussed his spontaneous idea of opening up a store on Newbury Street. Two weeks later, this idea became a reality.
Expired by Perime is a pop-up shop by Perime Magazine, which opened Nov. 27, or Black Friday. The sustainable boutique features curated collections of vintage clothing crafted by local designers in the Greater Boston area.
The pop-up shop is named “Expired” because of its literal French translation of “périmé” meaning “expired.”
Now 21, Roller took a year off from UMass Amherst to focus on his career at Perime Magazine. He started the magazine in October 2019 as a place for fashion enthusiasts to critique, analyze and generate discussions about the fashion world.
Roller recalled his childhood self as never being creative or artistic, but he always had an appreciation for fashion.
“It’s like wearing a Patriots uniform or Celtics uniform,” Roller said. “It says so much about who you are, where you’re from, what you prioritize.”
Unlike uniforms, the clothes in the Expired Collections are one-of-a-kind. The collection consists of clothing made by several local Boston designers: Ardzir, VENICEWORLDWIDE and CHALK.PRESS.
The Expired Collections also sells clothing that has already been archived. Focused on creating a circular business model, the Expired Collections values sustainability by not introducing new fabrics.
Each piece of clothing is accompanied by a tag with a QR code. Customers scan the code and are led to an article written by a Perime Magazine writer about the piece of clothing in their hands.
There is a new theme to the store every month. The Expired Collections curates specific pieces tailored to these themes. Archived clothing from brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren were on display for “Americana,” one of the most popular past themes.
John Frasca, the 22-year-old editorial director of Perime Magazine, says his favorite part of the pop-up shop is the local designers. As a fourth-year fashion design student at Framingham State University, he understands the kind of talent it takes to make these clothes.
“I’m excited to give a platform to them so they can continue to grow their fan base,” Frasca said.
While the first floor of the Expired by Perime boutique features the work of local fashion designers, the second floor consists of prints, sculptures and paintings from local artists.
Local artists that have had their work on display at the Perime Art Gallery include Frantz Lexy, Parker Lily and Sam Price. The art gallery strays away from a traditional one — some of the artwork is meant to be stepped on and touched.
The Perime Art Gallery is led by Tovya Goodwin, a fourth-year at UMass Amherst studying her self-built major in counter culture design. The 22-year-old head curator of the gallery believes that the young and fresh perspectives at Expired by Perime set the pop-up shop apart from any other store in Boston.
“We have the drive and we have a lot of love for what we’re doing,” Goodwin said. “I think that [shows] when you walk through the door.”
Aside from sustainability and supporting local artists, Expired by Perime values inclusivity. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Frasca is grateful for the opportunity to represent his community in the fashion world and bring a queer perspective to Perime Magazine. He said he has never felt the need to “dull down.”
The boutique is also inclusive of their customers in their work to blur the lines between business and casual. The employees at the pop-up shop set up an impromptu photoshoot for two customers, friends of Frasca, after they walked into the store. These photos were later published as a post on Perime Magazine’s official Instagram page.
“I think that kind of transparency is really good for [customers],” Roller said in regards to the authenticity that the employees provide in their creative process.
The Expired by Perime pop-up shop is set to close around October of this year. Roller has plans of potentially moving the Expired Collections online or opening up pop-up shops in different cities beyond the Greater Boston area.
Goodwin appreciates the friends she has made from working at the pop-up shop.
“Even though we are expanding quickly, Sam tries to make sure everybody is as acquainted as they can be during COVID,” Goodwin said. “It’s not just a working team. We’re also friends.”