Scott Spahr: One-of-a Kind Designs by the Beach
So here’s a little quiz: What do Will & Grace’s Sean Hayes, two members of the alternative rock band R.E.M., and Charlie David, one of the hosts of Bump, have in common? You guessed it: They all own, or have worn in public, custom designed shirts hand-crafted by none other than Rehoboth Beach resident Scott Spahr. Scott is rather modest and unassuming, but credit must go where credit is due, so I hope he’s not mad at me for “outing” his unique talents here in Letters.
None of this success happened overnight. Even as a teenager in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Scott was drawing and painting on all sorts of things. His flair for style and design resulted in art classes at Temple University in Philadelphia, and finally a job at a vintage clothing store. It wasn’t long before he became actively involved in buying product for them. He began to develop a smart sense of fashion, particularly in the realm of casual sportswear. The store closed in the early ‘90s, but Scott kept the momentum going with a women’s line that was displayed at trade shows in both Las Vegas and New York City.
Along with his love of drawing, design and apparel, Scott had always dreamed of living and working near the water. Combine that with his long-standing desire to own and operate his own retail store, and the outcome was inevitable. In the winter of 2000 he made his very first trip to Rehoboth Beach with the firm intention of finding a location as close to the waves and the sand as possible. Two blocks seemed pretty close, and it wasn’t long until Spahr opened its doors at the corner of Baltimore Avenue and Second Street. After three years, he moved the shop to the hustle and bustle of Rehoboth Avenue, where he remained for another seven years.
On what was to be a very special night in 2008, Scott attended an opening at an art gallery on Wilmington Avenue. Gallery 50 is known for representing the contemporary works of emerging and mid-career regional artists, and is owned and operated by art collector Jay Pastore. Though Scott certainly has an appreciation for art and design, his ulterior motive for being there was to meet Jay. He seized the opportunity to engage the gallery owner in conversation by inquiring about a book that the current artist was offering for sale. Jay and Scott hit it off, and Scott spent the rest of the evening trying to explain to the artist why he really didn’t want to buy the book. Ahh, what a tangled web we weave!
Say what you will, but that tangled web worked perfectly. Jay called the very next day. Their first date was spent enjoying the illusions and singing talents of Christopher Peterson’s Eyecons, and Scott and Jay have been inseparable ever since.
In the winter of 2010, Scott moved Spahr even closer to the ocean in a delightful beach cottage on Baltimore Avenue. He not only creates original sportswear designs for men and women, but he also produces home accessories like pillows, etc. “I like to mix different patterns together,” he says, “I also add little touches that are not too noticeable.” His signature look is starting to catch on as more and more fans regularly return to the store to see what’s new. In fact, one of his customers is a professional dresser for New York City theaters. His work on Broadway’s Promises, Promises is how Sean Hayes came to know and like Scott’s work.
He regularly crafts three or four versions of the same piece in different sizes. Each design is unique, and he’s always coming up with new ideas. He works and lives right there in the building; providing a beachy yet delightfully intimate ambience in which to display his creations.
As we talked on that quiet February afternoon, Scott stopped for a moment, glanced to his left and whispered, “The ocean sure is loud today, isn’t it?” I’d been so engrossed in taking notes that I hadn’t even noticed. For a moment we sat in silence, concentrating on the low roar of the surf. In that instant I realized that even after more than ten years, he hadn’t forgotten his primary reason for making his home in Rehoboth Beach.
He took the risk; betting that his hard work would pay off. And it did. Now he’s living and working by the shore, exactly as he dreamed he would.
My interview with Scott was the last of four I had done that day. After sitting for a while, enveloped in the tranquility and soft colors of his shop, I realized that I didn’t want to leave. Nothing if not perceptive, I finally got the hint when he turned off the lights and opened the front door.
Bob Yesbek is a Rehoboth Beach resident. Email Bob Yesbek