Store

If the hippest culture on the planet is Japanese, then logic dictates that one of the hippest stores in Seattle is Zebraclub, where a DJ often rules the scene and Manga-style cartoon T-shirts rule the day. The shirts come in so many permutations you marvel at the ingenuity - one shirt has saucer-eyed characters against a toilet background. There is lots of denim in various stages of distress. And if you thought you'd gotten rid of that short-waisted pleather windbreaker in eighth-grade, well glory be, it's here.

The store boasts that it is the exclusive Seattle retailer for Energie, Aem'kei, Fornarina Fashion, Levi's Vintage Collection, Miss Sixty, Nose Apparel and Paper Denim.

"We like to think of ourselves as the fashion destination for the Pacific Northwest and the denim destination," said Pam Sutter, the vice president and director of retail.

A dazzling spectrum of '80s-esque running shoes goes beyond the basic blue, and even though the full line of high-quality Kiehl's skin and hair products seems out of place, it's here.

Tip: Check the Web site for specials and events.

By Vanessa McGrady
Special to NWsource