BY DOUG MACKEY for WEEKLY VOLCANO 10/3/25 |
If you find yourself rolling (or walking) down South 12th Street between Pine and Cedar in Tacoma and see a rack of clothes—or practically any other imaginable intriguing object—on the sidewalk, stop in and peruse the funky goods at Tacoma’s most enigmatic boutique, Nothin’ New (@nothinnewintacoma on Instagram). In the front-most room of the live/work space occupied by Amanda Steele and Jen Kramer (and a few happy pups), you’ll find secondhand clothes curated by subletter Katlyn Christensen under the business name Velvet Martini Vintage (@velvetmartini_vintage), and an entirely different collection of clothes and other items curated by Steele and Kramer under the name Pearl and Rust (@pearl_and_rust). Additionally, Kait Mehr (@kaitmade_shop) sells her one-of-a-kind coats made from repurposed quilts and blankets. There’s even more to Nothin’ New, but we’ll get to that later.
Steele and Kramer met some eight years ago in Denver, Colorado. Steele, from New Orleans, operated a successful full-service jewelry business, working with retailers and designers, and Kramer, from Vancouver, Washington, an accomplished aerialist, owned her own studio. Steele’s hobby, however, was motorcycles, something Kramer was introduced to just as Steele was creating a scene.
“At that time, women involved in motorcycles, much less working on their bikes, was not really a thing,” Steele recalls. “So I started a community down there to empower women. We opened our home to the strangers out there in the city of Denver to host bike nights.” Soon, Kramer was drawn firmly into the scene, and the two of them began traveling with their bikes, showing them. “There were a few times when she needed to make a bike in a hurry and she needed my help,” Kramer adds.
But in time, Steele discovered she wasn’t tolerating the altitude well, and Kramer wanted to return to the Northwest. “We were both very comfortable, successful in both of our trades, but I just couldn’t physically be there anymore,” says Steele. After considering Seattle, Portland, and Astoria, among other PNW destinations, the couple landed in T-town. “Tacoma picked us, honestly,” Steele muses.
Sanford and Son on Broadway’s Antique Row District in downtown Tacoma hosted Steele for a time, where she operated her jewelry business and also sold a curated collection of storage-unit finds, auctions of which they started frequenting for fun. They still source some Nothin’ New/Pearl and Rust items from those auctions. “You wouldn’t believe the things people store,” Steele says with disbelief. “The thing we get to do is curate, give these things new life. Yes, I’m trying to eat, but my business is a jeweler. The rest of it is for y’all!”
Eventually they landed at their space at 2913 S. 12th. “We wanted to create an environment where we can live, work, and share the experience we have,” Steele explains. In addition to their retail space, Steele’s jewelry workspace, Kramer’s aerialist space, and their collective living area, an area remains for restoring and working on motorcycles. “We envision community events where we could teach people how to change a tire, check the oil, change the oil on their car—things that people might not have learned how to do in their adult lives,” Steele says. “I’m a full-service jeweler. That business is always my main focus. But bikes are my hobby. That just comes with my life. A community goal is to get back on track with those sorts of things. Because I do see a lot of female riders around town, but where are they getting together and hanging out? Who’s helping them, who are they talking to?”
“I do have this dream of mine called Big Top Moto—maybe me fixing motorcycles a little bit to restore and resell.” Steele has a potential partner who has the necessary repair skills. “Bike storage, lift time, space and tool rental. We’re exploring it.” They’re also exploring use of the yard next door, to which they have access. “We could do markets, events, performances, variety-type events, maybe,” Steele muses. “Right now, we’re a collection of little shops, but everything is so fluid. Organic is kinda how this happens.”
It is indeed a collection of small shops, but again, Steele’s business focus is as a jeweler. (Note: In T-town, Steph Farber is always a trusted resource for your jewelry needs, but let me tell you, the work that Steele has done on several pieces for me personally since I conducted this interview is outstanding. I cannot recommend her more highly.)
Though Nothin’ New opened in April, they’re still considering a grand opening of sorts in the future, when the proposed activity in the adjacent yard may come into play, with vendors, music, and food. “And I’d like to have Jen and maybe some of her colleagues perform,” Steele adds. “Bring out the aerialist rigging.”
A collection of small shops today, but tomorrow? Watch this (their) space.
