Athleisure store Steele Angel coming to town

Denver boutique Steele Angel, a lifestyle store focusing on athleisure wear for women, is heading to downtown Birmingham, planning to open in the former Alex & Ani location in October.

“We are an athleisure store that carries a little bit of everything,” said co-owner Wendy van Alstyne, who recently moved to metro Detroit from Denver with her family. She and business partner Staci Egloss opened Steele Angel in Denver three years ago with the ethos, “The strength within us all to live with purpose, love and gratitude.”

The store, to be located at 150 W. Maple Road, like its Denver sibling, will carry a variety of clothing lines, distinct jewelry lines from artists, gift items and home accessories. Clothing lines shoppers will be able to find include Beyond Yoga, Alo, Joah Brown athleisure, Spiritual Gangster and Sugarboo, among others.

“We carry a little bit of everything. We're not for any one age group,” van Alstyne said. “We really try to pick products you can't find in the mall, and our merchandise complements the other stores in town.”

She said she and Egloss, who runs the Denver store, noticed that “despite the dot.com craze, people want quality, but curated. So, if they like my style, they'll like the store. It's where style meets an active lifestyle.”

She said at both locations, they hire special needs individuals. “It's something we know is near and dear to everyone's heart,” she said, noting she has a son with autism.

The approximately 1,000-square-foot store is expected to open sometime in October.