DURM Studio is set to open later this summer on the first floor of an apartment building at 704 Rigsbee Ave. in downtown Durham.
The new venture from Durham native and visual artist Gabe Eng-Goetz and co-founder Michael Brannon will sell its own designs in a retail store and run a print studio for custom client work. The space will also give customers a view into the production area. Workshops are planned too, along with live screen-printing sessions.
That return matters because Eng-Goetz previously led Runaway, the local apparel brand that helped popularize "Durm" shirts and built a following through collaborations with groups including the Durham Bulls. Runaway ended production in 2019 after what a 2018 farewell post described as seven years, 54 collections, one flagship store and countless parties.
Runaway started in 2011, and its flagship store opened at 212 W. Main Street in 2016. The shop sold Durham-branded socks, posters, hats and shirts, and it also served as a gallery for local artists.
The new address places DURM Studio near Surf Club and DSSOLVR on Rigsbee Avenue. More to come. Eng-Goetz is already making the brand's first season of designs before the store opens later this summer.