Welcome to Catacomb: An Interview With The Brains Behind It All

On March 26th 2016, Catacomb Shop Houston closed! But don’t think it’s over for the founders Blake Jones & Ashley Cid. These two have been powerhouses of Houston design before Catacomb ever existed. We talked to Ashley Cid about what’s next for them.

BB: What’s next for Milk + Honey Vintage?

And read the original interview from when Catacomb first opened here:

This past month, a brand new gallery reached the surface of the Houston art community. Catacomb, founded by Ashley Cid of Milk + Honey Vintage and local weirdo, Blake Jones, is a unique gallery filled with local artists, vintage clothing, and oddities. Located in the east downtown district, this new business is changing the regular shopping experience.

What exactly is Catacomb?

A: A vintage, art, and oddity shop that Blake and I have been cooking up since March. For the past year and a half it’s been my dream to open a vintage store, but I also wanted to appreciate artists who are local and undermined in their own community. We want to display artists that usually aren’t accessible, but are super talented. It’s our own personal desires that came together; art and clothing. And it really works well together even though it’s on two different ends of the spectrum.

What inspired the two of you to make this happen?

B: I’ve wanted to do it for a while and there’s a lack of certain things we hope to see here in Houston. Sometimes artists and others are turned down because they’re so unique. There’s also so much local talent that’s ignored, and no one knows where to go to feature it. Everything that was there has closed and we want to bring it back.

A: We want to see and show things a little more shocking and obscene than the usual gallery.

Who are your biggest influences when it comes to fashion and art?

A: Myself! To be 100% honest I don’t really follow fashion blogs or other avenues in the fashion world to display what I think is fashionable. I really love Kate Bush, Karen O, Björk, and Agyness Deyn.

Blake points to a stack of Catacomb flyers.

B: Maria Elisa-Heg, Sarah Welch, Dalton Starks, John Forse, Rene Cruz, Ackzilla, Eyesore, Traci Thiebaud, Melinda Laszczynski, everyone involved in Catacomb. But when it comes to fashion, definitely Paul Lynde.

Where do you see Catacomb in a year from now?

A: Outgrowing this studio.

B: Signing another lease. One year older, one year wiser.

Let’s Stay Friends!

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