Show at Giraffe marks Day of Dead and store anniversary

Giraffe will celebrate its eighth anniversary and the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos with a gallery opening of Day of the Dead artwork by Gregory Reyes-Herbold at 4 p.m. Sunday.

Giraffe will celebrate its eighth anniversary and the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos with a gallery opening of Day of the Dead artwork by Gregory Reyes-Herbold at 4 p.m. Sunday.

Reyes-Herbold, who grew up on Vashon and attended Vashon High School, will exhibit his pen and ink drawings and other pieces of art with Day of the Dead motifs in the store’s gallery.

“Gregory is uber-talented. He works for Barneys New York in Seattle and used to create the window displays for the high-end fashion store,” said Priscilla Schleigh, owner of Giraffe.

Eight years ago, Schleigh brought her many years of retail and global experience together and with the help of family and friends opened the doors of Giraffe. Schleigh said her goal was to weave together beauty and justice by selling products that were not only winsome but that would create equity in the lives of the producers, some of whom are local, others from over 45 countries.

Schleigh invites islanders to come to the celebration to meet Reyes-Herbold and light a candle for their loved ones in the tradition of Dia de los Muertos.

She is grateful to the community for its ongoing support, which she said has allowed her to follow her passion.

“Vashon has understood fair trade and hand crafted better than any other place. What else could I do but dive in? It has been and continues to be quite an adventure.”