Copper pop: Caspari readied for opening

PHOTO BY HAWES SPENCER

On August 30, workers removed the plywood barricade from the former Foot Locker store on the Downtown Mall. The plywood had covered the new copper façade of Caspari, a high-end purveyor of paper products. Founded in 1945, Caspari sells embossed, engraved, and gilded stationary, party goods– paper napkins and plates– at upscale department stores such as Neiman-Marcus and Harrods. Three years ago, the company opened its first boutique in Paris. The Charlottesville space, in the Terraces mixed-use complex, is Caspari's first American boutique, as well as an extension of its New York design and merchandising offices. Calvin Wilkerson, project manager for Caliper Construction, says that glazing and interior build-out remain to finish the store, which may open in late October. "It was fun and challenging," says Wilkerson.