For many Baltimoreans, the holiday season requires shopping for gifts, but that does not have to mean harried trips to a chain store, crowds at a mall, or long drive to outlets.
“Mirror & Myth” by The Hallowed House is a new pop-up that has just opened its doors in the heart of Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood. It is part retail, part theater, and a true departure from traditional shopping.
Mirror & Myth invites visitors into the world of a long-lost starlet, telling her story through a short film accompanied by a live performance. The space is designed as the starlet’s glittering home, filled with one-of-a-kind treasures all available for purchase. There are custom fabrics, hand-blended scents, vintage homewares, and antique furniture. Every object has a story, and every guest becomes part of it.
The Hallowed House is the brainchild of sibling duo Carolyn and Christopher Hallowell, who, according to the pop-up’s website, have always been drawn to the past and spaces that transport. They created their home and lifestyle brand, The Hallowed House, to be moody, unusual, and immersive.
“For us, spaces are canvases, and curation and design are our artistry,” they state on the website. “It is never just about filling a room with character-rich objects; it is about crafting an atmosphere, a feeling, a moment that lingers like the closing chapter of a book you never want to end.”
Baltimore’s Mirror & Myth is not the first iteration, or “chapter” in this book; rather, it is Chapter 5. In this chapter, a leading lady has vanished mysteriously in the moonlight, leaving her home untouched.
“Guests are lured into rooms overflowing with antiques, home décor, and singular treasures, each set within a cinematic atmosphere where shopping and story misbehave together,” reads the Chapter 5 description.
There are three ways to experience Mirror & Myth: The House Tour, which has free admission and guests can explore and shop at their own pace during the day (Thursdays–Sundays); The Glamour Hour, which requires a $25 ticket for Friday and Saturday evening shows, including a live performance, a tarot reading, and a night of shopping, and The Special Gatherings, which promise an evolving line-up of one-off events. Private tours are also offered.
Mirror & Myth is open now through December 13. It is located at 809 Cathedral St. Check the website for hours and days they are open, as well as performance dates and times.
