At Design and Consign–The Indoor Marketplace
One of 70 vendors, The Owl & The Elephant is a charming, eclectic shop near Hilton Village in Newport News. Owned by Renee Ito, who doubles as an assistant to the owners of Design and Consign, this shop is part of a larger consortium of enchanting, magical shops offering fresh picks in clothing, art, giftables, refurbished furniture, vintage shoes and offbeat collectibles.
Opened by Ito in March of 2015, she chose the unusual name based on her love of two animals, an owl and an elephant. When unable to choose between the two — and not wanting the name to include “redesign or refurbish” — she incorporated them into her now catchy, roll-off-the-tongue moniker. Throughout her shop, visitors can find various examples of her shop’s name incorporated in gifts and unique items.
Originally from Pennsylvania and raised in State College, as a young girl Ito became familiar with retail by visiting her mother at Hill’s Department Store. Ito developed a love of serving customers, arranging department store offerings to attract new patrons and mixing and matching collections while maintaining her unique vision in furniture refurbishment and clothing, jewelry and giftables such as candles, cards and coasters, to name a few. Her shop clothing has a “BoHo” (bohemian) feel and includes sweaters, denim, lacy coverings and straw handbags. And Ito’s love of retail is infectious, treating each customer as a new friend.
Now a proud member of the Newport News community, Ito moved to Virginia in 1976 as a teenager and attended Menchville High School. She and her husband have two children, a boy and girl, and two grandchildren.
Ito’s skill in sewing led her to craft handmade pillows, while refurbishing chairs, tables and various other types of vintage furniture. Home décor became her go-to skill as she eventually transitioned from handmade items designed for the artisan market to carefully curated new pieces in the clothing and jewelry area.
Ito visits the Atlanta Merchandise Market biannually and chooses every item for her shop — each piece something she feels she would wear or use herself. And although Ito initially set her site on a career in accounting, her connection to retail through her close relationship with her mother filled her creative needs in a way that accounting could not.
The Owl & The Elephant offers special shopping days including Rad Dads & Donuts, to celebrate fathers, offering donuts and coffee. Ito’s mother passed away when she was 20 and when speaking of her, Ito’s eyes soften, her breath quickens and the obvious closeness they had pours out in words of praise for her mother’s skill as a parent and as a retail maven. Today, Ito is sure that her own long career in retail keeps her mother’s memory alive for her and she speaks of their relationship often.
When not managing her shop — open seven days a week — Ito loves to hike. One of her fondest adventures was a hike up and through the Grand Canyon, a year after canceling the initial trip due to Covid. Ito vacations with family each year in the Outer Banks or other beaches and loves to relax by going to the movie theater alone, sitting where she likes and snacking on a theater favorite.
TO THE POINT:
The Owl & The Elephant
Address: 9720 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, VA 23601
Contact: Renee Ito, owner
Phone: 757-594-0227
Facebook: facebook.com/TheOWLandELEPHANT
Instagram: Instagram.com/theowlandelephant
