Bill Fort, the owner of Hallowed Ground New and Recycled Fashion, tries to answer that question.

“I’ve always liked the more expensive brands, but it’s so expensive,” he said. “So, I decided to open a resale shop to provide modern clothing in a way that people can afford it.”

The boutique is located at 4500 Cutler Avenue N.E. In addition to providing name-brand clothing, such as Seven jeans or Diesel shoes, the shop also offers local art at affordable prices.

Artwork, created by local artists like Fort, is for sale and on display throughout the shop. Fort designs custom clothing that is also available at Hallowed Ground.

“Part of my store is consignment,” Fort said. “If people have stuff in their closet, they can bring it here, and I try to give half of the sale back. I want to incorporate a lot of networking of artists. The store is very local. We opened on June 15. I’m really happy with our location. There is no store like this on this side of town.”

The emphasis on community helps to shape the store’s unique identity, Fort said.

“HG is a place to shop to find unique things,” he said. “We have a local lady who makes crochet lunch bags who sells her products here. There are plenty of neat things to find.”

Fort said he was inspired by Buffalo Exchange in Nob Hill.

“A lot of the trendy things are in Nob Hill,” he said. “I love Nob Hill, but there aren’t many trendy things on this side of town by San Mateo (Boulevard). I decided to pick a different centralized location for those who aren’t close to Nob Hill.”

Fort said he spent months planning for the store and waited the last couple weeks for the store opening. His wife helped with the planning, but he runs the store by himself. Fort said it is small but he hopes the shop can pick up steam.

“We’ve done most promoting through Facebook and MySpace,” he said. “This is the type of shop that is mainly promoted from word of mouth. We have a lot of things to offer. We just need people to spread the word.”

Fort, an Albuquerque transplant from Denver, said the store is a great place for eclectic shoppers.

“I’m used to fashion and music. Albuquerque is a much smaller town. I wanted to make my own niche and provide the cultural and fashion aspect of Denver to Albuquerque,” he said. “My main goal is to provide quality and trends to people like me who are looking to get a good deal on some cool stuff.”