Boston - January 07, 2005

Think Globally, Shop Locally

Nomad Store

The day of the international showcase may be waning. Epcot needs a makeover. Marché Movenpick’s Prudential branch just shuttered. And the U.N. sure doesn’t command the respect it used to.

The genre’s redeemer? Nomad, a trove of one-of-a-kind treasures from every corner of the planet.

No, we’re not talking about typically crunchy Cambridge loot. The shelves at Nomad are piled with reams of color (handpainted Mongolian chairs and cobalt-blue Mexican pottery), intricate adornments (antique Indian gold earrings and silk pillows from Guatemala), and racks of clothes from near (Asian-inspired jackets by Santa Monica label Citron), far (vintage inspired gear by Nanette Lepore), and very far (tribal belts from Afghanistan).

Owner Deb Colburn regularly scours the globe, buys direct from artisans (at fair trade prices), and stacks the spoils like presents at a big birthday party. You’ll feel like you’ve unearthed them yourself, in a setting that’s original and refreshingly foreign.

No vaccinations, passport, or visa required.

Unless it’s the gold kind, that is.

Nomad, 1741 Massachusetts Avenue, at Linnean Street, Porter Square, Cambridge (617-497-6677 or nomadcambridge.com).