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" For some time, whispers having been circulating about a small, family-run outpost in Vail, Colorado called Axel&amp;#039;s. It&amp;#039;s unassuming, but it may just be the best luxury shop in the U.S. Now, when one thinks of luxury shops, one usually thinks of recognizable brand names and great marketing, but Axel&amp;#039;s approach is a little different. It&amp;#039;s not so much about the brands as it is about making sure they stock only the best items that fit a particular lifestyle. That lifestyle? It&amp;#039;s a mix of Americana, romanticism, classicism, and modernism \u2014 all under one roof. Sure, it&amp;#039;s led by a 12-person team of avid skiers, but really, Axel&amp;#039;s is about everything that happens after you take the ski boots off. The store prides itself on designing everything it can in-house, from lightweight and super-warm coats made of shearling from the highest altitudes of the Aosta Valley in Italy to U.S.-made cowboy boots crafted with such detail and precision it would put some of the more recognizable luxury shoe brands to shame. Where they can&amp;#039;t go entirely in-house, Axel&amp;#039;s work with top-notch companies to refine standard designs so they fit the store&amp;#039;s aesthetic. And if no tweaks are needed, the team simply chooses the right pieces from a collection to stock on Axel&amp;#039;s shelves. That last part isn&amp;#039;t particularly difficult. The shop has, over time, developed relationships with brands like Kiton, Comstock Heritage, Finamore, and Stallion Boots \u2014 and in so doing, they&amp;#039;ve amassed something of a stockpile of incredible clothing and footwear (all crafted in the States or Europe). On their shelves, you&amp;#039;ll find everything from Italian tailored jackets ($3,000 to $25,000) to vintage Levi&amp;#039;s shirts and Jeans ($250-$275), one-of-a-kind belt buckles made of silver and gold and precious stones ($900 - $36,000), and the aforementioned cowboy boots ($900 to $17,000). Axel&amp;#039;s certainly isn&amp;#039;t just another department store filling space with product. They don&amp;#039;t even push product, really. Instead they share a lifestyle. But in spite of that \u2014 or, more reasonably, because of that \u2014 the shop may just be, item for item, one of the finest luxury stores in America. Check out the slideshow for a visual tour of Axel&amp;#039;s, shot by Guerre...  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.esquire.com/style/a19160/axels-luxury-shop-vail-colorado-020813/>