Step Inside Rocha: East Austin’s New Concept Store Where Fashion, Furniture & Art Converge
This by-appointment destination blends elevated fashion, European objects, and art into an intimate, highly curated retail experience
East Austin has long been known for its creative energy — a place where culture and experimentation meet. That spirit now finds a new expression in Rocha, a concept store founded by Albert Mendez and Bettina Barrow, with Interior and Home Director Maya Nairn helping refine the store’s aesthetic point of view and creative and business input from advisors Wendi Martin and Laurel Pantin. Rocha seamlessly blends fashion, furniture and art into a highly curated experience. Part boutique, part gallery, it is less about shopping as a transaction and more about cultivating connection, creativity and taste.
The Minds Behind Rocha
For Mendez, who spent sixteen years shaping Austin’s retail scene at ByGeorge and Kick Pleat, Rocha represents both a return and a reinvention. “Between myself with the knowledge in fashion, and Bettina with her background in art and interiors,” he says, “I thought it was the perfect time to marry the two concepts and create this (gallery and retail) store that we’re now existing in.”
That marriage feels especially natural in Austin, where fashion and lifestyle intersect. Mendez’s luxury retail experience is evident in Rocha’s sophisticated curation. The store’s mix of menswear, womenswear and home goods includes emerging labels like St. Agni, Colleen Allen and KALLMEYER, among others, alongside vintage pieces and European-sourced design objects.
When asked to describe the curation, Mendez smiles. “It’s like an amalgamation of every woman I’ve ever met in Austin,” he says. “It’s really bringing a high level of sophistication under the guise of an Austin sensibility.” He pauses, then shares: “If I had to be brief and descriptive, I’d say … sexy witch. Sexy Topanga witch.”
Holiday Gift Guide
Meanwhile, Barrow brings a different perspective to the partnership. A film producer and former lawyer with a confident style, she noted that she had always thought about opening a store. Because she has also been immersed in Austin’s art and cultural community, Barrow views Rocha as a natural extension of her creative career. “I really like helping creative people, artists,” she says. “That’s what I’ve done as a producer — helping them realize their vision. With Rocha, I get to do that while realizing something I’ve always wanted, too.”
Both of these founders share a background in film, which they say deeply informs their approach to design and storytelling. “Film marries creativity and a business brain in such a beautiful way,” says Mendez. “That will translate to our store — in how we create content, how our creative vision is realized. We have this creativity, but we also know how to execute it.”
Curated With Thoughtful Precision
The store’s tactile minimalism reflects the founders’ purchasing philosophy. Each piece, from sculptural ceramics to tonal apparel, is deliberate. “We’re constantly sourcing,” Mendez explains. “Every day, we’re on auction sites, at markets in New York and Paris, finding really special things that I don’t think exist in Austin right now.”
Barrow notes that Rocha aims to strike a balance between accessibility and distinction. “We wanted to have a place where you could go get a gift for someone that’s interesting and sophisticated and not a million dollars,” she says.
Beyond just carefully selected products, Rocha’s heartbeat lies in its human connection. “What makes retail powerful now is the possibility of connection,” Mendez says. “You can buy anything anywhere at any time. So the only reason someone’s going to come to us — is us.”
The store operates primarily by appointment, fostering what Barrow calls “a sense of intimacy.” That sense carries through to its physical environment, which is a converted industrial space with exposed beams and quiet architectural character. “There’s something about this space,” Mendez reflects. “You know when you discover those treasures in Paris or New York, like a SoHo artist loft? There’s a level of authenticity and character that’s really hard to find.”
Rocha, in that spirit, is not shouting for attention. “We wanted it to be a whisper,” Mendez says. The result is: a calm, confident whisper that reminds Austin that style is about vision, curation and connection.