On a hardly known backstreet in the heart of Baltimore’s Mount Vernon district sits Shop Gentei; a distinct destination not only for the city, but the States as a whole. Gentei has created a signature selection of goods, many of which are stateside exclusives direct from Tokyo; the shadowy silver workings of Garni, the uncompromising edge of Calee’s graphic tees, and the up-to-no-good Avant Guild line, all in addition to a complete lineup of import and domestic premium skate decks and parts, rare and custom fixed-gear bike frames and accessories, sneakers, and a broad range of accessories.

Open for business in October of 2005, Gentei has become not only a celebrated spot in the city’s street style scene, but also a hub for Baltimore’s skaters and bike messengers. Since day one, Gentei has stayed actively involved in these local scenes by building its own, highly accomplished skate team, sponsoring skate park benefits and bike races, and even assembling a fixed gear crew—all natural extensions of the staff’s lifestyle.

Every season, Gentei re-imagines its space with a new theme, redesigning the store and tailoring the current collection to match. The shop’s first theme was military; a diverse selection of BDU and fatigue inspired designs lined the racks, while the store itself was accented with surplus military goods to match. For spring and summer of 2006, the shop switched over to a fixed gear cycling theme—the floor becoming a mini-velodrome, and the walls covered in a cycling mural. For winter 2006, Gentei was dipped in a fresh coat of black paint, with tiger stripes swirling across the floor accenting a beast-tinged reconstruction of the space. Shop Gentei then celebrated the Summer of ’87, its landscape becoming a virtual playground – a full-size piano-gloss black half-pipe anchoring the center of the shop and original vintage hot pink Powell Peralta decks lining the walls.

Now in its sixth iteration, Shop Gentei presents “Freak Electrique”; with spinning mirror balls and humming neon lights twisting 1010 Morton St. into a vintage disco. Unique in concept and constantly evolving, Gentei is not only an exercise in aesthetics, but also a rethinking of the way we accent our lives.