If you have a vehement ideological opposition to stores with the suffix "mart," two neighboring stores in Bayview offer goods that don't come off an assembly line.

Fasten features clothing and accessories solely from local artists. One of the four co-owners, Amy Schoenecker, said buying from independent Milwaukee designers "helps keep Milwaukee fresh and creative and adds a certain flavor to the city."

The handcrafted items leave room for human error, which only adds to the uniqueness of every item, as proclaimed on every tag. Many unfinished, but not fraying, hems and exposed stitches lend an urban sensibility to the clothing. The clothes express people's lives in one of the cultural capitals of the world, but still have to deal with the smog that follows.

The cooperatively run, not-for-profit business used to sell its wares only at the East Side Open Market, but moved to Bayview in November 2005.

"We wanted to be a part of the young crowd on (Kinnickinic Avenue)," Schoenecker said. Fasten still plans to sell at the open market in the summer, because they have more space for items from different vendors.

Because the store is so new, the owners are open to learning and changing as they progress. They also have to protect themselves, and as such, have standards.

"As long as (the clothes) are local, well made, and have a uniqueness and creativity to it, they are welcome to the store," Schoenecker said. "We haven't had to turn anyone away yet."

At the moment, Fasten has fashions from 26 artists in a space that is barely large enough to hold all of 26 bodies. The place feels full, but not crowded.

"The cool thing about the co-op is that we really build and feed off of each other," Schoenecker said.

Space is truly maximized, and one cannot look around without seeing a creation.

"We have a lot of T-shirts," Schoenecker, who designs for her label Softly Fiercely, said. "We want to make room for winter stuff."

The variety of T-shirts is vast. Many are painted on with original artwork, while others are reconstructed into new creations. Every piece is different.

"We don't want the world to all look the same," Schoenecker said.

For this reason, she doesn't pay attention to trends in mainstream fashion.

"I kind of don't want to know what's going on so I can be as original and unique as possible," she said. She gets her inspiration from vintage clothes, illustrating the recursive nature of the fashion industry.

The space also has art installations with different artists. Photos from the Interactive Mustache Experience are still on the wall, and installations using fabric are always welcome.

Competition from other local independent businesses is welcome in the area. Fashion Ninja also features clothes from independent designers, but Schoenecker doesn't feel a strain on the number of customers.

"Hopefully people that come to her (owner Areka Ikeler's) shop will come to our shop."

Paper Boat Boutique and Gallery, located next door, has also been supportive of the co-op's ventures.

In contrast to Fasten's emphasis on local artists, Paper Boat Boutique and Gallery receive consignment submissions from all over the world.

"We keep our minds open to whoever is going to sell to us," said co-owner Kim Kisiolek.

The store sells a variety of different mediums; it doesn't always just have all jewelry or all stationery. Some notable items include an artist's photographs hand adapted to discs for viewing through a Viewfinder, clothes, knit items and vinyl products that illustrate how crafts can be adapted to new materials or made of old materials, such as cassette tapes in the goods that come out of Sonic fabric.

Kisiolek states her beliefs on the differences between arts and crafts: "The idea of fine art that people establish is what they see at the museums. (People think) crafts are learning things from grandparents. Then something new comes out from the pairing (of art and craft)."

Paper Boat also always has the more traditional sense of art on its walls. Usually there is only one artist every two months. The current exhibit, "Queen of Hearts," features 30 elaborations on the theme, all by women artists.

While chain establishments usually employ a "greeter," the store owners here give their welcomes presumably because they appreciate the clientele. This appreciation for vendors and customers' manifests is seen when Kisiolek explains that the sterling piece a customer purchases is made by a female metalworker in Chicago. Each piece has a story, and the buyer picks up the narrative where the creator left.

After browsing both stores, one thing is certain: PetsMart isn't going to have green hand-knit catnip balls enveloped in a peapod, that's for sure.