Alina Collective

Handcrafted For The Greater Good
Downtown Fargo | 8th St. & Main Ave.

BY Tracy Nicholson
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Morgan Allora, Studio Freshly

With a thriving career in hospitality and the culinary arts, it’s only natural that Britt Belquist, one of the founding partners and designers of six local dining concepts, is ready to share the flair. Alina (ah-lee-nah, Slavic origin), translated to “Light, Bright & Beautiful,” is the newest addition to downtown’s 8th & Main Fargo neighborhood, a thoughtfully curated home and lifestyle boutique next door to Mint & Basil. Shopping Alina Collective feels a lot like shopping for the greater good, more specifically, artisan goods sourced from minority-owned brands and Midwest makers, including several global lines that support fair labor, non-profits, sustainable materials, and eco-friendly ethics.

Bringing Joy to the Table
Britt and her husband, Alex, are founding partners of downtown Fargo’s Brewbird, 701 Eateries, and Brew Kitchen & Catering. You’ll also find the duo’s entrepreneurial appetite with a visit to Perham, MN’s Brew Ales & Eats, Wahpeton, ND’s City Brew Hall, and East Grand Forks, MN’s Up North Pizza Pub. Britt’s newest endeavor, Alina Collective, may not serve up culinary creations, but her historic storefront is a feast for the eyes.

Envisioning culinary concepts ignited Britt’s passion for design, but it was finishing her home, coupled with a trip to the world’s largest furniture market, High Point in North Carolina, that added fuel to the fire. The final catalyst was a beautiful, historic building on Main Avenue in Fargo, seemingly awaiting the vision of Alina Collective. Almost unheard of in the downtown vicinity, her store offers Main Avenue parking, in addition to alley parking next to the building.

For Britt, opening Alina Collective has provided a welcoming calm amid the fast pace of the restaurant business, allowing her to re-center and bring more joy back to the table. “It’s been fun; I love picking out each item and curating a unique look,” said Belquist. “It all started with the restaurants – I would have to source different things like bar stools and glassware. For the historic renovation of City Brew Hall, Shelby (Terstriep) and I, along with Kristen Williams, did most of the design work. At the same time, we were remodeling our prior house in Perham, and the design aspect of these projects was really exciting to me.”

Elevating Artisans

Inside Alina Collective, Britt has built an artisanal shopping experience, starting with vintage Persian and hand-loomed Moroccan rugs, European textiles, handmade ceramics, throws, accent pillows, hand-blown glassware, artwork, and culinary gifts from around the world.

Just past the allure of the home goods, you’ll find Britt takes the experience full circle, from home to health, with bath and apothecary, handcrafted candles, aromatherapy, sustainable clothing, jewelry, children’s gifts, and handbags.

Within Alina Collective, Britt sets the stage for what she refers to as the “slow down” lifestyle, surrounding oneself in a space that directly and positively influences life, well-being, and mental health. Alina’s unofficial mission is to create a joy-filled experience, empowering community, fair trade, indie makers, and culture creators. Taking this mission one step further, Britt plans to donate a portion of the store’s profits to local non-profit organizations - in 2024, she’s working with the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center on drives for needed supplies, benefit donations, and promoting awareness.

“There are so many awesome stores downtown, so I really tried to find unique lines that no one else was carrying,” explained Belquist. Alina’s Estelle and St. Franks are two glassware lines she quickly fell in love with. “Estelle is a woman minority-owned company inspired by Stephanie Summerson Hall’s grandmother and her antique collection of jewel-toned and soft pastel glassware. Stephanie could no longer find anything like what she grew up with, so she reached out to a glassmaker in Poland. The Estelle Colored Glassware line is beautifully made, all hand-blown in Poland.”

Alina’s St. Franks glassware collection is crafted in a remote town in the central Mexican state of Hidalgo, where the entire community works in a family-owned factory established 30 years ago. Each piece is created through a collaborative process where it is handed from one maestro to the next until the piece is completed. Alina Collective also carries Blue Pheasant dishware, candelabras and decor by New York ceramicist Virginia Sim, OYOY pillows, palo santo wood lines, WAAM reusable lunch bags by Minnesota makers, Andrew & Hanna Vomhof, and an eclectic collection of greeting cards, cookbooks, and interior design books.

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