2005 Index of Winners

For those who want to spend their dollars on one-of-a-kind, handmade purses, soaps, clothes and gifts, rather than their premium-priced, mass-produced counterparts in the mall, Beehive Co-op founder PETRA GEIGER stepped in to save the day. A budding handbag and stationary designer herself, Geiger had difficulty finding a suitable retail outlet to sell her wares — so she created her own. Geiger's co-op is comprised of several smaller boutiques boasting clothes by Olive, Rinse bath and beauty products, creative kids' clothes and accessories by Bold Mary, and all those indie-jewelry designers that you hit every craft festival in hopes of finding. Easier to shop than most malls and affordably priced, we couldn't ask for an easier way to support local artists while treating ourselves.

See related:

- Consumer Culture: Best Place to Shop for Local Designers Beehive Co-op (Critic pick)

SCOTT REILLY could remain content as the owner of the Retromodern home furnishings store and the city's foremost name in, well, all things retro and modern. But he takes his role a step further by working with the High Museum to bring to Atlanta some of dec-art's most notable experts and artists for lectures and speaking engagements that educate design collectors and enthusiasts. Thanks to his connections, no less than the legendary, then-98-year-old Eva Zeisel (known for organic design in silver, ceramics and glass) and Charles Ray Eames (grandson of Charles Eames, great-nephew of Ray Eames, and champion of the family furniture legacy) have made an Atlanta appearance. The icing on the cake: Everyone who attends the lecture is then invited to Retromodern to view its corresponding exhibition and enjoy a glass of champagne.

See related:

- Consumer Culture: Best Eclectic Furniture Retromodern (Critic pick)
- Poets, Artists & Madmen: Best Museum The High Museum of Art (Reader pick)
- Poets, Artists & Madmen: Best Museum Makeover High Museum of Art (Critic pick)