Material Girl Recommends: Soleil Maine
My new favorite one stop shop for exercising the shoppies 💕
Hi shoppers!
I’m so excited about today’s issue – longtime readers will already be well acquainted with my affinity for Maine, and of late have been sharing some recent finds from Soleil Maine, a wonderful small business in Portland. Soleil has fast become my go to for gifts, stationary, and home goods (and I will link to some of my personal favorites below.) I had the wonderful opportunity to chat with the store’s co-owner, Emily Arbuckle who runs the shop alongside her partner Cory Keny. If you’re heading up to Maine this summer I cannot recommend a stop in highly enough, but even if you’re not local – their online shop is brimming with great options (and their shipping is prompt and always beautifully wrapped!)
Without further ado…
What inspired you to start Soleil? What was your initial vision for the store and how has it grown since then?
When we moved to Portland in 2020, I left behind a niche career working with rare books at a fashion school in New York. I loved the work, but not enough to stay in the city. I knew I’d have to start fresh here, and after trying a few different jobs, it became clear that Cory and I wanted to build something of our own.
We’ve always loved color, vintage style, and a good treasure hunt, and we wanted to create a space that felt like that; fun, whimsical, and full of personality. Cory is a ceramicist, and we’re lucky to know so many talented artists here in Portland, so featuring local work was also really important to us.
From the beginning, our vision was to make Soleil feel like a collection of everyday objects that still feel special, whether it’s a handmade mug or a beautiful trinket. I think we’ve stayed true to that, and we continue to evolve and refine it as we go.
Why Maine, and Portland specifically? I'm biased and love Maine myself, but I'd love to know how you settled on Portland for the location of Soleil?
I’m originally from Massachusetts, but most of my friends and family have moved away and it’s become so expensive. After spending a few months with my mom in the White Mountains, we visited Portland for a day trip and fell in love with it.
My grandfather grew up on a potato farm in Maine, and Cory spent his childhood summers at camp here, so we both had a connection to the state. We were also looking for a walkable city, and Portland checked every box. After a few years of living here, it felt like the natural place to open the store—we couldn’t imagine doing it anywhere else.
What do you think it is about Maine that makes it such a unique place to visit and shop?
Maine has an incredible creative community with so many artists, makers, and small business owners doing thoughtful, beautiful work. There’s natural beauty everywhere, and I think that inspires people to create. The contrast between the long winters and the magical summers feels almost poetic and it fosters resilience, creativity, and a deep appreciation for beauty.
What I love about Soleil is that I can always find a little bit of everything there – whimsical gifts, practical home goods. How do you describe the Soleil vibes to someone who's never been in?
We like to think it feels like shopping in a cool, slightly eccentric person's home. It's colorful, layered, playful, and a little unexpected. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, and our store reflects that. It’s for people who love personality in their spaces.
Soleil has such a unique curation – what is your sourcing process like? How do you decide what to include in store?
We mostly buy things we genuinely love and would use in our own home. In fact, many of the products we carry are items we already owned and loved before opening the store. Sometimes artists or brands reach out to us, and if it fits our style, we’ll bring it in, but often it’s us hunting for something specific and tracking down the right version of it. I love to shop, so sourcing scratches that itch for me!
What are some of your favorite products in store right now? Are there any new or incoming products that you're particularly excited about?
It’s so hard to pick favorites, but I’ll always have a soft spot for our Mosser glassware. It’s made by a family-run company in Ohio (Cory’s home state), and they do an amazing job capturing that early- to mid-20th-century charm. People often think the pieces are vintage!
I’m also really excited about an incoming line from Dr. Max’s—beautifully packaged salves, balms, and soaps made with beeswax and healing herbs. What sets them apart is that they’re formulated by an actual physician, combining natural ingredients with medical evidence. It’s the best of both worlds!
What are some other must visit spots in your neighborhood that you encourage customers to visit when they come in?
There are so many great places nearby! I always send people to Another Round for coffee, the smoky orange latte is next-level, and the staff is the best. They’re also a board game bar, so it’s a perfect rainy-day spot. For drinks and snacks, I love Friends & Family. Great wine, incredible pizza. I’m constantly popping into Open House for vintage home goods and clothing, they’ve got an amazing selection and it’s always changing. My house is filled with finds from their shop. I also love stopping into Moody Lord’s and Little Ghost to get my vintage clothing fix. For dinner, you can’t go wrong with Leeward, Regards, or Benny’s. And of course, the Portland Museum of Art is just around the corner (where I used to work!). It’s such a gem, we’re lucky to have a world-class museum right in the neighborhood. I could go on and on, but those are some of my favorites!
Material Girl’s Soleil Favorites 💕
Bunny Notepad — For the stationary lover
Italian Carved Wood Box — For your mom’s bedroom dresser
Dolls House Bookmark — For the book lover in your life
Fish Lemon Squeezer — For everyone’ summer cocktails
Jane Austen Napkins — For the friend who loves to entertain
Mosser Bathing Lady Dish — For every woman in your life
Gluggle Jug — For the new homeowner (or renter!)
Lobster Magnet — For an add-on to any gift