The rumblings have been growing for months.
They began in earnest last fall, when “unicorn” became the most pinned costume on Pinterest. As fall faded into winter, and winter became spring, they only grew stronger. Suddenly, unicorns were everywhere: on toast, on leggings, on workout supplements.
It was tempting to declare that we’d reached “peak” unicorn when Starbucks released a unicorn-themed frappuccino last month. (And even more so when it was sued by a Brooklyn coffee shop, which alleged Starbucks had ripped off its “greatest creation.”)
But that would have jumped the gun – the world’s first unicorn-horn store wouldn’t open for another couple weeks.
Located in New York City, Brooklyn Owl knows what it’s here for. The store is decidedly not “a normal gift shop with a million different brands,” owner Annie Bruce explained to DNAInfo. “We’re really trying to give the customers a unicorn experience to make them feel special when they come into the shop.”
Horns are available in a variety of colorful, glittery patterns, and cost between $14 (for a mini, 1.5 inch, version), to $30 (for an 8-inch one). The store also sells unicorn ears, but they cost extra.
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Bruce began selling unicorns horns online in 2011. Most are purchased to be worn by children, but per Quartz, there’s a growing demand from tech companies. Customers include Google, Etsy, and an unnamed startup that bought a giant horn to use as an trophy.
These days, there can’t be a trend without a backlash, and anti-unicorn sentiment is growing online.
But Bruce doesn’t appear concerned. After all, not every trend needs to be endless dissected. “Life is too hard, people are tired,” she told DNAInfo. “I like that it creates joy in people’s lives.”
