The Back Bay might strike the average Bostonian as being more about status bags and stiletto heels than the latest in cutting-edge urban style, but Technical (230 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.262.0003), which opened earlier this month, is proving the preconceptions wrong. The baby of John Nichols, who runs a Norwell skate shop of the same name, and Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer, Technical is a streetwear boutique that's setting out to change the city's fashion landscape. With its paint-splattered walls and graffiti-ed dressing room, plus a birch tree "planted" in the back end of the store, the space is unique enough; add its hand-picked selection of girls' and guys' gear from lines such as Upper Playground, Staple Design, Deuce Custom, and Spacecraft - plus sneakers and skateboards - and it's a treasure. Kramer isn't just a figurehead, either; he has a real presence in the shop, helping Nichols envision concepts, choose merchandise, and more.
