Durham-based clothing line Runaway to close

Runaway was established in 2011 by Durham native and visual artist Gabe Eng-Goetz. Runaway's flagship store opened at 212 W. Main Street in 2016.

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The venue serves both as a marketplace for trendy Runaway appeal and as a gallery for local artists to display their work.

In a March interview, Eng-Goetz told WRAL News that it is important to him to honor the city's past.

“Coming from Durham, things weren’t always so marketable,” Eng-Goetz said. “Growing up, Durham was almost like a bad word.”

The Durham-branded socks, posters, hats, shirts and other items sold at Runaway echoed the city's vibrant growth in the arts, technology and more.

“As soon as I started putting anything Durham on apparel, it just flew out the door,” said Eng-Goetz.

Despite the company's success, Runaway announced Monday that the store will close in January.

"Don't worry, we're not bankrupt or in legal trouble, it’s just time for our team to shift creative energy to chase dreams new and old," a Facebook post read. "But in the meantime it’s business as usual, grinding harder than ever to release our final collection. One last salute to this amazing place we call HOME."