Jamaica Junction has expanded its function -- to hookin' up style and music and fashion.

The State College staple for indie accessories, 111 S. Pugh St., gave birth to a new kid on the block, JJ by Maxwell, 109 S. Pugh St., which opened its doors yesterday.

"Our target is mainly young people," said local celebrity and owner of both stores, Michael Hultberg, who goes by Uncle Mike. "We wanted to do a segue into clothing, so I approached a young local designer, Simon Hawk."

Hawk created Maxwell designs, the brand that encompasses most of the store.

"Simon was young, and no one wanted to give him a shot," Hultberg said. "I told him, 'I'm gonna give you a budget, you do what you want with it.' "

And so JJ by Maxwell was born. The shop offers a unique blend of vintage and local designs as well as overseas accessories.

"The designers in the store are mostly local, and a lot of them are young," Hultberg said. "Overall, it's a very eclectic atmosphere."

In an effort to draw in students, JJ by Maxwell offered free bagels outside and use of a half-pipe -- for skateboarding -- on the sidewalk. A DJ booth inside

blasted indie and electronic tunes for the opening. However, Hultberg said he hopes to eventually incorporate live local bands.

An 8 p.m. bash inside the store signaled the end of opening day for JJ by Maxwells, but the beginning of the night for cross-promotional groups.

Film shoots for Co-ed magazine were held inside the shop as characters from college social networking site mycollegedaily.com scurried between their tour bus and JJ by Maxwell's.

"Our promoters felt that this would be a perfect location for us," Bryant Jackson, operations manager for the Web site, said. "What this new store is doing really meshed well with what we're working on."

Mycollegedaily.com writer and resident "redneck," Terry Hicks concurred that Penn State's party scene culminates around the new store.

"I don't care if you're left wing or right wing," he slurred in his fake West Virginian accent. "As long as you spread your wings and party."

Students perusing the racks of distinctive threads agreed that the new addition to the Jamaica Junction gift shop will become a popular downtown hotspot.

"I'm boys with Uncle Mike -- we've been gettin' it done for years," Evan DeVore (senior - communication arts and sciences) said. "This place is f---ing awesome!"

Uncle Mike felt that his new venture would bring an artistic edge to downtown State College.

"My hope is that the store is successful," he said. "I want to offer something a little different in town while keeping everything local."

The grand opening attracted so much attention that the State College Police Department had to break up the event just after 10 p.m. Sgt. Matt Wilson said police were getting noise complaints from neighbors nearby, the tour bus was blocking part of Pugh Street and partygoers were disposing of their trash on the street.

Wilson said the storeowners "completely complied" and moved the bus and ended the party.

Collegian staff writer Sara Ganim contributed to this report.