When it came to answering the question of what sold in 2023, the first thought wasn’t so much the what as the who. This year, for the first time, Vogue Runway’s annual round-up of what made it into people’s closets is provided by eight of the country’s best independent fashion stores. All are owned by women with a strong vision of fashion—and an equally strong idea of what their customers will want. To say that they know the people shopping with them is an understatement: Each and every one is chatting with their clients, messaging them, and oftentimes are even in the fitting room with them. If anyone knows how the year looks, it’s these store owners.
So, what’s the tea for 2023? In short: everything has gotten more streamlined, understated, sleeker—simpler, even. Shoppers want Clothes that can be worn a multitude of ways and for many occasions, and not just for one glorious moment on social media. (Though don’t go thinking fashion with a capital F is over. Far from it: Just ask Ikram Goldman, or Sherri McMullen or Diana Kim; it’s just that high-impact has to work for them personally.) Shoes are flat (with a few exceptions); bags are practical. Totemic purchases have become personal, not showy trophies—very understandably, given where we are right now. It’s about buying something because you love it and not because of branding (or the 1001 marketing campaigns to get you to plonk the credit card down to buy it).
What that means is that labels established and newer, with real points of view—from Dries Van Noten to Sacai, Christopher John Rogers to The Row—are triumphing. So too are under-the-radar names who make things really well, eschewing runway shows and red carpet placements in favor of focusing on the art of quietly making great clothes that sell on the strength of their designs—and word-of-mouth enthusiasm. Step forward: High Sport and Dusan, whose collections don’t appear on Vogue Runway. And given the year we’re going into, it’s easy to imagine the following narratives are only going to get stronger and more insistent.
Ikram Goldman, Ikram, Chicago IL
We are not a department store and we don’t have its size—but we buy in the same capacity as a department store. We see as many collections, more maybe, and we buy high-end and low-end, to make our story flow. And we are constantly seeking newness to set us apart. My job is to scour an industry full of highs and lows to curate an exciting story each season that brings together a community of Japanese, French, Italian, and American designers, and the local kids together. We have to create magic. Ninety percent of our customers don’t come in asking for specific designers, but it’s: “I have an event, what have you got for me?” It’s our job to get them as excited about the designers they don’t know as the ones they do. We are stylists without the fees [laughs].
I’m not really having so many conversations about trends or directions with our women: They’re looking to me to guide and advise them. But I can tell you what I am hearing from them about the industry. They’re exhausted by the changes of designers at the houses: “Isn’t there a new designer there now?” they’ll say. “And I was just getting used to them.” Or: “I can’t believe I am spending this amount of money on a dress and the zipper just broke.” (I put new zippers in everything before it even leaves the store.) Those are the conversations. Our women are relentless in looking for something exciting and new: There is no way they are wearing a low heel since Covid. We are still selling high heels. I’ll hear from someone, “I need a black tie dress for dinner’. Where? “At my house.” And how many people? “Oh, just the six of us.” They are open to ideas and looking to us to help pronounce those in their wardrobes.
My favorite collection that I am carrying right now is Maison Rabih Kayrouz. He has translated the narrative of chic, elegant, modern, smart, forward-thinking clothes. Do we have other collections I am crazy about? Absolutely. Simone Rocha? Yes. Do I love Loewe? Sure. Is Chanel always an absolute standout? Of course. There’s just a consistency to Rabih’s clothes which is really, for me, the best of the best. On the flip side of that, is Duro Olowu, full of color and print and style and groove. (I asked Duro to remake the iconic dress he did about 20 years ago. I put in three reorders. It tells you something about the way the world is that we went back to a dress from two decades ago.) And then it becomes about the mix: I am crazy about Laurence Dacade shoes, which are made for comfort and style and cool, to wear with the Rabih or the Duro. You have to have the mix: the Sacai, the Erdem, and the Simone [Rocha] to tell the full story.
I have seen the decline of the sneaker in a way that was terrifying. If I was a store who relied on that, as a revenue building stream, I would have failed completely. Nobody wanted a sneaker this year. They wanted a beautiful embellished shoe, be it flat or with a heel. For me, you know, I also found that I sold a lot of home elements in my ready-to-wear boutique. A lot of great home pieces. People were really interested in that.
If there was one conversation I did have with my women, it was that they hated—hated—the oversized look. People were looking for things that hugged them, Not a showy thing, but wearing something that hugged you, that gave you a style, a confidence. My clients did not love the really big shoulders, the big jackets; I found myself altering them to work with women’s bodies. One of my favorite dresses was an Ashish dress: Of all the clothes we have, we are doing crazy business with Ashish dresses. Women are wanting their evening dresses to look different—and these look different. It’s a dress that’s long sleeved, fitted in the body, with a knot in the waist, to emphasize slenderness, or give a sense of slenderness. We had it short, long, scoop neck and sleeveless, and we ordered it, and ordered it, and ordered it…. No two women looked the same in it. But everyone looked great in it.
We added Patou and Vaquera, which I really like. Victor de Souza too. Cout de la Liberte from California, who do denim, and also $4,000 leather pants that we are selling like $20 jeans. I just ordered Caroline Hu. I think Maximilian Davis is doing a great job with Ferragamo: our sell-through is phenomenal. The ones I am really excited about are the ones that are hard to find. And we are back to vintage, because people want something new and different—vintage Chanel, even, or vintage accessories, like Hermès. We’ve been really weaving it into our ready-to-wear, into the story of the store.
Diana Kim, Stand Up Comedy, Portland OR
Every single person that comes in, we know: We know their faces, we know why they’re shopping—and why they’re changing their minds—and their favorite looks. The strongest message that we’ve been hearing is that they are looking for styles (and ideas) that reflect who they are. They’re looking for very personal clothing. We carry big brands like Maison Margiela and Comme des Garçons, which are wonderful and the backbone of our store—they’re constantly important to us—yet there’s zero brand loyalty today: Customers are coming for new, exciting pieces, not wardrobe building-blocks. Everyone has their favorite go-tos for tees and jeans, but it’s high-impact pieces they want—pieces that will have mileage. How many times a week can I wear it—and how can I make it impactful in my daily life? Those are the questions we’re hearing.
During the pandemic, we sold a lot of graphic pieces, but now there’s a desire for something quieter, softer—easier, perhaps: interesting track pants, or something with a cool sleeve. What looks good on Zoom and at the store? Also, people are buying so much less, regardless of age or income—they’re all very conscious of overspending and overconsumption.
There’s a lot of interest in under-the-radar brands: Y/Project, Ottolinger… there’s suspicion about anything that is overexposed or too commercialized, or involves celebrity association and collaboration. Our customers are not that interested in labels driven by a lot of press and marketing—they can smell the inauthenticity. Kapital is a good example of this: We’ve had it for a decade, and season after season what they make is very specific—they don’t care about marketing; what they create is true to them. In Japan it might be available everywhere, but in the US it is far more limited. It’s created a rare moment of real brand loyalty.
Our customer is also daring: They are going more and more bodycon—especially the men. Two newer labels which have been great for us: danbi, from LA, and Nin Studio, from Mexico City. They are both affordable (everyone is super price conscious) and youthful, but with an appeal that cuts through age, and their pieces are in quiet, simple shapes and in very good fabric choices, and they work on many different body types. For the real experimentalists, Bless does well, and not just the apparel, but the objects. SC103 we can’t keep in the store—they are careful with their distribution, and what they do feels like it is really out of their own heads and a reflection of where they and their friends’ groups are: their nightlife, how they live. Sometimes I have to look very closely to see just what something actually is—it might look like a giant square—but it looks great and intriguing on every person.
Martine Rose: She’s the best. Her quality is great, but she also comes up with the weirdest shit that everyone is doing the following season. And Martine is a designer, not a marketer, and the confidence of her POV comes out in the clothes. I admire the intellectualism. I do also want to mention Vaquera. It’s our fifth season with these guys, and it sells out every time. They are decades younger than me [laughs] and they reference a kind of party scene I remember from growing up, but they are doing it their way. I love how ridiculous they are — but nothing is a joke. And it brings me back to Y/Project and Ottolinger: People love to come in and see the clothes in person and try them on, and it’s amazing to see how the weirdest ideas can work so well on real bodies—like the wired pieces, or others which are slashed.
We’ve also seen demand for small regional labels that decentralize the idea of where fashion can come from. Portland is such a small city, and while once you couldn’t really get anything here, with the ubiquity of so many channels now, people are coming back to designers who are running small projects and producing their own work. You can find it if you go look for it. I’d like to give a shout-out to jeweler Martine Ali, who works in silver, along with a Spanish jewelry brand, Simuero—very organic, a lot of gold and colorful stones.
As to what doesn’t work for us—and I guess this is indicative of where we were—sweats and lounge suits aren’t for us. They’re still being marketed to us on social media—that basic clean-girl look—but we can’t sell that stuff if our lives depended on it. At one point, because there was so much of it out there, I thought maybe we should try some—but everyone who worked here was like, ‘Hell, no!’ when I brought it up, and they were right.
Laura Vinroot Poole, Capitol, Charlotte NC
There’s been a huge response this year to things of lasting value—and to where we have been in our lives. It was funny to go to Paris after the pandemic, and people were still wearing exactly what they wore in March 2020! What, haven’t you been wearing Birkenstocks like the rest of us for the last year [laughs]?! It’s why we saw such a huge interest in High Sport pants. They look and feel amazing, you can wash them, wear them out to dinner, on a plane, or to work out in. The uniform of 2023 has been those High Sport pants, a sweater from Extreme Cashmere or Lisa Yang, a gorgeous double-face coat from Dusan, a loafer from The Row, an embroidered shawl from Shaw Brothers, and jewelry from Irene Neuwirth. Wear heels with this and you can go to dinner. It’s all exceptionally made and special.
This is my 25th year in business, and it feels like my customers and I are revisiting where we started: celebrating, and wearing, designers who are makers, like Peter Cohen, and Tracy Feith and Maison Rabih Kayrouz. Peter’s clothes are so under the radar they don’t even have a label or a logo. (Nor do the bags we are selling have logos, be they Metier, The Row, Mark Cross, or Savette.) I feel proud to be carrying these designers.
Of course our clients loved their Balenciaga, Gucci, and Valentino, and when everything went crazy back around 2007, people were buying the same clothes several times for multiple houses, and Nancy Gonzalez bags in 400 colors…. But the pandemic has brought us back to reality—and our roots. There’s a strong desire for things that can be worn season after season: Everyone has wanted a Blazé jacket and a pair of well-cut pants. With the tightening of the economy, and the unending horror of war, conspicuous fashion feels completely out of step. It’s why we have a crazy business with Dusan: He has impeccable taste, and the fabrics are unbelievable.
In the last couple of weeks, I’ve seen four women in the store carrying vintage Chanel bags from their mothers—or grandmothers. I’ve been pulling out my old Saint Laurent, and I went to a ball this past weekend and I wore an old Giambattista Valli dress and an old Lanvin belt, and I saw a client who said to me, “Is that old Lanvin?! I hope I didn’t get rid of any of mine!” Alber Elbaz’s point was always that his clothes should be worn with past seasons. Dries Van Noten is the same way: We will all buy something new from him and then wear it with what we already own.
We have wonderful customers who are not afraid of being dramatic, and for 20 years, one of the biggest sellers of my business was a long-sleeved floral chiffon evening dress. Now they want a tux or an evening suit, something clean that can be switched around, worn in different ways, and to different events. (Huishan Zhang had one with a jacket with a sweetheart neckline and fitted bodice, with crop pants—so chic.) Because the drawback of that one stunning evening dress is that you wear it once and it has been seen.
Wearing a suit has been really appealing to women: that idea of protecting yourself, looking taller, broader shouldered…it’s not that carefree super feminine look any more. They want pants for evening, which has been a huge change. I mean, I am from the South, we won’t wear pants to church. For that, it’s a dress, from Peter Cohen or Dusan, which can still be worn in 10 alternative ways.
It has sometimes felt like some designers are a bit out of touch with what their clients want; they’ve not been in the stores or doing trunk shows. It’s why I have gone back to someone like Tracy Feith. So many of the people we relied on for evening wear weren’t doing it, and someone like Tracy would send me something and five swatches to choose from to make it in.
We have also had a very successful year with Zero + Maria Cornejo, Marfa Stance, Dovima, Julie de Libran, Edeline Lee, and Anya Hindmarch: They are all women who are really interested in listening to their clients. They are in the dressing rooms with them. That connection is crucial. Once it was all about the importance of who wore it. Now people don’t care. Does it fit me? Can I wear it 100 different ways? That’s what they want to know. You have to sell people clothes that you believe in. You want them to look in their closets, and come back to you.
Emily Holt, Hero Shop, Marin County CA
We’re located in northern California, so it’s almost impossible to be more casual here [laughs]. Our sweet spot has always been cashmere sweaters and jeans, though this year there’s been a movement toward dressier tops and bottoms—but not suits. We might be seeing them on the runways, but San Francisco is not a suit city. We did sell Dries Van Noten’s floral tailoring, which is so great and easy to wear: a soft jacket and a drawstring pant.
I’m not sure simplicity is the right word, but after the pandemic and the general craziness of the world there’s a demand for dressing easier—whether it’s for work or pleasure—with perfect tees from The Row, or Khaite, or High Sport, an LA label by Alissa Zachary. Google High Sport kick pants, which are in a knit jacquard: The appetite for this label is something I have never seen before—for fall, she included a tee, which we sold out of almost immediately. Also popular: a signature cotton button-down from Toteme, maybe to wear with jeans from Nili Lotan. All year, we’ve had women come to us for a pair of great jeans—the barrel shape has done really well—and they all want to know: What should I wear with these? How should I wear them?
We don’t tend to cover the kind of gray area of dressing: It’s either everyday dressing, or much more evening-y, like Bernadette, or La DoubleJ, which have black tie and wedding options that work well for us. There are a lot of really black tie events in the Bay Area, and those women are going to go with something classically dressy, like Gucci or Valentino.
There’s been a lot of demand for an interesting flat or low-heeled footwear: a silver fisherman sandal from Marni; a Gabriela Hearst flatform sneaker; The Row’s Mary Janes or eel skin loafers; or Khaite’s Dallas ankle boots in brown suede, with one-and-a-half-inch heels. For bags, it’s Khaite, The Row, or Dries—we’re the only place you can buy his bags in the area—and Toteme: minimalist and well made. We picked up Métier by Melissa Morris after we did a trunk show in the spring—people are buying those for carry-ons (‘Will it fit my laptop?’ is a constant question)—or, otherwise, they love her crossbody Stowaway bag. Also new for us: Sophie Buhai jewelry; Bode—its silk novelty shirting took off—and tees from Amsterdam’s Flore Flore, which are under $150 and in a tailored shape in nice, substantial cotton. They remind me of 20 years ago, when we were all in Petit Bateau.
What does all of this have in common? There’s definitely been a buy now, wear right this second vibe to shopping this year—I’ll have women come in and say, “I’m going to a wedding.” When? “Tomorrow.” Or they need something for a business trip to Paris. Oh—when are you leaving? “This afternoon.” Stealth wealth has generally been a bit overplayed this year, but women have definitely been veering toward solid-color wardrobing, because it makes sense for them. The shock of Instagram bait has receded—and the puffy prairie sleeve is definitely out of the picture. For investment, I’m seeing women still go for a bag or jewelry: The Row, or Khaite, or Métier, or jewelry brands like Marie Hélène de Taillac or Spinelli Kilcollin—a nice piece of jewelry, nothing blingy or gimmicky. Even then, we want it to be practical!
Stacy Smallwood, Hampden Clothing, Charleston SC
Our business, which opened 17 years ago, has always been 50% dresses—but this year, for the first time, we saw a dip in that as our women are going to separates: tops, pants, skirts. The long denim skirt—from Khaite to Rachel Comey—was huge for us, but skirts in general did well; they’re feminine, and can transform what’s already in our customers’ closets. There was a big demand for tops, but it never felt like there were enough in the market! One thing they’ve walked away from is anything too feminine—those puffy, big, romantic sleeves—but also it wasn’t about a cotton button-down, which is too masculine.
We sell suits, but split-up: Someone buys the jacket to wear with jeans, while someone else buys the pants to wear with a blouse or sweater. They’re going to feel too stuffy in a full suit, even if it is a bit sportier. The wide-legged trouser is something that people have really loved—many of our customers are 5’ 5” and under, so I was nervous, but they loved the look and the sense of movement: It’s a quick way to switch up proportions. And knitwear has been a big category for us, even in spring—from a Toteme tank to a Khaite sweater, business has been huge. They see the value in it.
As for dresses, we’re still selling them, but there’s much less interest in prints—it’s about solids. They’re more versatile and give more bang for the buck; you can buy one to help build a wardrobe and use it multiple ways. It used to be about the one-and-done dress, but now our women are really looking at social media, and they want to try out different looks with what they buy. Travel is also responsible for that: Everyone was traveling, mainly to Europe. With more casual, solid-colored pieces, it’s easier to mix and match things when you’re on the road.
The other thing about social media is that while it lets our clients see themselves wearing things, everyone else sees it as well. It’s why they’ve gotten behind the quiet luxury trend—investing in nicer pieces, and buying less. We heard “Show me multiple ways I can wear this” all the time—and they weren’t afraid of the price point. Even when we see a dip in the economy, there’s always customers who stay and keep shopping—but they’re more intentional now. If 2022 was all about emotional purchases, 2023 was about “What do I really need?”
Historically, we’ve always done well with Sacai: It doesn’t follow a trend or look like anyone else, and our women love the juxtaposition of different elements. We have customers from their 20s to their 70s buying it. Dries Van Noten is also a big brand for us, from ready-to-wear to shoes to accessories. Proenza Schouler connects, because it’s minimal yet still feminine. In 2021, they recreated their fall runway show here, and whenever we have a designer visit, it increases their popularity—it’s a reminder that there’s someone behind the label. Lesser-known labels that have sold include La Collection, which has that quiet luxury feel; Sa Sa Phi, which does beautiful silk knit pieces, like joggers (they’re stunning—the fabric feels insane!); and Plan C [by Carolina Castiglioni, the daughter of Marni founder Consuelo Castiglioni], which is one of my personal favorites. We also picked up Interior, and women have been coming in and going crazy for it.
Accessories-wise, people have gotten away from sneakers and into ballet flats or loafers. (That said, one sneaker brand did sell extremely well: Autry.) They are particular about heels: After Covid, they don’t want to go back to them—or if they do, it has got to be something they can walk in, like a block heel. We don’t do anything over 90mm. It goes back to the age group buying the luxury brands, which lies between 45 to 70—our women don t want to be on their feet all night in very high shoes.
Also, at one time all they cared about were big-name bags, yet now we’re seeing an uptick in styles from Proenza and Marni and even Isabel Marant. The luxury ones have become so expensive—bags which retail for between $1,000 and $2,000 are great, and you can’t really get those from the big brands. But bags have to be functional for our women—no micro styles. In the past, totes have been our number-one seller, which speaks to their busy lives and the need for functionality more so than clutches or top-handled bags.
Evening has been the hardest category to fill. We have Giambattista Valli, and some evening pieces from Dries and Proenza. We also have beautiful cashmere and Yves Salomon coats, which aren’t strictly evening but which look dressed-up. But it’s been hard to find an evening dress that isn’t $5,000, but rather $1,500 or $2,000. We’re constantly searching for that—especially since Charleston is the second biggest wedding destination in the country—but there just isn’t enough out there. The city attracts 7 million tourists a year, so I buy what I think is important for the women who are here, and for those who might be visiting us. That keeps us interesting—and evolving.
Sherri McMullen, McMullen, Oakland CA
The designers who stood out for me this year were Diotima by Rachel Scott, who is staying true to her Caribbean roots and is so intentional about her work with crochet, and Zankov by Henry Zankov—his knitwear has such a joyful use of color and pattern. We have bought him from his first season, and we are at 85% sell-through at full price. Christopher John Rogers is also strong. People aren’t buying just one piece—they’re buying a full look; they want to be involved in the worlds of these brands. That’s how we buy it and how we represent it—it’s important to not just buy three or four styles, but to really represent the collection.
We have pieces from designers from last spring that we haven’t marked down—and why should we? These are beautiful, handmade clothes which are still special and relevant. You want to be able to tell your customer you bought this piece last year, and you should wear it with something you bought this year—you don’t need a new wardrobe every season. If you love fashion, you will buy every season, but it’s important to keep things. We work with Lisa Folawiyo in Lagos, and our customers know that it might take her a year to make something. They’ll wait. Even for everyday life, there’s a desire for one-of-a-kind pieces. We’re just not selling anything denim, or too casual: Track pants sold during the pandemic, but not now.
The Row has been stronger than ever, especially the accessories—we can’t keep their loafers in stock. Flats in general, and anything with a lower heel, we can’t keep in stock. Women don’t want to give too much thought to what they’re wearing—it has to be easy and effortless.It’s about having these beautiful, well-made shoes that can take you the distance. Khaite’s studded bags sold out, then we reordered—and sold out—and now have more on order: Her Elena studded bag is a statement piece that works even if you’re wearing something simple. Also: jewelry from Khiry and Sordo (beautifully made, like objects on your ears) and eyewear from Kimeze, which looks great on so many faces.
People are dressing up more and more, and they are wearing tailored pieces, but it comes with a desire for effortless dressing, less fuss, more streamlining, gorgeous fabrications, timelessness. There’s a craving for less, but better. Our customers are working—they’re on panels, traveling, making public appearances, taking part in events and conversations. They’re intentional, and they look to us because we’re just as intentional. They also like to meet the designers, who will come visit us many times during the year, whether it’s Christopher [John Rogers], Jameel [Mohammed] of Khiry, or Amy [Smilovic] from Tibi. It really builds trust and loyalty.
Telsa Anderson-Boone, Shop T/A, New York City NY
Speaking as an independent retailer, a lot of my favorite shops have either closed or gone online: Covid, jobs, and the ups and downs of the economy [have all made an impact]. We moved to digital when our lease [in New York] came to a close [at the end of July]—we had to think about how to still follow where our customers are going and what they’re doing with their money, and what we saw was that they’re very intentional about what they’re buying.
Our customers responded most to one-of-one and original merchandise—I truly believe everyone was looking for a way to make 2023 special in their own way. Customers were still spending, but they were investing in family and travel and furniture—all that good stuff—as well as watching what fashion they were investing in. It’s about meaningful pieces—for them, and for us—and buying things that will be about more than one season. They want to have standout moments with their clothes, whether they’re going to work or to a bar or to brunch with their friends—they want pieces that can transcend just one way of being worn.
We have sold Christopher John Rogers suits both in-store and online: Women wanted to invest in a suit that captures the idea of a corporate work setting, but also has some life, and Christopher’s orange palazzo pants and jackets could be split up—the jacket with a different pair of trousers in black and ivory, or the pants with a white button-down. Julia Heuer, which started in Berlin and then relocated to Paris, is easy and fun, and I love the sizing—it’s one size fits all, and you know that when you put it on it will be complementary to your body, whether it is a suit jacket or a dress. It’s great to work with a brand so excited about print and color—and one that can be paired with a more traditional shirt or sweater.
Christopher Esber is a good example of playing between dress-up moments and moments where things can be, for want of a better word, simpler. People, whether they were coming into the store or shopping online, are asking how to wear items, and to see them figure it out has been exciting to me. The way his clothes mold to the body is unmatched, and his colors, which are very understated, look good on different skin tones. We added Rave Review to our brand matrix. Not only are their designs original, they’re also sustainable—they utilize deadstock fabric for each collection.
This year was the first we’ve ever produced in-house. We launched T.A. x Vault by Vans, Pleated Petals, which is a classic slip-on, and sold out online in minutes and in-person over a short few days. Investing in small limited-edition moments is really appealing: There’s something in the intimacy of the storytelling behind the product, which was something we can do with our season of pop-ups, like the one we did with the Standard Hotel. It can really power what you do with larger businesses, and to be introduced to audiences feels collaborative. It gives us a larger footprint.
Wendi Koletar, Kick Pleat, Austin and Houston TX
I feel that we’re at something of a return to—well, I’ll say quote-unquote normal. The years 2021 and 2022 were outliers, and everyone lost their mind in different ways. It wasn’t just my business that had unprecedented growth—everyone did, and it was so much fun. But 2023 is… normal, at least as far as shopping is concerned. We are still very busy, but it’s not like before when everyone was like, “Yes, yes, yes—I will take 10!” Now it’s “I’ll take two, and put the others on my wish list’.
We have so many different types of customers—from edgy and editorial to more feminine and classic. What’s true for both: Silhouettes are changing. People are still loving denim from us, but trends in it are like mayhem [laughs]: It’s not everyone in a skinny leg, or everyone in a wide cropped leg; there’s a bunch of fun things happening, a definite liking for novelty and color and print.
Fashion is what we crave before something or after something—by which I mean world events—and there’s a—I know everyone is tired of calling them ’90s silhouettes, but—a desire to wear an all-black tonal look, or an all-gray tonal look, in narrower shapes and modern fabrics. There’s a real sporty thing going on: The zippers, the fabrications, the utilitarian details, the pockets—and a preppie revival with loafers, stripes, and khakis.
As for evening, we’re a more casual store because Austin is a more casual town. You can go to any big event—a wedding, say—and the guys will all be in cowboy boots. When I opened my second store, in Houston, I was like, “Oh, it’s more dressed up here!” [laughs] My core value system is that you have to be comfortable, be it day, night, whatever. We do amazing evening which women will feel comfortable in, like Zero + Maria Cornejo—her designs stand out as true originals—along with Mantu and Louiza Babouryan, while Rachel Comey, Proenza Schouler, Toteme, and Rosetta Getty do interesting evening that we are happy to carry. New designer Heirlome has some pretty evening dresses as well. Events are back, charity dinners are back, people are getting dressed up again—and no one is blinking twice about twice about whether they can or should.
Also, every shoe I buy is comfortable, whether it is for an event or not. When I buy super-high shoes, my customers are like… no [laughs]. What they do love: flats, an adorable Proenza Schouler studded boot that has a little heel; and anything in leopard print. Tennis shoes are being worn with everything. For fall, tall boots came back, and we’ve been selling small to medium-sized cross-body bags.
Dries Van Noten works really well for us—it’s artful and easy and comfortable and pro-women; Cordera, a Spanish brand you don’t see everywhere, we also do well with, along with Issey Miyake; and Dusan—a well tailored, impeccable fabrics brand. All of these labels are about creating personal style. R13 is our top denim brand, and we are carrying a new Italian denim line, Haikure, that’s also fun. I also picked up Molli, a great heritage sweater label, terrific quality, and a beautiful Brazilian heritage jewelry company that has been around since the early 1900s called Sauer, and Bougeotte, a new loafer brand.
Every season we ask ourselves: OK—what is our story? The past few years have been color and print, and now it’s just less so. Instead: solids for layering, mixed with stripes and plaid. We do oversize, and I feel comfortable in an oversize world, yet designers went too hard with oversize, and I want to send out a PSA to them: Oversized oversize isn’t working! I think sometimes it was about making clothes that could be worn by any gender, but making the sizing so big can be really difficult to work with—and wear.
Listen to Vogue editors talk more about the best fashion of the year on this episode of The Run-Through here.