12 March 2007

A Little Bit Late: Fashion Wednesday in D.C. - Part I

Two Wednesdays ago, the style stars were aligned over our nation's capital. District Sample Sale. Press Preview to the Georgetown Cusp store. Opening show to DC Fashion Week. Either it was planned to make the rest of the world realize DC Has Style, or someone didn't check their calendars. Either way, it worked.

First stop, Cusp Georgetown. Airier, more open, more organic space than the impression I had of the Tyson's store. Love the stonework. Product lines are the same - by design - as other stores, but there's more focus on individual departments. Rather than shoes or cosmetics being out and about in the store, there's a specific shoe space. Easier to find. It's one of the changes Cusp customers asked for after the first stores. Cusp customers, consider yourselves heard. All in all, Cusp's got the goods.

A little disappointing, though, was the answer I got when I asked "Why D.C.?" I was hoping that I'd hear an "It's a new, edgy market," or "D.C. has the style sense (and moolah) to support two stores." What I got: "D.C. got lucky." I'm not sure whether Nieman Marcus (Cusp's parent company) just doesn't want to reveal its market selection criteria or process, or it means D.C.'s just got the plain ol' cash to support the store. I'm not stupid, of course that has to be part of a commerical decision - we are in a free market economy, after all - but as a Believer in D.C. Style, I was saddened. I could've handled a teensy white lie, NM PR people. What better way to win over customers than to tell them what great style they have?

No comments: