All events and appointments were made with social distancing and recommended safety procedures in mind, and each attendee was treated with respect in regard to their personal wishes about taking precautions for their own safety.
Travel within the continental United States is slowly but surely starting to happen. Spring is awakening not only blossoms and trees but our desire to travel somewhere in a safe and respectable way. I was recently invited to attend a fashion exhibit in Dallas and of course I said yes! I offered the opportunity to a few previous customers of mine, and we packed our bags and flew to Dallas for a three day adventure of shopping and dining and just enjoying the spring weather.
Our first day began on the flight from ATL to Love Field. Who doesn’t love LOVE field! It’s such an easy flight and the efforts made by Delta couldn’t have been more efficient. We landed, grabbed our bags and ordered an Uber Black XL to get us across town to our hotel, a ten minute ride. I decided to stay at the Highland Park, a Hilton Curio property, because its location was perfect as the resting point in between the many outings I had planned. And even at 11 am, our rooms were ready for us to check in, freshen up and begin our adventure in Dallas!
We started at Tootsies, Dallas. I am a very big fan of Tootsies here in Atlanta and I really wanted to see the Dallas store. They unfortunately had experienced some water damage at that location due to the recent snow storms so they were temporarily located in a nearby storefront that was much smaller than they are used to. The staff at Tootsies made up for the unfinished space. They were incredibly helpful in finding sizes or other options for us, and showered us with wonderful service and light refreshments, making us feel welcome and appreciated as we shopped. I can’t wait for the grand opening of the refinished store, I think another visit to Dallas will be a must when this happens! Our next shopping destination is one of the most prestigious in Dallas, Highland Park Village. After our lunch at the Park House, celebrating our day with a bottle or two of Veuve Cliquot, we shopped the day away as only true fashionistas can do. Here we found boutiques such as Hermes, Chanel, Dior, Alice & Olivia, Veronica Beard, LoveShackFancy, and Elizabeth W. At Alice & Olivia they had the coolest little pop up (with more champagne!) of a new brand of accessories called Dos Femmes. Their beaded earrings had little margaritas and limes, chips and salsa, sparkly sunglasses and other unique designs. The two owners of Dos Femmes were there and so lovely to talk with. The only thing missing from their collection was something French, perhaps an Eiffel tower? Arms full of shopping bags, we went back to our hotel to get ready for dinner at sushi restaurant, ShinSei. It was a magical way to end our first day in Texas.
On day two we took a tour of a boutique meditation center, Breathe – Meditation and Wellness. We met with Jenn Hill, owner of ZenJenn beauty and skincare brand, to experience her beautiful products and tour the calm and peaceful facility. I only wish we had scheduled the time to experience a mediation class or sit in the salt room to detox for a bit. The next trip will definitely include time for this! Shopping in the little boutique was like a candy store, every display and something more lovely than the next, and we came out of the center with multiple bags, including some amazing product from ZenJenn! A quick stop for coffee at the trendy Royal Blue Grocery and then we popped into The Conservatory back at Highland Park Village. The upstairs boutique was filled with clothing brands, home accessories and beauty products that were worthy of the beautiful Barney’s NYC. Of course the new concept store, being designed by the founder of Forty-Five-Ten in Dallas was cool, hip and trendy without being overly fussy. Something we absolutely need to go back to when we get back to Dallas.
The main event, visiting the pop up exhibit “She’s Got the Look ” at the Dallas Galleria was our next stop. The two room display space was a throwback to some of us with gasps and exclamations of “I wore that!” as we perused the vignettes of days in the 80’s. The first room was full of formal gowns from “Dynasty” and Elizabeth Taylor’s lavender gown from her fragrance commercials, to “ladies who lunch” day dresses complete with hats, just like Princess Diana would have worn. All of this was enhanced by a large video screen playing MTv videos that brought the mood of the location way up. The second room was an homage to Toni & Guy, the cutting edge hair stylists who were influenced by cans and cans of hairspray and some very sharp edges. The wardrobe collection displayed included club wear, oversized sweatshirts in neon and of course jelly bracelets. The entire exhibit was dotted with display cases full of jewelry and memorabilia from the times to compliment the clothing. Next to the exhibit was a colorful candy store, The Sweet Boutique whose motto is “Make your life sweeter”. Our life was pretty sweet at this point! Lunch at the French bistro, Parigi was a lovely way to break up our day. We enjoyed a table outside under a yellow umbrella with some delicious food. We felt like we were in Paris!
The exhibit at the Galleria was curated by the owners of Martini Consignment in Dallas so of course we had to stop by the boutique to see the other decades of delites offered. Shopping by the decade, or the occasion, you can find wondrous treasures at Vintage Martini. Like the consignment stores of Paris, this store had pieces that had never been worn, or only used once and the previous owner recycled with Martini. Chanel, Vuitton, McQueen, Louboutin, and many unknown designers were on display. What an Aladdin’s Cave of treasures! Dinner at Bistro 31 in the center of shopping plaza Highland Park Village was the perfect way to end our day. The opera singing waiter was a joy to hear as table after table celebrated something with dessert and a song that evening.
Our final day in Dallas was spent packing our suitcases and flying home. We could have spent an additional day shopping in places like Ann Mashburn, Elements, or even back to Highland Park Village (we probably only experienced one-third of the wonderful shops at that location!)
Dallas is an amazing city for shopping, from any level. Just like Paris, you can find contemporary brands, resale and of course high fashion, shopping at all price points for every budget. It’s an experience not to be missed. Who would like to go with me on my next trip?
