Cody Bay shares where to find international brands and Seattle gems
To celebrate the publication of Tiger Oak Media’s all-Chinese Seattle Luxury Living magazine, Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty (RSIR) is introducing a special English language content series, which will highlight select articles from the magazine over the coming weeks on the RSIR blog. The fifth post in our series is all about high-end shopping. Fashionistas will revel in the Pacific Northwest’s eclectic selection of shops, whether it’s the local favorite around the corner or a world renowned brand.
Nordstrom
A Seattle institution turns up the charm.
For more than 100 years, Nordstrom has been a reliable best friend for Seattle shoppers. Whether you’re walking out with a couple pairs of new trouser socks or a designer bag splurge, you know you’ll be treated with their same signature customer service.
Now, with last year’s major remodel of their 383,000-square-foot downtown flagship store, the reliable retailer aims to create a more high-end shopping experience that still has something for everyone.
Along with a more open floor plan and newly exposed windows that allow for more natural light, Nordstrom has also brought in additional boutique shops from designers whose names are synonymous with luxury. This is one of only two Nordstrom locations to feature a Louis Vuitton boutique (the other is in Chicago). “Nordstrom Welcomes Herm a first-of-its-kind collaboration concept shop, creates an otherworldly way to shop the Paris fashion house’s silk accessories and jewelry amid cutout walls, mirrored surfaces and an art installation of suspended strands of designer silk. Curated by Olivia Kim, Nordstrom’s vice president of creative projects, the Hermès pop-up is scheduled to stay in place through 2017.
The first floor also houses designer accessory boutiques from Gucci, Prada, Fendi, Saint Laurent, Chanel and Celine. Designer apparel offerings on the second floor include Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Celine and Gucci, as well as newcomers Dior, Akris and Valentino, which opened as part of the 2016 remodel.
Those with a taste for discovery and edgier style shouldn’t miss SPACE. This permanent, in-store boutique (again curated by Olivia Kim and her creative projects team) features emerging designers alongside established lines with limited distribution, such as Comme des Garcons and Undercover. In order to put an even sharper focus on undiscovered talent, Nordstrom launched a new SPACE project called The Lab in February 2017, created as an incubator to expose brand-new designers from around the globe and help them grow their businesses.
Nordstrom got smart in 1980 when it opened a café for refueling in between accessorizing missions. The classic Café Nordstrom is still on the fourth floor and has been spruced up with a remodel, but now it has some pretty hip company. At Habitant, you can order up sleek craft cocktails and snack on seasonally changing bites like fresh berry and fig salad or ricotta meatballs.
Although Nordstrom may have added more glitz, they haven’t forgotten their commitment to extraordinary customer service. New service perks include curbside pickup when you buy online and a partnership with UberRUSH for $15 same-day delivery to your door. Personal stylists for both men and women are also available by appointment as always, free of charge.
Going Big
Luxury destinations for serious shoppers.
The Champs Elysée? Rodeo Drive? Not so long ago, mentioning Seattle in the same sentence as these famous luxury meccas would have been absurd. Oh, but times have changed.
The Shops at the Bravern
The store directory of this glitzy, open-air Bellevue in-city mall is an impressive A-list of major global fashion houses: Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Jimmy Choo and more.
The Bravern’s biggest tenant, luxury retailer Neiman Marcus, is the crown jewel of the mall and home to Neiman’s equally celebrated fashion director Ken Downing (who happens to hail from Seattle, Washington). Fashionistas in the Northwest and beyond make sure to keep an eye on his seasonal trend forecasts.
Last year brought the addition of California-based eyewear purveyor Oliver Peoples and an expanded showroom for Holly Zhang, whose exquisite pearl jewelry designs have found their place among the world’s fanciest brands.
The Bravern plays up its international acumen even more with welcome gifts and special offers for anyone who shows a passport with a B1/B2 visa at the concierge. Don’t forget to sweeten the deal with a stop at Café Trophy, which bakes up the most luxurious cupcake in town. They moved and expanded to a new Bravern location last year to tempt shoppers with a menu of French pastries, savory breakfast and lunch offerings and a selection of bubbly to wash it all down.
Louis Vuitton
To get your hands on the latest collection of leather treasures from famed French fashion house Louis Vuitton, drop into one of their two Seattle-area locations: the Bravern (home to the area’s largest collection of luxury designer boutiques), or their new in-house boutique in the downtown Nordstrom flagship store, where you can personalize your goods with painted or hot stamped motifs and monograms.
Tiffany & Co.
If you’ve ever felt intimidated walking through the big, stainless steel doors of Tiffany & Co., head to the posh jeweler’s University Village location, which took its cue from Seattle’s independent, laid-back spirit to create a more welcoming, accessible vibe. Rather than a fortress-like entrance, clear glass doors beneath a sleek, Northwest-inspired wood façade open into a welcoming space where customers are encouraged to touch and try on pieces that are displayed on top of tables. If you find it harder to leave the store without a little blue box, that’s exactly what they had in mind.
The Bellevue Collection
For many locals, “Bellevue” is synonymous with “shopping,” and The Bellevue Collection is the reason. Bellevue Square, Lincoln Square and Bellevue Place, all in the heart of downtown Bellevue, house some 200 retailers and many of the hottest major American and international brands, from Anthropologie and Aritzia to Zara and everything in between. This fall will bring the addition of local bargain mecca Nordstrom Rack at the Lincoln Square expansion, where shoppers can find deep discounts on luxury brands from Nordstrom.
The mall’s refueling options are expanding this year with the opening of nearly a dozen new restaurants, including Taylor Shellfish and Oyster Bar, a favorite among Seattle’s seafood-obsessed, classic Seattle seafood spot Duke’s Chowder House and international newcomers like Baron’s Xi’an Kitchen and Bar, expected to open in late spring.
Emerald City Gems
For a look that’s all Seattle.
Innovators and rebels helped make Seattle and the Eastside what they are today, and that independent spirit extends to what we wear. Check out these local fashion darlings who keep the city on the style map and its residents looking sharp.
Totokaelo
An ambitious Capitol Hill destination that continually challenges Seattle’s restrained style, Totokaelo began as a humble Fremont consignment shop called Impulse in 2003. It has since become an international company with a cult following for its avant-garde approach to fashion as wearable art. Founder Jill Wenger expanded to New York with a Soho location in 2015 and subsequently sold the company to Vancouver-based Herschel Capital Corp., such as Comme des Garçons protégé Junya Watanabe, Beijing-born fashion designer Yang Li and Totokaelo’s own line, with its boxy, tomboyish looks that stay edgy without upsetting Seattleites’ firm grip on sensibility.
Butch Blum
A longtime favorite among the discerning professional set, Butch Blum—founded and run until last year by Seattle husband-and-wife team Butch Blum and Kay Smith-Blum—proudly touts its role in pioneering European luxury fashion more than 40 years ago in a town more known for its lumberjack aesthetic. Off the beaten path from the big-name luxury brands, here you’ll find exclusive artisanal fashion houses like Milan’s Cividini, known for its graphic, hand-printed fabrics, dapper menswear from Luciano Barbera, and hot up-and-coming designers like Korea’s Ji Oh, heralded for her real-life-inspired modernist updates of wardrobe staples.
Alvin Goldfarb Jeweler
Should you need to propose, celebrate an anniversary or mark a milestone with a particularly special timepiece, this family-run jewelry boutique is known for making sure your baubles have an extra bit of sparkle, thanks to the store’s personal approach.
Late founder Alvin Goldfarb was known for treating his customers like family, never hesitating to go the extra mile to make an occasion even more meaningful. Alvin’s son and current owner Steven Goldfarb and his team have kept that spirit alive in their downtown Bellevue shop and beyond, playing an active role in community leadership, philanthropy and service.
Timeless tradition, seasonal runway inspiration and innovative design are all on display, from rare and large cut diamonds by Rahaminov to the richly storied collections from Armenta.
Luly Yang Couture
Downtown Seattle’s Luly Yang fluttered into the hearts of design lovers with her iconic Monarch Dress in 1999; she opened her eponymous downtown boutique the next year. Since then, she has become arguably the city’s most beloved and respected couturier, with her bridal gowns, evening wear and ready-to-wear collections.
Born in Taiwan, Yang has drawn extensive inspiration from Asian culture. Her jaw-dropping “Passage to Shanghai” collection from 2006 is one of her career highlights. Yang is now working on a partnership with Alaska Airlines, drawing on her experience as both an architectural graphic designer and a student of physiology to design new uniforms for 12,000 airline employees. You can expect to see the new uniforms in action on an airplane runway in 2018.
Whether you need a cocktail dress to dazzle or a smart leather pencil skirt, a signature Luly piece is a true Seattle wardrobe staple.
As Featured in Seattle Luxury Living Magazine:
Stay tuned for the final installment of the series, which will cover a guide to Washington’s wines on Friday July 28th.