Wants and Needs

Dallas brand celebrates way more than a birthday at downtown bash

Wants and Needs

Dallas brand celebrates way more than a birthday at downtown bash

Pam Vasko, Rachel GatenbyPhoto by WJNPHOTO
Eddie Fortuna, Angelee FortunaPhoto by WJNPHOTO
Lupe Cuebas, Rosy CuebasPhoto by WJNPHOTO
Eddie "Lucky" CampbellPhoto by WJNPHOTO
Tim Fleming, Bridget Sommerlatte, JacksonPhoto by WJNPHOTO
Sohail Dar, Matt Alexander, Imran SheikhPhoto by WJNPHOTO
Lori Fox, Ciara Omoghrain, Esther HavensPhoto by WJNPHOTO
Clint Bentley, Rachel BentleyPhoto by WJNPHOTO
Amber England, Leslie ArgenbrightPhoto by WJNPHOTO
Jason Smith, Brendon MarksPhoto by WJNPHOTO
Robert Smith, Melissa WoldachPhoto by WJNPHOTO
Yesi Fortuna, Joshua FortunaPhoto by WJNPHOTO
Natalie Sheikh, Alyssa YannuzziPhoto by WJNPHOTO
Need x BucketFeet limited-edition shoes hand-painted by Dallas artist Kyle Steed.Photo by WJNPHOTO
The Need team.Photo by WJNPHOTO
Nelly Castillo, Emily MaldonadoPhoto by WJNPHOTO
Naz Ladak, Kari Jones, Matt DeckardPhoto by WJNPHOTO
Yana Kohut, Linda Snorina, CarmenPhoto by WJNPHOTO
Kevin Brodzinski, Brittany AllemanPhoto by WJNPHOTO
Kevin Brodzinski, Brittany AllemanPhoto by WJNPHOTO
Travis Bearden, Micah NancePhoto by WJNPHOTO

The threat of dreadful weather couldn’t keep Dallas partiers down as they headed for Need headquarters to celebrate the brand’s second birthday. It also bears mentioning that there was more to toast than a simple anniversary.

Turns out founder Matt Alexander and his team have been busy busy: Need is now available in 43 countries — as opposed to just boring old United States and Canada — and its menswear collections now come out weekly as opposed to monthly.

Alexander says there also is a renewed focus on exclusives and collaborations — like the limited-run BucketFeet shoes hand-illustrated by Dallas-based artist Kyle Steed — and the company has upgraded its selling platform to accommodate the growth. Also on the horizon: international pop-up shops and in-store pickup at Unbranded, Alexander’s brainchild with fellow Dallas entrepreneur and Foot Cardigan co-founder Bryan DeLuca.

To ensure all of these developments were properly acknowledged — as well as the birthdays of Alexander and COO Imran Sheikh — Parliament poured drinks and Bowen House provided nibbles. Rise, Shopify, Oven Bits, and Brainspace also helped make the festivities possible so all those bearded fellows in skinny jeans could mingle with bootie-clad girls. Techno beats kept the fourth floor of 211 N. Ervay St. bumping.

Once that wrapped, Sheikh welcomed people to the brand-new Uptown lounge Citizen, of which he is a co-owner, for an after-party. Told you these guys were busy.

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Where to Shop

Shopping Time

Where to shop in Dallas right now: 6 new stores and finds for July

Barbie's House Barbie's House

Summer can often be sleepy when it comes to new store openings, but summer 2025 is not taking a break. This edition of Where to Shop, CultureMap's monthly column of shops and sales, has six new finds, dominated by home decor stores, but also new clothing brands and collections.

Here's where to shop in Dallas in July 2025:

Aroma 360
Home and office fragrance store at Galleria Dallas carries automatic diffusers, reed diffusers, car scents, candles, and sprays. They have a brand new Miami collection, featuring notes like bergamot, pineapple, driftwood, and grapefruit. One signature item is the Mini Pro Scent Diffuser, a $300 automatic diffuser that uses waterless and heatless technology to scent up to 600 square feet.

Barbie's House
Barbie Clariday originally founded a home furnishings store in 1999 to serve Houston clients. Now 25 years later, her daughter Jennifer Brown has opened a spinoff in Prosper, offering the same mix of fine furniture, home accessories, gifts, and design services where they'll help find the perfect decorative item or furnish an entire home. They sell bed comforter sets, pillows, chairs, and gifts from brands like Oh My Mahjong and B's Knees candles.

Conrad Shades
Luxury window shades brand is now available exclusively inside the Holly Hunt showroom in the Design District. Holly Hunt carries the full catalogue of 150 woven designs, including the recently launched Japanese-inspired Shibui Collection. Highlights include the Indigo and Sakuru shades, crafted from recycled denim fibers, and the Kata shade, which evokes the dying and weaving traditions of Japan.

OmniThreads
Dallas-based clothing brand inspired by spirituality, Greek mythology, and the zodiac is online only, where it sells T-shirts, hoodies, dad hats, and kids shirts. Here's where to get T-shirts for every sign of the Zodiac, from Aries to Pisces, rendered in vivid, graffiti-esque designs and colors. They have an eco-friendly mission, using biodegradable packaging and paperless receipts.

Sephora
Beauty chain has opened a location in Allen at the Allen Premium Outlets, next to the Kate Spade store. It's a regular Sephora store, not an outlet, which stocks the usual assortment of cosmetics, skincare, fragrance, and makeup from Glossier, Makeup by Mario, and Summer Fridays. There is no shortage of Sephora locations with 30 in the DFW area including Galleria Dallas, Preston Royal, and Willow Bend in Plano.

Weekend Academy
Walmart’s newest private fashion brand fills a space in the fashion market for Gen Alpha, ages 7-14. The tween-specific clothing brand features 65 clothing items for girls and boys including denim, graphic tees, fleece, skirts and dresses, footwear, and accessories, with a majority of items available under $15 and many under $10. Weekend Academy joins Walmart's two other clothing brands for younger shoppers: Wonder Nation brand for kids and No Boundaries brand for Gen Z teens and young adults.

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