The wait is finally over. On February 10, luxury shopping retailer Neiman Marcus is debuting its new digs at the Shops at Clearfork in Fort Worth. The store shuttered the doors to its prior location at Ridgmar Mall on January 28. While it’s the end of an era for Ridgmar, it’s a brand-new future for the Dallas-based luxury chain.
Boasting an incredible 95,000 square feet, the Neiman Marcus store is introducing a variety of women's designers not available at the previous Fort Worth location, including Prada, Ralph Lauren, Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Co., Derek Lam, and Dolce & Gabbana. There will also be a number of exclusives from designers like Edie Parker and Jay Strongwater, designed specifically for Fort Worth and only found at this store.
In addition to a stellar shopping lineup, customers will also be treated to an NM Cafe; a new open-sell concept in the Cosmetics department, where you can play and test products to your heart’s content; private spa rooms; and high-tech bells and whistles throughout the store (from digital store directories and charging stations to fancy mirrors with memory technology and a rockin’ Rockbot jukebox in the Cusp department). In other words, this isn’t your mother’s Neiman Marcus.
“This is a store of the future, offering a reimagined shopping experience,” says Karen Katz, president and CEO of Neiman Marcus Group. “Neiman Marcus Fort Worth promises to deliver the perfect balance of innovative technology with the service and incomparable fashion and luxury that has been the signature of Neiman Marcus for 110 years.”
We especially love the oval-shaped, glass-walled fragrance room that offers an interactive shopping experience. Product testers are displayed in sections and organized into eight fragrance categories — Warm and Spicy, Woody, Rose, Floral, Citrus, Gourmand, Green, and Men’s. Once you’ve found your scent, the easy-access open-shelving display makes it a cinch to grab and go.
Over in the precious jewels department, if you can tear your eyes away from the store’s design (courtesy of Alamo Architects, CallisonRTKL, and J. Robert Anderson Landscape Architecture), you’ll find new offerings from the likes of David Webb, Elizabeth Locke, Marco Bicego, Roberto Coin, Hermès, Bulgari, and Monica Rich Kosann.
The Man’s Shop has also seen an upgrade, with new designers like Brunello Cucinelli, Ermenegildo Zegna, Balenciaga footwear, Gucci ready-to-wear, and a new Canali shop all on offer. Other departments shoppers know and love, like the Couture Salon, CUSP/Contemporary, Gifts and Home, Epicure, and more, are here as well.
If you’re in search of those famous popovers and strawberry butter, then head to the second floor, where you’ll find the full-service NM Cafe, which offers everything from chicken consommé and mandarin orange soufflé to seasonal salads, sandwiches, and entrées crafted from artisanal and local ingredients. If you just need to quench your thirst, a full bar of wine, beer, specialty cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages is also available.
The location of Neiman Marcus at the Shops at Clear Fork is a marriage of fashion and culture that could only take place in Texas. The new retail complex is situated on land settled by Lemuel J. Edwards back in 1848. Edwards established what eventually became a legendary ranch spanning more than 7,000 acres towards present-day 7th Street and downtown Fort Worth, southwest along the Clear Fork Valley, and on towards Benbrook. Today, fifth and sixth generations of the Edwards family manage what is left of the Edwards Ranch.
"Opening Neiman Marcus Fort Worth on the historic Edwards Ranch is an extraordinary opportunity to bring culture and fashion together in the heart of our city,” says Scott Mitchell, VP, general manager of Neiman Marcus Fort Worth. “It is an honor to continue to serve the Fort Worth community on the beautiful, historic Edwards Ranch.”
The Shops at Clearfork is a 500,000-square-foot open-air, luxury retail destination developed by Simon and Cassco Development Co. Neiman Marcus is the first of many new retailers and business, including home furnishing stores, restaurants, and entertainment, opening in 2017.
Neiman Marcus opens February 10 at the Shops at Clearfork.
Ice skaters showed off their moves in the "Central Park" rink.Photo by Ashley Gongora
The Kilgore Rangerettes channeled the Radio City Rockettes.Photo by Ashley Gongora
Dessert included a cake that looked like a blue Tiffany box.Photo by Michael Merry