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Neiman Marcus unveils sleek new shopping digs in Dallas-Fort Worth

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.

Photo by Jason Voinov for Neiman Marcus

Neiman Marcus opens February 10 at the Shops at Clearfork.

shopping

Holiday shopping

New giant Quge-tip from Dallas-based Q-tip sells out in 24 hours

Q-Tip

Q-tip's Quge-tip

A giant version of an everyday product has sold out in 24 hours: Called the Quge-tip, it's a 6-foot version of the iconic Q-tip, the beauty staple that's been around for more than a century.

Measuring nearly six feet from tip to tip, Quge-tips feature enlarged swabs and a sturdy stick modeled after the original Q-tips swabs design.

The Quge-tip was released on December 9 and sold exclusively online in limited quantities for $35. Alas, according to a spokesperson for Dallas-based Elida Beauty, the parent company of Q-tip, the product flew off the virtual shelf.

"Now that they’re sold out, Q-tips is surprising fans with social giveaways," the spokesperson says.

The Quge-tip is one of two products just released by Dallas companies — both of which feel like they could be April Fools Day jokes — except that both are for real.

Dave & Buster's Claw PurseD&B

Dave & Buster's Claw Purse
The Dallas-based eatertainment chain is leveling up holiday gifting with the debut of the Claw Purse, a limited-edition purse designed by Chain. The Claw Purse is inspired by one of the brand's most iconic games — the claw machine — and according to a release, is "the season's most unexpected fashion statement" for anyone who loves bold style, nostalgia, and a little bit of play.

To mark a milestone for the brand, the Claw Purse launches alongside the expansion of Dave & Buster's Human Crane, a viral, full-body game experience that turns guests into the claw — where they are lowered down into a bin of huge prizes to grab whatever they choose.

Beginning in December 2025, the Human Crane will appear in over 112 Dave & Buster's locations with additional stores rolling out nationwide throughout the season.

But back to the purse: It made its debut at Chain's Holiday House, an event at the company's HQ in L.A., where "it quickly became a crowd favorite among creators, stylists, and culture icons," or so says the release. Which also calls this "the first creative collaboration" between Dave & Buster's and Chain, bringing together Dave & Buster's beloved gameplay with Chain's signature culture-forward point of view. So maybe there will be more collaborations in the future.

Q-tip's Qugetip Q-tip's Quge-tipQ-tip

Q-tips Quge-tips
The Quge-tip is a nearly six-foot supersized version of the "iconic" Q-tip cotton swab, first invented in 1923 and the go-to for beauty, baby care, first aid, cleaning, and everyday moments that call for a gentle, precise touch.

The six-foot Quge-tip features enlarged swabs and a sturdy stick modeled after the original Q-tips swabs design — offering a new way to experience an iconic tool at a dramatically large scale, designed as a playful, oversized tribute.

The release nots that Quge-tips tap into a rising trend of consumers using Q-tips swabs for alternative tasks, which now make up a meaningful share of cotton swab use: From dusting high shelves and cleaning hard-to-reach corners to large-scale art projects.

The six-foot Quge-tip features enlarged swabs and a sturdy stick modeled after the original Q-tips swabs design — offering a new way to experience an iconic tool at a dramatically large scale.

The company insists it's a real thing — they do a very funny video mocking late-night ads for cheap products — and that after debuting at qugetips.com on December 9, they sold out of their initial run. One note: They do not reveal how many Quge-tips were sold. It could just be, like 10 that were for sale.

There's a chance they'll be doing another issue, and they encourage interested shoppers to diligently follow their social media.

openings