One of Dallas' most fashionable boutiques and a Park Cities perennial is closing its doors: Studio Sebastian, which has specialized in luxe designer apparel and accessories for women, will close this spring.
Kobie Ahmadi, who co-founded the boutique with her husband and shop namesake Sebastian in 1997, says that they and their daughter Victoria Smith were ready to make a lifestyle change and devote more time to family.
"We've loved being here for 25 years," Kobie says. "But my daughter had a son last June, and I'd like to be available for that, and things like taking a yoga class or spending more time in the Hamptons. Having the shop means you're working every holiday and for the past few years, I've said, 'This is the year I'm going to do it.' It's finally time."
Studio Sebastian started out as a spinoff of a sibling shoe store, and has been Snider Plaza's fashion destination, selling top designer names over the years such as Helmut Lang, Missoni, and Chloe, with a constant influx of new merchandise with every season.
They take an almost gallery approach to fashion, not only via their warm minimal space but also their proclivity for edgier lines like Apunto B.
"Our first store was Sebastian's Shoes, which my husband opened at Inwood Village," Kobie says. "I was working part-time at Neiman Marcus, but within six months, the business went through the roof, so I came to work at the store. Customers would ask about what I was wearing. Even in my teens, I always favored an older style, and people wanted to know where I got my clothes."
"Sebastian said, 'We need to open a clothing store for you,' so we found the spot in Snider Plaza where we are now," she says. "Within a couple of years, we closed the other store and brought the shoes over to Snider Plaza, along with the clothes."
That might explain why they're known for their stand-out shoe department, often the first to sell fashionista must-haves such as Christian Louboutin. They were early to embrace sneakers as a high-fashion statement, selling Italian handmade sneaker line Golden Goose back in 2019; now, three years later, sneakers are being proclaimed a hot red carpet trend.
But Kobie says that right now is a "tricky time" for retail.
"Retail has changed so much," she says. "I still dress my customers every season, but people's priorities have changed. They're spending time in Colorado, or they're going places where they don't need dress clothes. It's more about having experiences these days than ever before, and it feels like clothes have become less important. We're excited to be able to enjoy this next stage of our lives."
They'll still be involved in Snider Plaza, since they own many properties. "The city is doing lot of work to the Plaza, and that's exciting to be a part of," Sebastian says.
Their deadline is to be out by the end of June. "We'll have our spring merchandise, and then a big sale," she says.
