Cheap Yet Chic

Expect some Riffraff at Plaza at Preston Center's newest trendy shop

The Plaza at Preston Center’s latest tenant comes to Dallas via the great state of Arkansas. But Riffraff owner Kirsten Blowers Stuckey can’t wait to show the women of Dallas what her store is all about — namely, on-trend fashions for the fearless and carefree gal who doesn’t want to spend a million bucks to look like it.

Riffraff began as a side project while Stuckey juggled 18 hours of classes her senior year of college at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. With just $100 in her pocket and a dream of owning a boutique, she was determined to build her “perfect Riffraff family.” In February 2009, she opened her first shop in Fayetteville.

Now the fashion entrepreneur is opening a third location (in addition to the 3,000-square-foot storefront in Fayetteville on the historic downtown square, she has 4,000-square-foot headquarters nearby) at the end of September in one of the most important fashion markets in the country. Dallas is her first store outside of Arkansas.

“I personally love coming to Dallas, and about a year after the idea was brought to mind, I still couldn’t shake it,” she says. “We trusted my guts and went for it! We chose the Plaza because the shopping experience — location, parking and surrounding restaurants — just made sense.”

Like most boutiques determined to keep up with the times, Riffraff has a strong online presence, so chances are good that some trend-conscious Dallas women already e-shop with Stuckey. With more than 75,000 Instagram followers, she knows the secret to winning over online shoppers is to reach them where they are: on social media.

“Riffraff has an amazing organic social media reach; therefore our online store gets a lot of traffic,” she says. “Our storefronts have such great atmospheres that they become the perfect advertisements for our online store, which is growing more and more each month.”

Riffraff gear ranges from casual, kick-around-town outfits to darling dresses for Sunday brunch to fierce looks for a night on the town. Prices are affordable: Think $25 for a tank, $60 for a dress or $90 for a jumpsuit.

Stuckey says the Riffraff shopper is confident in who she is, which allows the buying team to be more daring.

“Riffraff is unique because the girls behind the brand put ourselves out there,” Stuckey says. “We have a headquarters Instagram account where you’ll find glimpses of our office shenanigans, weekend laughs and behind-the-scenes pictures. We’re approachable and love to connect with our customers.”

Stuckey thinks Dallas girls will love Charlie Southern, a unique tee and tank line known for its Southern sayings and state pride. State pride? We love it already.

Riffraff is also the biggest distributor of Show Me Your Mumu, a chic California-based line featuring bold prints and boho styles worn by Jessica Alba, Andi Dorfman from ABC’s The Bachelor and model Ali Landry.

Although an exact opening date has not been nailed down, Stuckey intends to throw an opening party in late September. Until then, there’s always online shopping.

Game day bow-tie dress ($58).

Photo courtesy of RiffRaff Dallas

Game day bow-tie dress ($58).

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Busted

Counterfeit Richard Mille watches worth $2.6M seized at DFW Airport

Photo courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection

A counterfeit Richard Mille watch seized at DFW Airport.

Eleven counterfeit Richard Mille watches with a potential retail value of $2.6 million have been seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

According to a release from the agency, the watches, shipped from China and bound for destinations across the southeastern United States, were found to bear fake trademarks belonging to the Swiss luxury watchmaker. CBP trade experts determined the watches were inauthentic and intercepted the shipment, the agency says.

To be clear: The $2.6 million figure represents what the watches would have been worth at the manufacturer's suggested retail price had they been genuine, not the value of the knock-off pieces.

“The sale of fake goods often funds criminal organizations involved in money laundering, drug trafficking, and other illicit trade,” CBP Area Port Director Jayson Ahern says in the release. “Our CBP officers are on the front lines every day guarding against defrauders, while protecting legitimate American businesses who are often harmed by these criminal organizations.”

Counterfeit watches are among a range of products targeted by CBP, which says handbags, wallets, apparel, footwear, jewelry, and consumer electronics are also frequently faked.

"Illegitimate sales are some of the most profitable transnational crimes," the agency says in the release. "Counterfeiters sell inauthentic versions of popular products in response to trends, often through online sources, which adversely impacts legitimate U.S. businesses.

These items include fake medications, perfumes, cosmetics, children’s toys and costumes, fashion, jewelry, and luxury products, and unsafe electronics and automotive parts, which can pose serious health and safety risks as they are often made with substandard or harmful materials."

Counterfeit goods can often be spotted by their inferior quality, they say: "Peeling labels, low-quality ink or printing errors on the packaging, and the quality of the packaging can be signs that the product you purchased may not be legitimate. Counterfeit apparel and handbags may feature poor or uneven stitching, be improperly sized, or not exist as a product the designer brand produces at all. The performance of counterfeit electronics is often marked by short battery life and regular overheating."

CBP recommends buying directly from brand owners or authorized retailers and checking online sellers' reviews and contact information before making a purchase. Its Truth Behind Counterfeits campaign offers more information about spotting fake merchandise and understanding the risks.

"Remember that if the price of a product seems too good to be true, it probably is," they say.

dfw airport luxury crime