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).
