Across The Block On Main Street
Opening a retail store in downtown Dallas isn’t a smart business move. That’s what they said — ‘They’ being my fellow apparel buyers at Ralph Lauren, Burberry, and Neiman Marcus.
The Christmas window displays at 1618 Main Street dazzled me from the time I was a young girl. I watched as crowds oohed and aahed over the glamorous exhibits. My friends at the Kim Dawson Agency eagerly accepted invitations to pose live behind the glass while wearing the latest from Jean Paul Gaultier.
When presented an opportunity to open a boutique down the street from the famed department store at another iconic Dallas landmark, The Statler, the indelible impression Neiman Marcus had left on me outshined the opinions of naysayers. Even so, most were not shy about sharing their cynicism regarding my latest venture.
My friend Sam Saladino was not one of them. Sam was in the know about all the latest fashion trends, but, more importantly, Sam knew people. He always greeted customers with his signature gregariousness and smart style; you’d be hard-pressed to walk out of Neiman’s without purchasing, at minimum, a pocket square from him.
Sam and his partner, Dallas-based fashion guru Ken Downing, also championed the risk-taker. I soaked up my time with the pair, chatting about our mutual love of Tom Ford and Depeche Mode.
Downing eventually moved on from Neiman Marcus Dallas to the New York fashion scene, becoming the creative director for Halston. And I spent a few more holiday seasons peering from my perch in the Wilson Building at the splendid Neiman Marcus window displays — and Ken’s empty office space — pretending we were all jamming late night to “Personal Jesus.”
Perhaps something in our carefree psyches anticipated our approaching transition into “adulting”, and so we each forged independent paths, carrying on with flourishing, albeit varied, careers and grown-up lives.
It wasn’t until the news of the impending closing of NMDT that I gave those times much more than a fleeting thought. And to that end, I dug out some old photos glued onto the matte black pages of photo albums and ran across the classic characters and memorable fashions of that bygone era.
What struck me most about the closing of the famed department store was not solely a lamentation of our disposable society and decline in preserving old landmarks (which is also a valid reaction by many), but more so an appreciation for the people who made the iconic address a landmark of glamour and mystique.
For me, its closing symbolizes a lost reverence for the travelers who donned their Sunday best to board a plane, the photographers who shot runway fashion shows with still cameras, and the make-up pros who took pride in learning each product behind the cosmetics counter.
I love a downtown vibe and am optimistic about Dallas’ evolving one. During a recent trip to New York City, I was pleasantly surprised by the re-envisioned storefronts. Even the remodeling of the once dingy LaGuardia Airport impressed me with its revamped Admirals Club featuring the colorful paintings of Dallas artist JD Miller (who is featured in this month’s issue).
Perhaps it’s time I wander back over to The Wilson Building to reframe my worm’s eye recollection and focus in on a new angle from across the block on Main Street.
The Giant Eyeball should serve as a striking reminder that times are only forgotten if we choose to close our eyes to them.
