Welcome to the gallery

"FIG is a magnet for hip, high energy lines...ones we have had to look for in New York or L.A."
-Joanne Teichman, Ylang-Ylang

D Magazine
August 2004

The Fashion Industry Gallery (FIG) is the boutique wholesale fashion venue that opened in January showcasing Women's Contemporary Bridge and Sportswear, Accessories, and Better Men's within a modern, high-design environment in Downtown Dallas. The venue, at 1807 Ross Ave., was developed by Dallas-based Brook Partners, Inc. in concert with a strong group of agents who wanted to distinguish themselves within the market with a focused venue that would best showcase their contemporary collections.

"We aimed to marry our urban, and urbane, downtown location with high-end design and the programming of best-of-breed fashion lines to provide buyers with a more directed, entertaining, and productive buying experience," says John T. Sughrue, CEO of Brook Partners and FIG.

And they've done just that.

FIG has attracted premium collections such as Tracy Reese, Puma, Garfield & Marks, Trina Turk, ISDA, 12th Street by Cynthia Vincent, Tocca, Rozae Nichols, Jack Spade, Michal Negrin, Poleci, Isabella Fiore, Lulu Guiness, Jon, Parameter, Michael Stars, Citizens of Humanity, Tommy Bahama, Renfrew, Ted Baker Men's, Plenty, Ruth, Milly, Kooba, Shaesby, Charlotte Tarantola, Autumn Cashmere, Frankie B., and many other trend-setting lines, plus noted guest designers such as Eve Reid, Rebecca Taylor, T21, Tibi, Paper Denim & Cloth, and many others. Significantly, FIG has brought more than 100 fashion lines, many from Los Angeles and New York, which have never before been sold in Dallas.

In the heart of the Arts District, the intimate, 50,000-square-foot, loft-like space is surrounded by the Dallas Museum of Art, the Meyerson Symphony Hall, and the Nasher Sculpture Center. A few short blocks from the city's best restaurants and an easy walk to Neiman Marcus, FIG has offered buyers a true best-of-Dallas experience.

The focused boutique concept -- brand new and strikingly different for Dallas -- has struck a chord within the industry, and buyers have flocked to FIG since its debut. In March, buyers enjoyed FIG's Evening with Tracy Reese, featuring an interview by local television personality Mattie Roberts and a viewing of the designer's Fall 2004 New York runway show. The next evening, guests enjoyed meeting Poleci designer Janie Levin during a White Party in Poleci's all-white gallery. During the June show, Neiman Marcus hosted an exclusive cocktail party and trend presentation for FIG buyers at the downtown flagship store. Now, after three successful women's shows, a sold out venue, and a growing waiting list, FIG is ready to expand in late 2004 and double in size.

With the opening of FIG and the Fashion Incubator, the Fashion industry in Dallas is undergoing a dramatic renaissance. Fashion has historically been an important industry in Dallas, with the venerable Neiman Marcus headquartered in Downtown Dallas for nearly 100 years. Inspired by Mr. Stanley Marcus' focus on service, hospitality, and the finest in fashion product, FIG is fast becoming a Dallas icon and is bringing greater attention to Dallas from the fashion world today. Complementing Dallas' fashion industry roots in downtown, FIG is also contributing to the city center's ongoing revitalization by delivering the sophisticated boutique wholesale shopping environment desired by today's fashion professionals.

"We are executing the industry's vision for the fashion business in Dallas," says Gavin Smith, director of FIG. "In doing so, the industry has supported FIG beyond our wildest expectations." And he adds, "We are having fun along the way."

Copyright 2004 D Magazine
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