Four Stalwart Texas Stores Are Currently on the Move, Kick Pleat Expands to Dallas, and More Local Retail News

Late last year, Joanne and Charles Teichman shared their plans to move Ylang 23, the couple’s beloved fine jewelry boutique, from its longtime home in the Plaza at Preston Center to The Shops of Highland Park. We weren’t aware of it at the time, but the Teichman’s move would kick off a spree of relocation announcements from local retail institutions. In the coming weeks, stalwart Dallas shops like Vintage Martini, Favor the Kind, and Madison 214 will all bid adieu to their original locations and head to new neighborhoods. 

All that retail momentum is joined by a few new Dallas doors in 2024, from a cult-loved Austin shop to a menswear store from a beloved Texas designer. 

Ahead, we’ve outlined the most notable Dallas retail news to know.

A New Wave of Notable Dallas Retail Moves

In addition to Ylang 23, which is slated to open its flagship this summer a few doors down from sister store Wildlike, four other local staples are prepping to move from longtime locations. 

First up is Favor the Kind. Originally called “The Gypsy Wagon” when the treasure-filled boutique opened along Henderson Avenue in 2007, owner Carley Seale decided to change the name to Favor the Kind in 2018 after learning about the Romani community. “I started doing some research and my eyes were opened. I realized this situation was bigger than me,” Seale told The Dallas Morning News at the time. 

FTK devotees won’t have to go far though. Opening this Thursday, May 16, Seale’s trendy mix of apparel and homewares will operate out of Lower Greenville (in the former San Francisco Rose) with double the space and pull-up parking. Favor the Kind also has locations in Houston and Crested Butte, Colorado.  “Change can be a wild ride, but we’re rolling with it – and we hope you’ll roll with us too,” shared Seale on Instagram.

Next, Madison 214 will move its jewel box of a store in Highland Park Village to a sprawling new space in the Dallas Design District. Opened in 2003 by sisters Kelli Ford and Kirsten Fitzgibbons, the store has been a stalwart local source for high-end gifts and elegant home decor.  Located at 114 Express Street, the 8,000-square-foot store is slated to open this June. Madison 214’s last weekend in Highland Park Village will be May 17 – 19. 

And finally, Vintage Martini, hot off receiving a “Best Vintage Stores” distinction by Vogue, just announced a charming new location — right next door in the former Nick Brock Antiques location on Henderson Avenue. “We’re finally getting the store we’ve always dreamed of,” shared the Vintage Martini account on Instagram. 

The store, which originally opened as a website in 1999 by Ken Weber and Greg Kelly, is slated to open this July with its killer mix of pre-loved designer goods and vintage finds from the 1800s onward. 

Kick Pleat Boutique is Heading to Dallas

Rarely does a store announcement earn a literal gasp, but we can attest from experience: a Kick Pleat expansion elicits excitement. Beloved by stylists (particularly those at Vogue), the independent women’s boutique by Wendi Koletar first opened on Austin’s West 12th Street in 2003 (the shop has since moved to grander digs on N. Lamar Street) and expanded to Houston’s Kirby Drive in 2016. Now, Kick Pleat is finally landing in Dallas, bringing elevated jewelry and accessories from hard-to-find designers like WJ Martin, Rosetta Getty, Comme Des Garçons, and Apuntob. 

“In case you haven’t heard, Kick Pleat is heading to Dallas by the end of 2024 and we’re absolutely thrilled!” the store announced on Instagram last week. An opening date is still far off, but Koletar’s shop will find a home in the former JK Chocolate at 4710 W Lovers Lane, across from Celebration and José.

Nicole Kwon Introduces a Men’s Store for Elevated Streetwear

Known for stocking cool, under-the-radar brands along with her own private label, Dallas shop girl Nicole Kwon has kept her curation focused on womenswear since opening in West Village in 2012. This month, however, Kwon introduced a menswear companion next door, operating both under The NKC Store. 

“I’ve had a lot of existing clients searching for menswear over the years,” Kwon shares with PaperCity. “Some of our in-house pieces are unisex and we’ve had male shoppers because of this, but a lot of men in recent years have been requesting that we carry more menswear, and specifically cool streetwear and workwear for men.”