Checking In With One of the Coolest Stores in Fort Worth

The Magnolia Avenue storefront for the collector’s paradise that is Centre is the first expansion in the Dallas-based brand’s 13-year history. The 817 outpost has its own vibe, though. It’s considerably smaller (about 450 square feet as opposed to the sprawling 4,000-square-foot store in Mockingbird Station), and offers a more boutique feel, with clean white marble and custom wallpaper by one of Centre’s in-house designers. Interspersed throughout the French pastoral motifs is the brand’s logo, which has found itself more front-and-center in recent years as the company has pivoted to focusing on their own clothing line.

After looking at a variety of Fort Worth neighborhoods, Centre finally landed on the buzzy historic district street, where you could absolutely spend an entire day exploring the shops and restaurants. The shop had only been for a few months when the pandemic forced its doors closed, but fortunately, fans near and far of the shop’s killer assemblage of streetwear and sneakers were well versed in keeping an eye on Instagram for the latest drops.

The small company, which sources directly through brands like Nike, Jordan, VEJA, and Adidas, has been quick on its feet over the past few months. “Now more than ever we want to be there for our community. We’re very fortunate to have the following we have, and we just want to represent Texas in the best light possible,” says Fort Worth store manager James Jardine. “We’ve been keeping ourselves busy online.”

That includes donating 100 percent of the proceeds from a collaboration between Centre and Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott to the North Texas Food Bank (totaling $85,000 in online orders) and working with Nike to put out limited edition puzzles (one of 2020’s hottest activities). The virtual version of Centre has also been on point — the brand’s website is continuously updated with fresh apparel, including “Can’t Fake the Funk” tees created specifically for Fort Worth and a 2020 Summer Games collection — planned pre-pandemic — designed with the two store’s respective zip codes. “We couldn’t not drop it,” Jardine adds.

“817 stuff does just about as well as the 214 stuff,” says Jardine. “Fort Worth is such a cool town. It’s chill and a little under the radar, but we’re all about that.”