Detroit-area fashionistas have a new shopping destination. Leading fashion specialty retailer Nordstrom Inc opened its second Michigan store today at Twelve Oaks in Novi. Shoppers hungry for the latest trends and the hottest brands in shoes, apparel and accessories will find the best the market has to offer at the new 165,000-square-foot store.
The new Nordstrom houses five shoe departments, 16 apparel departments, an accessories department and two food offerings, as well as an expansive cosmetics area, which is home to the company's first-ever Dior beauty shop. The new Twelve Oaks store carries exclusive merchandise not available at Nordstrom Somerset Collection, the retailer's other Detroit-area store. Nordstrom even had retro-inspired Detroit T-shirts specially created just for the opening.
The store's second floor is dedicated to women's apparel, with special "girlfriend dressing rooms" in the Point of View department that have moveable curtains and allow women to try on clothes together. Women will find renowned brands such as Anna Sui, BCBG, Juicy Couture, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Theory, Tory Burch, Tracy Reese and Vera Wang Lavender Label. For men, the store features Armani, Burberry London, Canali, Hugo Boss, John Varvatos Star USA, Robert Graham, Versace and more.
To enhance the customer shopping experience, Nordstrom offers a number of services including an in-store alterations and tailor shop, Personal Touch -- a complimentary wardrobe and shopping service, bra and prosthesis fitters, complimentary gift boxes, a family restroom, a women's beauty studio and a shoeshine stand.
In the Kids' Wear departments, aisles are inlaid with 150 hand-painted tiles created by local children during an event that raised over $10,000 for the Detroit Zoological Society. The young artists have been invited back to Nordstrom on Saturday, September 29, to a "tile find" event where they can locate their unique tiles, which are permanently on display in the store.
Opening day started at 8:30 a.m. with Nordstrom hosting a cosmetics tailgate party outside its mall entrance. Shoppers enjoyed complimentary beauty and skincare consultations, learned about the latest trends in makeup and fragrance, and received samples and gifts with purchase.
When the store opened at 10 a.m., over 400 excited employees lined the aisles and cheered enthusiastically to welcome the first opening-day customers through the doors.
"It's an amazing feeling to open our doors, and our salespeople are excited to finally be able to serve customers," said Todd Buntin, Twelve Oaks store manager. "We've heard from so many people in the community who are happy to have a store closer to their homes and jobs, and we couldn't wait to show them their new store."
Earlier in the week, Nordstrom held an opening gala and raised $130,000 for partnering charities, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Metro Detroit-area Chapters of The Links, Incorporated. The evening also gave guests an opportunity to shop in the new store while enjoying hors d'oeuvres, dinner and dessert buffets, specialty drinks and live entertainment.
The highlight of the evening was two full-scale runway fashion shows featuring fall collections for women and men. The shows were held in a hangar-size tent adjacent to the store and featured theatrical lighting and 40 models walking a 55-foot runway.
