Dillard’s Department store is known throughout the city (and the country) for its variety of quality merchandise. But thanks to a visit from Angela and Vanessa Simmons – daughters of Rev. Run (of Run DMC) and stars of the hit MTV show Run’s House – they will also be listed among the local trendsetters of retail.
The sisters stopped through St. Louis last Saturday afternoon to unveil their Pastry Clothing line to St. Louis fashionistas, and the enormous crowd caught everyone by surprise – especially the famous siblings looking to carve a name for themselves in the multi-billion-dollar fashion industry.
The store was the site of organized pandemonium as more than 1,200 people of all ages (double the predicted turnout) showed up to see what the Simmons girls had to offer.
“There is definitely an art to crowd control,” said Jerry Talamantes, director of special events and public relations for Dillard’s Midwest. “We were slammed, no doubt, but I think we did really well.”
According to Talamentes, even the sisters themselves were pleasantly overwhelmed with the massive turnout for the event.
“They were humbled and in shock that everyone was so excited – they were stunned,” Talamantes said. “They said, ‘Oh, can we come back?’ You don’t hear that from celebrities.”
He made no hesitation in crediting the celebrity status of the young ladies for bringing out the masses – saying in so many words that if there was a poll taken to determine the people who were there because they were into clothes versus those on hand because of the celebrity factor, the latter would be the hands-down winner.
“The clothing line is the icing on the cake for Pastry,” Talamantes said, with pun intended.
The Simmons are looking to follow the blueprint of their former aunt, St. Louis’ own Kimora Lee (ex-wife of hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons), who created a fashion empire by catering exclusively to young people.
Geared towards juniors, teens and young adults, Pastry features cropped shorts, printed tee shirts in bold colors, jeans, shoes, handbags and other accessories. The clothes are reminiscent of the anything-goes, flashy, bright styles of the early and mid 1980s – ironically, the time when their father Run was at the height of his popularity as frontman for historic rap group Run DMC.
“It doesn’t have a career element,” said Talamantes. “I think in our junior market, Pastry addresses the fun aspect of clothing and offers an escape to what young people see as fashionable.”
Although he wasn’t shy about the celebrity of Pastry’s creative directors being the draw for last weekend’s event, Talamantes also said that St. Louis is not to be slept on concerning global styles and trends in clothing and accessories.
“St. Louis is the kind of market that people relate to every aspect of fashion,” Talamantes said.
Which explains the overwhelming success of St. Louis Fashion Week – Dillard’s Galleria serves as one of that event’s flagship stores.
The store is being used as a site for a St. Louis Fashion Week model casting call Saturday, August 9 (12-4 p.m.) on the 2nd floor – where they are expecting yet another big turnout of ladies looking for a chance to strut the catwalk as a part of the pinnacle of the local fashion scene.
As one of the largest Dillard’s locations in the country, Dillard’s Galleria store is working hard to give more than just a taste to appease St. Louis’ voracious appetite for fashion.
“We are making things much more upscale and adding special events and personal appearances,” Talamantes said. “We are promotion-driven all over the store – there is always something fun, so stay tuned.”
Dillard’s Galleria store will be the site of St. Louis Fashion Week Model Search on Saturday August 9 from noon – 4 p.m.
