This week, Glossy spotlights the power of specialty stores. While department stores’ terms are turning brands away, specialty boutiques are gaining new relevance thanks to curated storytelling, authentic discovery moments and strong client ties. We’re highlighting five U.S. stores that leading brands are betting on now.
When Laure Hériard Dubreuil opened The Webster’s first location in Miami in 2009, she wasn’t following retail convention. She was creating a space where designer storytelling could be preserved, elevated and presented with intention. Sixteen years later, The Webster has expanded to 13 U.S. locations, with stores in New York, Los Angeles, Palm Springs and beyond. The store grew its business 25% year-over-year in 2023, with online sales continuing to outpace physical retail growth. Reps declined to share 2024 sales growth.
For British resortwear brand Orlebar Brown, The Webster has been key to reaching the right customer in the right setting. “OB loves The Webster,” said Trevor Hardy, Orlebar Brown’s CMO. “They curate fashion the way a sommelier curates wine — with depth, discernment and a wicked sense of fun. It’s a great place for people to discover OB — the lines between retail, art and indulgence blur, making it an ideal environment for our resort wear. Experiential retail at its most elevated and eccentric.”
Orlebar Brown has been stocked at The Webster for several seasons and has teamed with the retailer on several exclusives. In 2017, the brand participated in a collaborative pop-up with The Webster and Lane Crawford at The Webster’s Houston location — it included a flamingo-themed product capsule and an in-store tea party. In 2019, Orlebar Brown included The Webster among the exclusive retailers for its James Bond-inspired Bulldog swim trunks, which featured vintage poster art from films like “Moonraker” and “Thunderball”. Most recently, the brand co-created a Palm Springs-inspired swim short featuring a desert landscape print that was released through The Webster’s Palm Springs location.
That type of brand alignment is core to The Webster’s model. Events and capsule collections are frequently timed to major cultural moments. During the weekend of May 4, The Webster launched a capsule collection from Roberto Cavalli by Fausto Puglisi to coincide with the Formula One Grand Prix in Miami. Other recent activations have included a Chanel tennis-themed pop-up during the 2024 Indian Wells tournament in Palm Springs and a motorsport-inspired capsule from Alpine Stars, also for the Miami Grand Prix.
Designer LaQuan Smith also credits the boutique with helping his namesake brand build visibility. “The Webster will always be near and dear to our brand, as it was the first specialty store to pick us up in the midst of the pandemic,” said Smith. “The array of designers showcased at a wide range of price points makes The Webster an extremely unique place to be showcased, as well.” The Webster showcases LaQuan Smith’s signature sultry gowns and sequin mini dresses — including exclusive styles — across locations like Miami Beach and Bal Harbour, while also promoting his collections online and through social media coverage of his runway shows.
The Webster’s stores act as immersive showcases for fashion and design. The Miami flagship occupies a 1939 Art Deco building designed by Henry Hohauser and features a signature citrus-and-neroli scent developed in partnership with Ex Nihilo. The Los Angeles outpost, designed by Sir David Adjaye, uses sculptural pink concrete to frame its rotating seasonal installations. Each location is tailored to its surroundings and to the local customer base, which asks for the store before it arrives.
“Our locations are driven by where our clients already are,” said Hériard Dubreuil. “We only expand when there’s real demand, and when we know we can build the right experience.”
That experience is supported by The Webster’s stylists, who play a key role in both client relationships and brand storytelling. Many have been with the company for over a decade, while newer hires bring fresh perspective to the collective culture. Hériard Dubreuil describes them as a “flock of flamingos,” referencing the store’s longtime mascot — a symbol of individuality within unity. Stylists are trained not only in product knowledge, but also in communicating brand narratives, understanding designer evolution and creating wardrobe solutions for a highly personalized shopping experience.
The visual merchandising team works in lockstep with stylists and the buying team to maintain a sense of constant freshness. Inventory is refreshed daily, and store layouts are updated weekly — sometimes more often — to reflect new deliveries, capsule launches or storytelling moments. “It’s about creating a conversation between pieces and brands,” said Hériard Dubreuil. “Even if a client isn’t familiar with a designer, they can understand the context immediately.”
Buys are placed six months ahead of the season and are informed by a combination of data from The Webster’s 13 locations, its growing online business, and its digital stylists who offer personalized client consultations. Internal communication is ongoing between buyers, floor staff and marketing to respond quickly to regional demand or designer developments, such as a new creative director’s debut or a viral runway moment.
“We’re transparent. We follow brand guidelines and pricing policies, and we do what we say we’ll do,” said Hériard Dubreuil. “That level of discipline and trust is what makes a good brand partner.”
