The Dickey jacket (a classic blazer with an interchangeable zip-in liner) may be the flagship product for Veronica Beard, but every piece the New York-based brand puts out is extremely wearable. (Their exposed button fly jeans are a treasured discovery: they’re stylish, classic, and actually flattering.)
So it’s not surprising that two stylish women (sisters-in-law Veronica Miele Beard and Veronica Swanson Beard) are the masterminds behind the brand. Ahead of the Fashion Group International’s annual Night of Stars gala, where the Veronicas will follow the footsteps of Monique Lhullier and Prabal Gurung when they receive the non-profit’s Career Achievement in Fashion award, we spoke with the duo to hear their thoughts on Dallas.
Was there a reason you all chose Dallas as the first standalone location outside of New York City?
Veronica Miele Beard: We have a strong customer base in the area, and we wanted to give her a layered shopping experience in a curated space that gives her a glimpse into the world of Veronica Beard. When we started talking about opening a store in Dallas, we knew it had to be at Highland Park Village. Where else can you find the best of the best luxury shopping next door to some of the city’s best restaurants?
How does the Dallas store distinguish itself from other locations?
Veronica Swanson Beard: We put a great deal of time into creating a curated atmosphere that local shoppers will fall in love with and no two Veronica Beard stores are exactly alike. We wouldn’t have a store in Dallas without Leslie Pritchard and Again & Again! This is the spot to find vintage furniture. We also scored an amazing lucite table at Scout Design Studio.
What have been the VB pieces Dallas women are drawn to most?
VMB: She loves florals, bright colors, leather, velvet and leopard! Our leopard shoes are always top sellers. She also loves to pair our Dickey Jackets with our Carolyn tux stripe jeans.
Veronica Beard has become such a popular brand. What do you think VB has done as a brand to help grow that awareness and following?
VSB: We are our customer and we know what she wants, needs and loves. We launched our brand in 2010 and have expanded slowly into other categories over the years, which has helped us grow our brand awareness organically. Most recently, we launched extended sizing and we’re launching our first line of swimwear and coverups in December for Resort 2020.
You’re receiving the FGI award for Career Achievement in Fashion on Friday. How does it feel to follow in the footsteps of Monique Lhuillier (2016 recipient), Johnson Hartig of Libertine (2018), and Prabal Gurung (2015)?
The Veronicas: It feels surreal to be receiving the award for Career Achievement in Fashion on the heels of our 10-year anniversary. It’s been such a wild and wonderful ride that wouldn’t have been possible without our retail partners and customers. We’re so honored to be receiving this award here in Dallas, especially because Neiman Marcus was our first major partner here, so it feels like we’ve really come full circle.
