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V.O.D.x10 BY LISA COLLINS SHADDOCK B eloved by Erin Wasson. Famous for champagne- fueled trunk shows that draw the city's cool-kid creative class. Shopped by the most fashion-forward types for its unrivaled collection of hard-to-find, exclusive designers. V.O.D. is much more than a retailer. A decade after co-owners Jackie Bolin and Liz Thompson opened their Victory Park boutique, Bolin looks back on the pivotal 10 years that pushed Dallas' fashion scene light-years forward. The beginning: Busting stereotypes. Liz and I both shopped primarily out of town and often wondered, 'Why isn't this collection in Dallas?' It was slightly insulting when we approached some of these brands and their initial reaction was: 'Are you sure you can sell this in Texas?' We knew the real Dallas — and it wasn't a bunch of ladies running around in pink with big blonde hair. Dallas women are some of the chicest on the planet, and there's a joie de vivre that in a crazy way reminds me of French women. If you build it, they will come. We didn't want to be everything to everybody. We just needed to find our people — and we did. They want what other people don't have, they don't want to look like everyone else, and they couldn't care less what the label says on what they are wearing. We opened for these people. You were one of the first to bring Isabel Marant stateside. Before opening the store, we were crazy about Isabel Marant and shopped her stores religiously in Paris. So when we found out we could open with the collection and were one of her first accounts in the U.S., we were so happy! A reputation built on exclusives. Our wish list when we opened was really just Isabel Marant and Vanessa Bruno, two French designers who embodied what we wanted the store to be. We got them both. Right now, the exclusive lines we're most excited about are Au Jour Le Jour from Milan, Le Monde Beryl Venetian slippers from London, Christophe Lemaire, and, of course, cult denim brand R13, which has been exclusive with us since the beginning. They've designed a sweatshirt exclusively for our 10-year anniversary. It's awesome! We also carry Thierry Colson Paris, which is the ultimate travel collection, and this cool collection from Belgium's Filles A Papa. They made a "Don't Mess With Texas" tee the season after we picked them up. We were their first U.S. account. About trends. In today's world, everything changes so quickly. For us, it's not so much about projecting trends — that seems really old school. It's more about traveling, observing, listening, and trying to keep a finger on the pulse of not just the fashion world, but art, music, food — everything is related. We find our collections organically: We don't cruise Instagram or wander in and out of showrooms, buying whatever is there. Getting out of town. Travel is everything and influences our buy and our point of view every day. Our clients know that they can come into the store year-round and find everything they need to pack for a trip. We think about items that are easy to pack. We also have a V.O.D. Travel Club, where we organize small inspirational trips with strong shopping components. The V.O.D. sisterhood. Our dogs are in the store. There are always a ton of kids running around; many we've watched grow up. And, of course, we always have wine and champagne. Many people like to stay and hang for a bit, and that's always welcome. We've shared a lot with our customers through the years. We try to make the shop fun and welcoming, and we buy with specific people in mind and pick out things for them, so that creates a special bond. And, one more time: V.O.D. stands for … Valley of the Dolls. It's a nod to the book and film. We have an original framed movie poster in the store, a gift from a friend. Supermodel Erin Wasson is a fan. Erin is like family to us, so to work with her first on her capsule clothing collection for RVCA and later her fine jewelry line, Wasson Fine, was very special. So is Kelly Wearstler … I loved when Kelly Wearstler came in — she's such an arbiter of style. She bought this crazy bright-yellow alligator bag by one of our favorite designers, Diane Izzedin, who is Belgian and based in Houston and just does her own small, very high-end handmade bags. I loved that Wearstler instantly recognized how special the work was and couldn't (continued on page 158) The V.O.D. pups, Daphne and Rudy V.O.D. co-owners Liz Thompson and Jackie Bolin Wasson Fine Arch Orbit earrings at V.O.D. ALLISON V. SMITH 52