Reese Witherspoon's First Draper James Store Is Open, Ya'll
By Stephanie Chan
Reese Witherspoon’s first Draper James store is open, ya’ll. The actress, wholaunched her Southern-inspired lifestyle line in May, announced Wednesday that her company’s first brick-and-mortar is up and running.
Similar to the site’s sky blue theme, the store’s exterior resembles the same chirpy vibe, as seen on Witherspoon’s Instagram. Inside the vibrant Nashville storefront, one section of the store (assumingly the changing room area) is covered in what is described as the brand’s signature white-and-blue stripes, while another area features a living room space with a striped couch and polka-dot throw pillows.
Another part shows an offering of dress shirts and fit-n-flare dresses hung neatly in a row, and gingham shirts and pants folded in an orderly stack next to floral-print handbags and purses.
The 39-year-old entrepreneur told WWD that she wanted to open Draper James’ first store in the capital of Tennessee because she “grew up in Nashville and it’s been such a direct inspiration for the brand. It just felt like the right place for our flagship.”
There are plans to open up more stores, too. Draper James will open its next store in Dallas, with Charleston, S.C., and Atlanta following suit.
“We want to be very disciplined in our approach to a retail rollout,” explained Draper James CEO Andrea Hyde. “We’ll open one to two stores a year for the next five years. The growth is strategically well-planned. As we introduce product extensions, we’ll choose brand partners. Reese has such a wide reach. Customers have asked for bridal, shoes and swimwear. We’re only 21 weeks old. It will all come in time.”
With $10 million secured in funding, there’s no doubt the brand will continue to grow.
