Dec 31, 2019

A Decade of Seattle Fashion



The Seattle fashion scene has changed a lot over the past decade and it's been a privilege to witness the growth and development in the city as both a blogger and a business owner. Over the years stores have opened and closed, runway shows have come and gone, Independent Designers have found new ways to expand the presence of their brands beyond the Pacific Northwest, and the Seattle fashion blogger scene has exploded.

When I started this site back in 2008, the scene was very different. The original name was "Seattle Boutique Blogpost" and my mission was to have a platform to cover local designers and boutiques. Back then, there were just a handful of bloggers. When brands hosted events we were on the fringe leveraging social media platforms like Twitter to communicate what we were doing, seeing, and experiencing. Today's bloggers and influencers ARE the event and have found a way to completely democratize fashion.


Just as the blogging scene has changed, so has this site. Over the years I've expanded my content to cover global travel adventures to places like Tokyo, London, and New York. I focused on organic content that was interesting to me including topics like sustainable fashion, beauty, and my journey to motherhood. I also made it my mission to focus on preserving the original Seattle fashion blogging community that humbly existed back in 2008.

Over the past decade, I've covered Seattle fashion stories for this site and worked with countless Seattle-based brands and boutiques through my work at Gossip & Glamour. We have a unique way of merging fashion and technology in the city and I can't wait to see what the next decade brings.

Let's take a look back at some of the fashion highs and lows of the past decade.

2010 

  • Zulily goes LIVE on January 27, 2010 with an initial focus on children's apparel. 
  • Enterprise Seattle publishes an Apparel Industry Cluster Study that makes the case for encouraging its growth and development in Seattle. The city is noted as the 7th largest apparel-manufacturing center in the U.S. 
  • Seattle boutique David Lawrence moves locations from Downtown Seattle to The Bravern.
  • Obadiah stylist Vu Montgomery goes backstage at Paris Fashion Week for Armani. 
  • Gossip & Glamour opens its doors for business.


2011

  • Seattle makes GQ's list of Worst Dressed Cities in America. 
  • Brittany and Scott Freeman set out to design the ideal raincoat for Seattleites. The Freeman brand is born. 
  • Online eyewear company Rivet & Sway is founded in Seattle. 


2012
  • Seattle brand flora & henri departs from traditional retail to focus on wholesale and e-commerce. 
  • TomboyX is founded in Seattle. 


2013
  • Seattle designer Paychi Guh launches her collection of knitwear inspired by modern art and architectural form. The former Nordstrom designer started with a handful of local shops and now sells at stores around the globe. 
  • Ballard boutique Blackbird announces its closure. 
  • Nordstrom expands Topshop partnership to 28 additional stores, infusing new interest into international fashion brands. 
  • Seattle start-up Glamhive is founded with the goal of leveraging social networks for shopping. 



2014
  • Gossip & Glamour hosts a blogger brunch at MOTIF to bring the blogging community together in real life. 
  • Brooks Running celebrates 100 years in business. 
  • Encore Consumer Capital takes stake in Butter LONDON brand. 
  • The Bellevue Collection launches the Independent Designer Runway Show as part of Bellevue Fashion Week. 
  • Nordstrom opens its first Canada store in Calgary. 
  • Zara opens first store in Seattle at Westlake Center. 
  • The Seattle start-up selling online eyewear, Rivet & Sway closes. 



2015
  • Uniqlo opens its first store in the Pacific Northwest at The Bellevue Collection. 
  • Brooks Running focuses on its lifestyle brand Heritage and hosts a summer blogger event in partnership with Gossip & Glamour to showcase the collection. 
  • Butter LONDON co-founder Sasha Muir launches a line of convertible handbags called BevĂ©e. 
  • W Seattle revives its 'Wear Wednesdays' fashion events to spotlight local designers and boutiques. 
  • Seattle start-up Fitcode is founded to help women find the perfect pair of jeans. 
  • Warby Parker opens its first Seattle store in Fremont. 



2016
  • Wendy Feller launches FELLER raincoats using high-quality wax cotton fabrics. 
  • Seattle store Butch Blum announces new ownership. 
  • Gossip & Glamour launches its first-ever Style Summit to bring bloggers and influencers offline for a day of community-building. 
  • Seattle brand Buki, founded by Joey Rodolfo, launches its collection of luxury technical clothing using state-of-the-art Japanese fiber technology. 
  • Seattle store Totokaelo is acquired by Herschel. Founded Jill Wenger steps down from her role. 
  • Seattle brand Julep is acquired by Glasanol. Founder Jane Park eventually steps down. 
  • Gossip & Glamour partners with Styled Seattle to launch the 'Style Boss' series at Westfield Southcenter. 
  • Clothing rental service Armoire is founded in Seattle. 



2017
  • Seattle brand andieanderin successfully funds its Kickstarter campaign and launches a collection of pussybow neckties inspired by influential women from history and today. 
  • Sak's OFF 5th opens a 36,000 square-foot-store in Seattle at Westlake Center. 
  • Seattle brand flora & henri opens a 3,000 square-foot concept shop in Pioneer Square. 
  • Darrah Christel launches Loho, a new line of low-rise hosiery for women in Seattle. 
  • Moorea Seal moves her store from Belltown to First Avenue in Downtown Seattle. 
  • Brooks Running discontinues its Heritage line. 
  • The annual Wine Women & Shoes event raises more than $250k for foster kids in Washington via Olive Crest. 
  • Seattle brand Blue Nile rents out the penthouse at Hotel Theodore in Seattle to host a holiday party for local bloggers and influencers. 
  • Pacific Place celebrates fall fashion by hosting a screening of 'Unzipped' by Isaac Mizrahi. Local bloggers are tapped to highlight key trends in a photo campaign. 
  • Gossip & Glamour partners with Neiman Marcus to host a spring menswear event, helping to unite the mens influencer scene in Seattle. 
  • Belltown boutique Karan Dannenberg moves her store to Bellevue Place. 
  • Armoire opens an office space at The Riveter on Capitol Hill. 
  • Amazon Fashion introduces Echo Look. 



2018
  • Alaska Airlines debuts new airline uniforms designed by Luly Yang. 
  • Seattle style blogger Carolyn Yuen Marino launches "Sweet & Power", a scripted Youtube series featuring Asian American voices. 
  • Seattle brand Julep announces layoffs at the Seattle office and discontinues monthly subscription boxes. 
  • FashWire launches fashion discovery app in Seattle. 
  • Fitcode expands to men. 
  • London shop Wolf & Badger starts to carry leather goods by Seattle designer KACYYOM
  • Moonlit Skincare expands into the Seattle market with media events and brand activations. 
  • Gossip & Glamour hosts the 3rd Annual Style Summit for local bloggers and influencers at W Bellevue. 
  • Seattle designer Luis Velez launches sustainable sneaker company Guillermo Bravo
  • Pacific Place begins multi-year renovation project. 
  • Seattle start-up Fitcode closes its doors. 
  • Amazon Fashion introduces Prime Wardrobe



2019
  • MOHAI launches its first-ever fashion exhibit celebrating Seattle's rich fashion history. 
  • K Banana opens a permanent location at University Village after hosting a successful pop-up over the holiday season. 
  • Seattle brand Jane and The Shoe loses funding and cease operations. 
  • Universal Standard launches new 1:1 concept in Seattle. 
  • Gossip & Glamour brings the Women of Color FashTech Brunch to the W in Bellevue and gives Seattleites the chance to hear from a diverse panel of fashion industry experts. 
  • Seattle brand Zumiez closes its Northgate store due to construction. That store was opened back in 1978 and was the first official retail location for the company. 
  • Sustainable fashion brand Amour Vert opens its first store in the Pacific Northwest at University Village. 
  • Seattle boutique Butch Blum quietly closes its doors just prior to the holiday season. No announcements are made. 
  • Armoire opens new 7,000 square-foot HQ in Pioneer Square. 
  • Gossip & Glamour hosts the 4th Annual Style Summit at MOHAI. 
  • Seattle designer Jennifer Charkow of Stone Crow Designs competes on Season 18 of Project Runway. 
  • After nearly 43 years in business, Robert Leonard Salon on sixth avenue undergoes a million-dollar renovation. 
  • Gossip & Glamour and Styled Seattle open a fashion office at University Village. 
  • Nordstrom opens a 7 story flagship store in New York. 



2020
  • Eddie Bauer will celebrate 100 years in business. 
  • Gossip & Glamour will host its 5th Annual Style Summit for 200 local bloggers and influencers on Friday, April 10 at W Bellevue. 
  • Seattle based Boma Jewelry, founded in 1981, is scheduled to complete its B Corp Certification and continue to move forward with ambitious sustainability initiatives. 



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