The Strip is in the throes of a retail revolution. We are a formidable shopping destination that can hold its own with Beverly Hills, Chicago and New York—as long as we're not talking about boutiques, but we're slowly getting there, too.
Even the Review-Journal announced it will add a section called Image (with a lower-case "i" to prove how hip it's going to be) to its mix that will directly address both fashion and style; i.e. purchasing stuff.
The revolution will gain strength when the Wynn Esplanade opens its doors April 28. We in Las Vegas will know the glory of Oscar de la Renta and Jean Paul Gaultier firsthand—if we can muster up the bank account or courage to walk through the doors. Those fashion powerhouses are just two of many in the Wynn Esplanade mix.
Meanwhile, the Forum Shops at Caesars remains a retail phenomenon at a rumored $1,300 of monthly sales per square foot. If that's true, with the most recent expansion adding about 175,000 square feet for a total of 675,000, it all translates into a little more than $877 million a month. It's undergone not one, but two major expansions since 1994, when it opened its doors and ushered in the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, Christian Dior, Cartier and Spago. With it came a new Las Vegas.
The Fashion Show Mall was a source of much discussion for a young Las Vegas that worried people wouldn't know what to do in a Neiman Marcus or Sax Fifth Avenue. The mall doubled its size in 2004, putting those sorts of fears to flight.
Via Bellagio remains strong, with Moschino, Tiffany, Georgio Armani, Fred Leighton and Prada toughing the whole Fashion (with an upper-case "F" to show how serious it is) thing through, even after Steve Wynn left the building.
The Grand Canal Shops at the Venetian, with its Banana Republic and Kenneth Cole standard fare, also includes fashionista favorites Jimmy Choo Shoes and Burberry (not necessarily worn by the same shoppers).
Even the sleepy Desert Passage is worth a few twirls, with Teuscher Chocolate, Aveda and Sur La Table. Mandalay Place proudly breaks the chains with underwear outfitter Samantha Chang, Fornarina, Urban Outfitters, wine boutique 55 Degrees and Portico topping the mix.
That's not all. Town Center, a $350 million shopping destination right on Las Vegas Boulevard South at Sunset Road is in the works. When it opens in 2006, it will rival no other in town, with 20 buildings and more than 1.9 million square feet of retail, restaurants, entertainment and hospitality services. Developers Centra and Turnberry & Associates swear up and down: no gaming. Revolutionary, indeed.
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