Street Cred

DC steals center stage in menswear as international brands expand their footprints here.

Tom Ford at Neiman Marcus
There’s no indication more clear that sleek, chic menswear has arrived than to have the high priest of haute touch down in the DC market. Neiman Marcus’ 300-square-foot shop-in-shop awash in gray—from the silk carpets to the ultrasuede lining of the ebonized wardrobes—was designed to be a Tom Ford boutique in miniature. Expect slim-cut suits, suede blazers, fur-collared coats and velvet dinner jackets made in the designer’s image. At Neiman Marcus, Tysons Galleria, neimanmarcus.com, tomford.com

The Streets of Georgetown
The New York-based HMX Group, which includes President Obama’s faves Hart Schaffner Marx and Hickey Freeman—along with several other men’s brands—will open its first “interactive laboratory,” dubbed The Streets of Georgetown in late September. “Every great city has great streets,” says President and Chief Creative Officer Joseph Abboud, a men’s design star in his own right, explaining the naming convention for the company’s new concept. But this is no Manhattan transfer. Abboud says the shop’s exposed brick walls and historic architecture embody “the richness and gravitas of being in DC.” The 6,000-square-foot store will carry made-to-measure and seasonal selections specific to this area. Looks will range from irreverent to vintage to classic styles, rooted in a century-old tailoring tradition. Expect trim silhouettes, stony gray flannels and washed, color-blended fabrics. 1254 Wisconsin Ave. NW

AllSaints Spitalfields
With a nod to its start as a British menswear brand, this edgy M Street outpost houses a full floor built for the boys. The store’s 19th-century East End aesthetic is reflected in the imported steel beams, vintage Scissor lights and 200 Singer sewing machines. The rugged interior yields to a smart fall collection studded with Turkish and Italian leathers, a revamped down parka and a sharp camel overcoat, and plenty of weekend-warrior wares. Far from Old English, the one-stop-shop offers eight mounted iPads for online shopping—in the store. North American CEO Paul McAdam sees DC as the perfect place to reach urban consumers and a top seed in the line’s first two years of U.S. expansion. 3235 M St. NW, us.allsaints.com

Brooks Brothers
This nearly 200-year-old label has always seemed designed with Washington in mind. But as it proves with its newest 20,000-square-foot flagship shop on M Street, opening in early September, Brooks Brothers has the new DC on the brain as well. The largest local shop-in-shop of Thom Browne’s Black Fleece line meets the brand’s new, hip, collegiate-inspired sportswear under the same roof. Racks and stacks will be filled with unique collaborations, slimmer cuts and modern interpretations of iconic items straight from BB’s Washington-based archives. The intimate environment, fit with Wi-Fi, invites men to lounge amidst the less-familiar lifestyle side of this established label. 3077 M St. NW, brooksbrothers.com

Jack Spade
This urbanite accessories and apparel brand, once owned by Kate Spade’s better half, hits Wisconsin Avenue in early September, taking over The District Line space. The property’s original natural-wood floors and tactile elements resonated deeply with Jack Spade’s top brass. Manhattan interior designer Steven Sclaroff added color pops a-go-go to bring humor and modernity to the boutique, highlighting the brand’s entire collection. Guys will feel at home in the restored townhouse, replete with hand-picked paintings and antique accents as a backdrop for Waxwear totes and travel bags, outerwear and a newly launched tailored clothing collection made in Southwick, Mass. 1250 Wisconsin Ave. NW, jackspade.‌com

Billy Reid
After constant coaxing by top customers, CFDA award-winning designer Billy Reid will open an M Street location this fall in what he calls “one of the coolest neighborhoods on the planet.” The man known for his hipster take on Southern gentility will bring a collection set to best his local Bloomingdale’s presence. Outerwear, tailored suiting, shoes, bags and the American-made Heirloom collection featuring small-batch items will be on hand. The 75 percent of the shop dedicated to menswear promises to cater to budding collegiates and their dandy grandfathers alike. 3213 M St. NW, billyreid.com

Rag & Bone
The DC fashion faction welcomed Brit boyhood pals David Neville and Marcus Wainwright to Georgetown last spring. It was Rag & Bone’s first foray outside of New York in the states, and they’d chosen the District. The local outpost has been packing in both the boys’ and girls’ club for months—but it’s the men who’ve made the most of the brand. DC United coach Ben Olsen and Mayor Vincent Gray’s son Carlos are both ambassadors for the deconstructed tweeds, leather accents and shearling linings that make the line perfect for pushing the edge in the District. 3067 M St. NW, rag-bone.com

Lost Boys
Menswear maven Kelly Muccio says the DC domino effect is unstoppable. “These new stores are forcing the hand of the market and making designers focus on Washington,” she says. After Muccio’s store made its mark with many of the brands now finding permanent space just blocks from her shop, the pioneer will open a private style studio this fall. Calling it The Black Room, Muccio has created a members-only hot spot for international collections débuting in the U.S. The space will also host the style consultations for which Lost Boys is famous. 1033 31st St. NW, lostboysdc.com