Building a brand in 2023 is a difficult feat. Many new contenders take to social media, our 21st century marketplace, to gain traction, spread awareness, and even sell products digitally (TikTok Shop is now a thing). However, that’s not the preferred means of connection for Veronica Beard. For the duo of Veronicas behind the label, in-person shopping still rings truest in a world of ever-increasing technology. In fact, the brand has plans to open 13 new stores in 2023, with seven of them already serving their local communities in ways the Veronicas only dreamed of when starting out in 2010, including their dazzling new store in Miami’s Design District pictured throughout.
Veronica Beard’s bread and butter is classic femininity infused with a workwear-leaning, everyday feel that truly makes day-to-night a reality. There is no fussiness or frills, no heavy ornamentation to impede you from getting through the day unencumbered by what you’re wearing. Case in point: its best-selling, seasonless Dickey jacket that, on its own, is a kickass double-breasted blazer, but has hidden zippers to add denim or a hoodie to add a layer of casual streetwear, depending on your mood. The laid-back yet powerful feel of the clothing is complemented by its store expansions, allowing Veronica Beard to cement its ethos in a physical space while also creating regional connections that truly make up the business.
It’s hard to imagine a time when all our shopping occurred in malls, department stores, and just walking down the street, but with the construction of these 13 stores, the Veronicas hope to take us back to that place. Designed by Carolina Deneufville, each boutique honors the local flair and tastes of each city they are in. The Marin store in the Bay Area, for example, has a nautical touch, the Nashville store features pictures of country icons and includes chambray couches throughout. The Miami Design District store feels like a private poolside cabana, with calming blue tiling paired with wooden furniture, rattan chairs, and stark white palm leaves sprinkled amongst the racks. On reaching their customer in this tactile, three-dimensional way, Veronica Swanson Beard says: “Stores not only allow us to sell product, but to engage the customer in a meaningful way. We love building connections on the ground level, which is why we do so many in-store events. Creating community means so much to us as a brand.”
Veronica Beard’s new storefront in Miami’s Design District.
The Veronicas’ wager on this level of in-person shopping and connection is paying off, clearly, as they plan to reopen their Madison Avenue store this fall, alongside storefronts in Beverly Hills and Newport, Rhode Island. The pared-down feel of each store encapsulates what they’re trying to gain by dressing the modern woman: a feel for the feminine, without the unnecessary parts, geared towards ease and comfort while also embracing all that is new and exciting. According to Veronica Miele Beard, “Our retail strategy is really about meeting the customer where she is and giving her the dream wardrobe. We want to be able to fully service our customer and give her a lifestyle collection that meets all her needs.”
Because nowadays, getting dressed might be the last thing you want to worry about in the mornings, and the Veronicas are here to help streamline that process, online shopping be damned.
Shop our picks from Veronica Beard’s fall 2023 collection:
Kevin LeBlanc is the Fashion Associate at ELLE Magazine. He covers fashion news, trends, and anything to do with Robyn Rihanna Fenty.