As one of Impact Style‘s ‘contributors abroad’, Jo Grimwood went and staked out the infamous DASH store in Miami.
The Kardashian sisters’ fame has escalated in a somewhat unconventional manner In the past decade. Their father, Robert Kardashian, appeared in the media spotlight when he famously defended O.J. Simpson for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in 1994. His elevated social status in Hollywood meant his daughters Kim, Khloe and Kourtney spent a lot of time amongst the rich and famous. However, it was mostly Kim Kardashians’ friendship with Paris Hilton that brought the rest of the Kardashians’ into the Hollywood bubble of paparazzi, fame and fortune they now reside in.
Rather than remain famous by association the Kardashian sisters decided to enter into the world of fashion. After getting noticed for their style whilst appearing with some of the top A-listers, the Kardashian sisters opened their first clothing store, DASH, in Calabasas, Los Angeles. Following the opening of their first store in 2006, Kim, Khloe and Kourtney appeared alongside their mother, step-father, step-sisters and brother in the ongoing reality television program: Keeping Up With the Kardashians. The reality show, which is still watched by millions around the world today, has two spin-off shows: Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami, and Kourtney and Kim Take New York. The spin-offs follow the Kardashian sisters as they make plans, and execute them, to open and operate their two DASH stores in Miami, Florida and SOHO, New York.
Whilst studying in North Florida for a year, I took a trip down to Miami with other international students, who also wished to see what the famously wealthy city had to offer. As I walked down Ocean Drive in South Beach, I noticed the sign for DASH, so I decided to take a look inside.
Before even entering DASH, it was obvious how famous the store had become, most likely a result of who its’ owners are. Another temporary resident of Miami stopped, just as I came up to the entrance, and exclaimed to his friend: “Oh my god! Do you think Kim is in there?!” I could not help but smile and quietly laugh under my breath upon hearing this. It was amusing to see how hysterical people got, when given the possibility of meeting one of the Kardashians.
From what I could see, the store seemed more focused on the Kardashian merchandise than the clothes they source. The white shelves, which situate either side of the entrance to the store, are filled with boxes of Kim Kardashians’ perfume lines, such as Glam and True Reflection. Black tables in the middle of the store are topped with stacks of the Kardashian sisters’ autobiography, adding to the information available on their lives from the media storm and the families’ reality television show. Instead of campaigns of this seasons’ trends, the walls bear black and white photographs of Kim, Khloe and Kourtney. The clothes, although nice and in-keeping with current trends, appear basic and overpriced. For example I found a simple grey midi dress, which felt of a similar quality to products that I could buy from Boohoo, but was priced at $99. It seems the prices of the clothes in DASH follows the same pattern of excess as the Kardashian family’s lifestyle.
Although the clothes in the store were not bad, I saw nothing that differentiated them from what you could find in a small boutique shop anywhere in the world. In order to justify the pricing of their clothes, they need to create a distinctly unique shopping experience. It would appear that the three sisters, rely mostly on their name, instead of their retail buying skills, to ensure their store turns a vast profit and gains repeat custom.
Joanna Grimwood
Images: Nick Saglimbeni for DASH
