At least three cutting-edge sneaker and streetwear boutiques — all chasing the same untapped Washington market for edgy footwear and apparel — are poised to open in downtown D.C. this fall.
“We noticed that we were getting a lot of online orders from that area,” said Larry Incognito, co-owner of Commonwealth, a streetwear store in Norfolk. “So we just knew that there was nobody in the area [filling the need] … and decided to open up.” Commonwealth will launch a new 900-square-foot, 10-employee store in Adams Morgan on Nov. 1.
Incognito said that he and partner Omar Quiambao were confident the 30-brand, “premium lifestyle” gear boutique will replicate the Norfolk store’s “absolutely great” performance. The Washington location has already landed coveted supplier-accounts from Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Vans Vault, Keep, and Creative Recreation accounts receipts-unseen.
Top manufacturers‚ accounts for limited-edition items have also gone to Major the initial retail venture of D.C.-based industry consultants Duk-ki Yu, Tim Fabrega, and Dan Issayes — and to Kickballers, a new streetwear store owned Lanir Zvaiggnhaft. Zvaiggnhaft is well established in the metro area. He owns Last Stop, Inc., a six-store chain based in Silver Spring that carries tamer urban apparel.
Both Major and Kickballers will open in Georgetown, also around Nov. 1.
Owners of all three stores believe that their limited edition, manufacturer account-assigned — and secrecy shrouded — product assortments will limit competition amongthem.
“We’re a boutique, so we really don’t have competitors right now,” Yu said, discounting the pressure even from chain sneaker stores such as Foot Locker, Sports Zone, and Shoe City. “That was one of the reasons we decided to do this venture. I [now] know of several other companies that are moving into D.C.”
“There are no existing boutiques [in D.C.],” agreed Zvaiggnhaft though that will not be the case for long. Zvaiggnhaft is already planning to launch some 20 Kickballers in the mid-to-southern Atlantic seaboard market. The new stores will offer “very boisterous, very loud” lines of premium streetwear, custom skateboard and electronics, and, of course, hard-to-get, signature sneakers, including Nikes selling for thousands of dollars — but without Nike’s official blessings.
“The truth is, we don’t have an account with Nike,” Zvaiggnhaft said. “When you do business with Nike there are a lot of conditions.”
