The company made the announcement it would shut down the flagship Tuesday.
DALLAS — The iconic Neiman Marcus flagship store, a cornerstone of downtown Dallas since 1914, will close permanently on March 31, marking the end of an era in Texas retail history.
The closure of the 1618 Main Street location represents more than just the end of a department store; for generations, it has been a cultural landmark that helped establish Dallas as a fashion hub.
“What put Dallas on the map, even beyond fashion, was that store,” said Rawlins Gilliland, a former Neiman Marcus director who worked with the company in the 1990s. “It was a very romantic part of Dallas when Dallas wasn’t very romantic.”
Under Stanley Marcus’s leadership, the store became a draw for celebrities and international dignitaries, including Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco. It was home to legendary Fortnight events, which brought global fashion and culture to Texas.
Kate Sheldon, who worked as a corporate buyer for Neiman Marcus in the 1990s, fondly recalls the store’s magnetism long before she joined the company. As a college student, she would visit the flagship to see high-end fashion, treating herself to a Godiva chocolate bar just to get her parking validated.
The closure also marks the end of the store’s renowned Zodiac restaurant, famous for its popovers with strawberry butter and chicken consommé. The culinary offerings have long been as integral to the Dallas social scene as the store’s fashion collections.
“Vendors around the world knew about Dallas because of Neiman Marcus,” Sheldon said. “Neiman Marcus put Dallas on the map as a fashion epicenter.”
A company spokesperson cited a lingering dispute with the property’s landlord as the reason for the closure.
Despite the store’s closing, its legacy remains ingrained in Dallas’s identity. As Gilliland put it, “Growing up in a hometown, you want to feel proud of something. Well, it was Neiman Marcus!”
