Business

SHOP AVARA

4239 W. Lovers Lane shopavara.com

Emily Wickard’s love of fashion powers popular online and Lovers Lane retailer. Inc. magazine ranks Avara at No. 406 among the top 5,000 fastest-growing privately held companies in the nation. (PHOTOS: KATIE KUBISAK)

SHOP AVARA EARNS ATTENTION WITH RAPID BUSINESS GROWTH

Apparel retailer celebrates Park Cities roots, increasing online success

By Josh Hickman

Special Contributor

Business is booming for Emily Wickard, considering the Park Cities mom’s humble 2016 beginnings selling her kids’ used clothes on the Park Cities Yard Sale Group on Facebook.

But the owner of the bustling clothing company always had a passion for fashion.

“I was a mom, and I loved fashion,” she said. “But I found as I had work, and I had kids, I had no time for it. I felt like I had lost my sense of style.”

From the growing pop-up sales at her home, Wickard Googled how to start an online boutique, followed the steps she found, and expanded to buying new product online and selling it, even modeling the items herself.

Quickly garnering an online following, people often asked whether she had a brickand-mortar store. COVID ended pop-up events at her home, so she started selling solely online via Facebook, Instagram, and her new website.

“That was really a pivot point for us because the business actually grew,” Wickard explained. “Our market is basically women from their mid-30s to mid-50s. We call ourselves ‘the brand for all ages.’ Our prices are very affordable, so we have 20-somethings who shop for work or for meeting the parents.”

In 2020, as online sales continued to increase and COVID restrictions relaxed, Avara opened a brick-and-mortar store on West Lovers Lane.

“My philosophy was to have one store and then continue to expand online,” she said. “The little house is almost a destination shop. People have lunch in Inwood Village, then come to Avara to shop. On weekends it’s full of mothers and families and friends.”

Her digital strategy included a robust influencer program and grew to the point that now, most sales are outside the state of Texas.

“There are women like me, who have had careers or are still working — who have kids, but they still want to be the cutest mom at the Highland Park Scots football game,” Wickard said. “There’s just something so colorful and fun and fresh about our product.”

Since 2020, Avara has grown exponentially. Wickard estimates sales are

GET POPPIN’

more than 10 times what they were just two years ago. Inc. magazine recently rated Avara No. 406 in the top 5000 fastest-growing privately held companies in the nation, No. 24 in retail, and No. 3 in women’s retail.

The brand now has 42 employees, with around 16 full-time, and aims to be flexible with the company’s working moms.

“I found my dream job, and we have such a fantastic team of women all tied to Avara’s performance,” she said. “If Avara does well, they do well.”

And Wickard expects to remain in growth mode.

“I don’t see us getting stores all over the country. Our growth is online. Our heart and soul is here in Dallas and in the Park Cities,” Wickard said. “It’s where we got our start.”

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FAMILY LAW

Jim Mueller, Managing Partner

VERNER BRUMLEY MUELLER PARKER

Jim Mueller, managing partner for the distinguished law firm Verner Brumley Mueller Parker, said success in the emotionally-charged family law arena comes down to two things: experience and service.

“Our diversity and the range of experience that we can provide means there’s going to be very little that is going to be presented that somebody in our firm hasn’t dealt with firsthand over the years,” he said. “We are one of the largest family law firms, yet at the same time, we still give that same mom-and-pop personal attention. I think that’s extremely important.”

Divorce cases can be complicated, especially for high net worth individuals with various properties, businesses and other considerations. Verner Brumley’s expertise in this arena is one important point of differentiation in the market.

“What we’ve always done very well is take those highnet-worth individuals with extremely complicated cases and resolve those issues, be it in litigation or in the boardroom,” Mueller said. “We understand the various asset elements that make these cases so complex—trusts, commercial properties and the like—not just here throughout Texas, but also throughout the world.”

“I think that’s something that’s extremely unique. If we need to work with somebody who is in Colorado on a case that we’re handling, it’s not just somebody we looked up online. It’s somebody we know has a high level of expertise, who we’ve worked with and who we have a history with.”

At the same time, the firm’s attorneys never lose sight of the human element of divorce, specifically as it involves

MATTHEW SHELLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

custody issues. Mueller said one hallmark of the practice is to take ownership of all the client’s needs, legal or otherwise.

“At the end of the day, a client is not just simply a custody battle, they’re not just simply a divorce or a post-marital agreement,” he said. “There’s a holistic approach that we try to take with our clients, to let them know we can be their point of contact for nearly anything. We’ve put people in touch with counselors, we’ve referred them to wealth advisors, and lots more. That’s the type of service that we strive for.”

Mueller, who graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Rhodes College in Memphis and cum laude from the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University, jokes he’s still the “new kid” even after more than 15 years in family law. Such is the nature of the longevity of the firm.

“We’re in the personal services industry,” Mueller said. “For everything that has changed over the years, one thing that is as true today around here as it ever was, is that longevity is key. I tell clients all the time, this is not going to be an easy process; it’s not always the most pleasant process. You want to have a relationship with a team that can communicate effectively with you, that you can trust and that has the skill and experience to deliver you the best outcome possible. I feel we do that better than anyone.”

FAMILY LAW

McClure Law Group

100% FAMILY LAW Perfectionism, Perseverance, and Practicality drives McClure Law Group

At McClure Law Group, the clients’ goals are of the utmost importance. Founder, managing partner, and CEO Kelly McClure, managing partner Francesca Blackard, and the rest of their talented staff work together to not only achieve these goals, but surpass them.

“I think we’re the gold standard when it comes to the quality of work that comes out of our firm,” said Blackard. “We’re complimented all the time by our clients on being so much more prepared than the other side. We really give our hearts and souls to our clients and their cases.”

Another way McClure Law Group ensures the satisfaction of their clients is their skill and effectiveness in the courtroom.

“We have a unique practice in that we’re able to give a lot of credibility to what could happen at the courthouse, because we go there quite often,” said McClure, who is also managing partner and CEO of the firm. “I think that really helps clients facilitate a settlement, knowing that the alternative is we go to the courthouse and that’s an arena we’re very comfortable in.”

With a combined experience of over 100 years, McClure Law Group knows Dallas clients want their family law dealings to be as seamless as possible. This is what sets the Firm apart with an in-house CPA and an in-house appellate attorney, which no other Dallas firm has. McClure Law Group also prides itself on seeing clients as human beings, not just income.

“We do damage control in all aspects,” Blackard said. “Financially and emotionally, and I’m really proud that we’re not a firm that sees a high-net-worth client and sees dollar signs. We see the client, their children, their spouse, and think of how to keep this post-divorce family as in-tact as possible.”

In the past year, the team at McClure Law Group has only gotten better. New partners, Kate Mataya and Brandon Joseph, have gone above and beyond in their new roles and augment the knowledge and expertise of the alreadymasterful McClure Law Group team.

“We’re ahead of the curve with the lawyers we have,” McClure said. “They’re very impressive in terms of their writing techniques and complicated drafting on complex issues. A lot of firms don’t have our level of expertise. Our talent pool at our office is just untouchable.”

Alo Yoga (COURTESY PHOTOS)

Casa Costa

MOVED

Ann and Sid Mashburn (PHOTO: WILL AND SUSAN BRINSON)

NOW OPEN

Casa Costa Snider Plaza

The interior design firm, furniture, and gift store by Lisa Mayo and Blaze Whites recently opened between Cerulean Gallery and Bubba’s Cooks Country.

Foxtrot

3130 Knox St.

The corner store/coffee shop/ café/gift shop with delivery service recently opened its third location in Dallas, complete with a patio, in the Knox-Henderson area. The brand’s other two area locations are in Uptown and in Snider Plaza in University Park.

Various Stores NorthPark Center

The activewear brand Alo Yoga recently opened on level one between Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, the clothing brand Buck Mason recently opened on level one between Nordstrom and Macy’s, Sarah Flint, known for shoes and accessories, recently opened on level two between Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, the independent Australian luxury fashion brand Scanlan Theodore recently opened on level one between Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, and the fashion house St. John recently opened on level one between Neiman Marcus and Dillard’s.

Ann and Sid Mashburn

4615 Cole Ave.

The new 4,200-square-foot store features an open-air tailor shop, a dedicated made-to-measure area, a shoe and accessory parlor, and more.

Chanel

Highland Park Village

The French luxury brand opened in its new temporary location next to Sadelle’s. It will remain in the new location while expanding its 5,000-square-foot original space into a two-level, 11,500-squarefoot one.

Skibell Fine Jewelry

Preston Center

The jewelry store recently moved to a new location at 8411 Preston Road No. 110.

– Compiled by Rachel Snyder

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