How Forty Five Ten Is Rebuilding Its Brick-and-Mortar Footprint Post-Covid – Latest Fashion Trends & Style Tips March 30, 2026 at 07:30PM
📰 How Forty Five Ten Is Rebuilding Its Brick-and-Mortar Footprint Post-Covid
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In 2020, the pandemic pushed luxury multi-brand retailer Forty Five Ten into a retail crisis: The company was forced to shut down all of its store locations (including the one in New York City's Hudson Yards), halt its online sales and lay off a significant number of its employees. It was a plight many retailers faced at the time. Once Forty Five Ten could reopen its doors, it decided to keep them all permanently closed, except for its Dallas, TX flagship.
While that decision might've been considered a distress call for most retailers, Forty Five Ten saw it as "the right moment for some growth," Anne Wallach, president and COO, tells Fashionista. Now, six years later, that tough call has paid off: The retailer is building its store footprint once more, starting with the unveiling of its Fort Worth, TX location, which officially opened on March 21.
Photo: Courtesy of Forty Five Ten
Spanning 4,800 square feet, the boutique sits in Museum Palace, an 11-acre shopping center. Over the past few years, Fort Worth's shopping and culture scene has boomed, with a growing audience interested in fashion, art and elevated hospitality. "The truth is, there's a total lack of retail that exists in Fort Worth in terms of multi-brand stores like ours," Wallach says. "We saw that as an opportunity."
From an operational perspective, Forty Five Ten Fort Worth also benefits from proximity to the Dallas location. The closeness between the two stores (approximately a 40-minute drive) allows the company to maintain closer oversight and move merchandise back and forth.
But customer demand was the main driver behind the store launch. "Our customers were really vocal about us coming to Fort Worth," says Jeny Bania, chief marketing officer at Forty Five Ten's parent Headington Companies. "Our customers who are from Fort Worth but shop [in Dallas] for years have been like, 'Come to Fort Worth, come here. Let's show you where you can go.'"
Photo: Courtesy of Forty Five Ten
Wallach adds, "The client is always at the core of everything that we do."
It helps that there are many similarities between the clientele in Fort Worth and Dallas. Both boast diverse client profiles, from fashion-forward women to conservative dressers to quiet luxury shoppers. As such, the retailer prides itself on offering a diverse yet curated assortment of merchandise (which is prevalent in both stores). From major luxury players like Miu Miu, Maison Margiela and Celine to indie brands like Brandon Maxwell, Cecilie Bahnsen and Del Core to emerging labels like Duran Lantink, Heirlome and Zomer, there's a brand to meet any customer preference.
"We really want clients to be able to walk in and, no matter what your background is or what you're looking for, be able to find something here," Wallach emphasizes. Forty Five Ten has always differentiated itself from its competitors by offering as diverse an assortment as it can. The buyers work tirelessly to identify unique styles and brands that are difficult to find in other luxury multi-brand stores in the area (like Neiman Marcus). It was important that the brand discovery aspect extend to the Fort Worth store as well.
Photo: Courtesy of Forty Five Ten
An equal amount of thoughtfulness went into the Fort Worth store interior. At first, the team planned to have it mimic the Dallas setup. It eventually evolved into its own image. There are direct references to the Dallas flagship: It uses much of the same furniture, has similar art pieces and has its in-store cafe in partnership with Café Mirador. But given that the Fort Worth store has smaller square footage and is part of a shopping center (not a standalone store), the team decided it was best to make it its own.
Architect firm Ibanez Shaw helped bring the design vision to life. "[The store] is tailored to the city," says Jonathan Merla, vice president of marketing at Headington Companies. "The brand went to great lengths to ensure that the architects were native to Fort Worth."
Photo: Courtesy of Forty Five Ten
Looking ahead, the team is already strategizing future growth. While no definitive plans have been made, the company is always identifying untapped markets. It's also considering pop-ups as a way to test out various markets without investing permanently. For now, however, its Fort Worth and Dallas stores are the main focus.
"We're really dedicated, obviously, to making sure that Fort Worth and Dallas are in a great place and that we're serving those clients very well before we continue to expand and grow," Wallach says.
Disclosure: Forty Five Ten paid for Fashionista's travel and accommodations to report this story.
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