Today we’d like to introduce you to Nerissa Von Helpenstill and Dustin Holcomb.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Nerissa and Dustin. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
We met early in our careers while both working at Nordstrom, where I managed the Couture Department and Dustin lead the team of personal stylists. We did not work directly together but had mutual friends and respect for each other. We both stepped away from fashion briefly, Dustin to the non-profit world and I to work in the hospitality industry. It turns out these diverging paths led us both to Tootsies, where we have to lead the store together for more than seven years. We love working together and make decisions together as a team – it’s really a lovely partnership!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The business of fashion is constantly changing and evolving and in order to be successful, one has to step onboard the carousel and enjoy the ride! Our road has not been completely smooth but our commitment to ourselves as a team and as leaders has made the road much less rocky.
In 2012, when Nerissa asked me to join her at Tootsies, we were faced with taking the helm of an incredible retail legacy in Dallas and that certainly had its challenges! In the beginning, we realized there were many misconceptions about “who we were’ as a store that we heard from the community. In the ensuing years, we worked hard to define Tootsies by our exceptional standard of service as well as our curated collection of fashion and passion for philanthropy. We have had the honor of successfully establishing our store at the forefront of the fashion industry in Dallas and we will continue to march fashionable forward!
TOOTSIES – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
TOOTSIES is more than just a store; it’s a look, a confident feeling and an experience. Our stylists are fashion whisperers for women who have more to worry about than “what to wear.” Their expertise transcends and interprets trends in a personalized way for each and every customer. Our team is so diverse and has so many unique points of view, yet at the end of the day, we ALL live for the magic moment in the fitting room when we find the perfect thing for our customer that makes her feel amazing!
We have so much fun together, and with our customers, and look forward to greeting each new season with excitement for what lies ahead. Our many philanthropic partnerships keep us busy and engaged; whether we are collecting clothing donations for the Salvation Army or dreaming up fanciful fashion shows with Jan Strimple, our calendar is always full of excitement!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
This originally said “Is there anything you would change if you could” I don’t know that either of us would change a thing. Our amazing team has taught us so much and we have built TOOTSIES’ success side by side. We truly love what we do and without the hard work and learning opportunities along our paths, we may not cherish and appreciate it as much as we do now!
Contact Info:
- Address: 8300 Preston Rd
Dallas, TX 75225 - Website: tootsies.com
- Phone: 214-696-9993
- Email: nerissa
- Instagram: @shoptootsiesdallas
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