Fashion Mall

Sarah Marr-Schwartzkopf, president of Rowland Design, illuminates a light fixture that caught her eye.

It was a good summer for shoppers, as The Fashion Mall welcomed one high-end store after another, all of them not yet represented in the local market. Here’s the scoop on each, complete with must-have items.

Casual confidence, an undertone of femininity, and prices in the $100 range at this younger corporate sister to Anthropologie.

The new way to add color to your wardrobe.

Clockwise from top: Chanel, $340; Dior, $335; Prada, $290; Tom Ford, $395; Eyebobs, $75; Chanel, $380; Gucci, $375; Dior, $335; Prada, $345. Eyebobs from Raleigh Limited, Fashion Mall, 317-844-1148, raleighlimited.com; all others from Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Mall, 317-816-0171, s5a.com

A trio of animal-centric styles from 14 Districts to the Fashion Mall.

I love how this gauzy little number with a gorgeously bejeweled collar could be dressed up with strappy gold heels and a cuff bracelet or down with flat sandals and little to no jewelry.

By most measures, it was a typical spring Wednesday, cool with drizzle. But in the parking lot of Seasons 52, the latest high-profile franchise to populate the Fashion Mall, the buzz resembled a VIP gala. Orange pylons blocked the better portion of the parking spaces, and valets sprinted to fetch keys. Inside, nearly every seat in the place was taken. Clearly something special, some of-the-moment trend, had drawn out this many diners on such a dreary day.