Upscale retailer Nordstrom pulled out all the stops Wednesday at an opening gala for its new store at Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa.
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- Nordstrom projected lights and messages on the side of its new Mayfair Mall store in Wauwatosa.
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- Guests were encouraged to share their photos with the retailer on social media.
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- Stephen Kent of BMO Harris Bank, Jen Hunholz of M Magazine and Carly Ritt of Cramer-Krasselt.
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- Mini cheese and fruit basket appetizers.
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- Mark Eppli of Marquette University, Art Smith of Keystone Travel Services and Eliza Webb of Fannie Mae.
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- Sharon Kapps, retired, Becky Fink of Rodan + Fields, Kent Ehley of Creative Quality Solutions and Wauwatosa Mayor Kathleen Ehley.
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- Anne Bingham, retired, Bill Stevens, retired, Ellen Homb of 2-Story and Ellen Melvin.
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- Thelma Sias of We Energies poses along with Nordstrom models.
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- Amelia Neighbors, Kris Corbin and Dave Herkey of Nordstrom.
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- Nordstrom carries designer brands like MAC in its beauty section.
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- Todd Laszewski of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., Ruth Laszewski, Diane Roznowski and Wauwatosa alderman Jeff Roznowski.
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- Among the hors d’oeuvres at the event were mini caramel apples.
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- Ellen Glaisner, community volunteer, and Katie Hofman of Marquette University.
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- Guests peruse the women’s shoe section.
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- Vincent Lyles of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and Alisia Moutry of Milwaukee Teacher Education Center.
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- Earrings on display at Nordstrom at Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa.
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- Vicki Wachniak of Life Navigators, Ginny Myszewski of Johnson Bank, Julie Luettgen of Bayview Homes and Jennifer Sanchez of Life Navigators.
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- Sally Agger and Elizabeth Kay of 99.1 The Mix.
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- The women’s shoe department takes up about one-third of the first floor at Nordstrom in Mayfair Mall.
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- Nwagbaraocha
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- Scarves, hats and other fall apparel on display at Nordstrom.
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- Jennifer Braasch of Wells Fargo and Elizabeth Weber of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
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- There are three floors of merchandise at Nordstrom’s Mayfair Mall store.
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- Kristin Johnson of CBRE and Kate Suriano.
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- A variety of accessories are on display on Nordstrom’s second floor at Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa.
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- Julia Haas of Bader Rutter, Ryan Schuelke of Enercon Industries Corp. and Ann Schuelke.
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- The jewelry department on the first floor of Nordstrom.
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- Nordstrom is known for its large shoe department, which carries a range of sizes for men, women and children.
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- Mike Buckley of Buckley’s Restaurant and Bar, Lynn Sprangers of Mount Mary and Rajeev Seth of Aurora Health Care.
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- Products on display on the second floor include activewear.
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- Nordstrom carries a range of styles and brands for women, men and children.
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- Among the designer brands Nordstrom carries is Free People.
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- A “girlfriends dressing room” allows friends to show each other their outfits by opening a magnetic curtain between rooms.
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- Nordstrom calls its BP dressing room “the apartment” because it is meant to feel like a living room.
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- Terry Schulz, Charlene Schneider, John Osburn and Bob Croatt of TJ Hale.
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- Nordstrom is the only U.S. retailer that carries the British Top Shop brand.
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- Clothing on the racks ahead of the Nordstrom Mayfair Mall store opening in Wauwatosa.
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- Geri and Dan Schwabe of Ronald McDonald House.
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- An in-store restaurant, Ruscello, offers Italian and Mediterranean fare.
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- Chefs prepare food at Ruscello.
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- The retailer sells upscale brands like Kate Spade.
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- Bartenders create specialty cocktails at Ruscello inside Nordstrom at Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa.
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- A specialty cocktail made at Ruscello in Nordstrom at Mayfair Mall.
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- Mayfair Mall Nordstrom store
The event, which raised about $190,000 for three nonprofit organizations, attracted a sellout crowd of 1,800 at the newly constructed 140,000-square-foot, three-story space. It’s the retailer’s first full-line Wisconsin store.
From the lights projected onto the building reading “Hello, Milwaukee,” to the complimentary valet, to the hors d’oeuvres and champagne, Nordstrom spared no expense on the soiree.
While he was unsure about the cost of the event, Jamie Nordstrom, president of full-line stores, said 100 percent of proceeds from the $100/ticket event went to the selected charities.
“We sold out 1,800 tickets for this—part of it is the opportunity to raise a lot of money for some great charities,” Nordstrom said.
The three lucky nonprofits were Ronald McDonald House Charities Eastern Wisconsin; United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County; and the Milwaukee and Cream City chapters of The Links Inc., which works to combat educational, social and financial challenges facing children and families. The organizations will split the $190,000 proceeds evenly.
The national Links organization has a history of partnering with Nordstrom, which is how its local chapters became aware of the opportunity for a fundraiser, said Jacqueline Moore Bowles, Milwaukee chapter president for The Links.
“When we learned Nordstrom was coming to Milwaukee, we reached out,” said Deidra Edwards, president of the Cream City chapter of The Links.
“We submitted a request, and because of our outstanding community service and commitment to youth in the community” the organization was selected, Moore Bowles said. “That was something that was important to them.”
There were about 100 Links members at the gala Wednesday, along with a generous sprinkling of high profile local luminaries, including Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Wauwatosa Mayor Kathleen Ehley, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee president and chief executive officer Vincent Lyles, We Energies vice president of local affairs Thelma Sias, and Marquette University Bell Chair in Real Estate Mark Eppli.
Attendees dressed to the nines sipped cocktails and noshed on sushi duos, mini caramel apples and tiny baskets of cheese and fruit. Nordstrom staff was on hand to give makeup tutorials, recommend jewelry and clothing, and bring out shoe sizes for guests, who browsed the merchandise.
Artist Sean Jones played on one level, while a DJ spun tracks on another. Live models posed on pedestals dressed in the latest fashions.
There are four fourth-generation Nordstrom family members on the Seattle-based retailer’s executive team. Jamie and co-presidents Blake and Erik Nordstrom were at the gala Wednesday. The family members attend the store opening galas around the country to introduce themselves to the community, Jamie said.
“These are the people in the community that are going to be shopping here, so what better way to get to know them than throw a party?” Jamie asked.
