On May 1 womenswear line Of Mercer debuted a pop-up at 3035 M NW that is set to run throughout the entire month of May. Nearly all of Of Mercer’s professional-oriented line will be available at the pop-up, along with a few designs exclusive to DC. Throughout the month they also plan to host weekly Sip & Shops and run special events for recent college grads just entering the workforce.
“We know DC women are professional and stylish, and we want them to be able to shop our clothing in person,” says co-founder Dorie Smith. “When we were looking for storefronts, we we fell in love with the energy of Georgetown.”
The San Fransisco-based, Italian-made luxury handbag company Senreve will also be popping up within the Of Mercer pop-up this Friday and Saturday, kicking off with a happy hour event from 5-8 p.m. on Friday.
The NYC-designed and produced label Of Mercer was launched in November of 2013 by Wharton graduates Dorie Smith and Emelyn Northway, who saw the success of web-based brands like Warby Parker that focused on design and quality and cut out middlemen to pass savings onto customers. The line is designed to provide women with workhorse wardrobe staples—you know, that dress you can wear to casual coffee, a big meeting, and an after-work cocktail party and never look out of place? Of Mercer favors functional wrap-dresses a la Diane Von Furstenberg, basic shifts with office-appropriate hemlines, and design-driven styles done with a focus on material and cut minus the designer price tag–most of their pieces run between $95-$225. The name Of Mercer derives from the historical usage of the word ‘mercer’ as a dealer of fine fabrics like velvet and silk, referencing the brand’s emphasis on quality materials.
Of Mercer is just the latest in a stream of workwear lines targeting women that have tested the waters in the District recently. M.M.LaFleur opened its first DC location earlier this year, while Argent is taking over a space in the Shay from April 25-August 31 following the success of their pop-up in Shinola earlier this year.
“We are a data-driven company, and after New York, DC is our biggest online market, so it was a clear choice for our next brick-and-mortar,” says Smith.
If the pop-up shop is well-received, Of Mercer confirms they will look to find a permanent storefront in DC come fall.
Hayley is an Associate Editor at Washingtonian Weddings. Previously she was the the Style Editor at The Local Palate, a Southern food culture magazine based out of Charleston, South Carolina. You can follow her on instagram @wandertaste.
