David Lawrence

04/09/2026

After thirty-two wonderful years of style, laughter, and community, the day we knew would arrive is here. There are too many beaches, countries, yoga mats and humanitarian projects calling my name to be ignored. I am officially retiring and closing David Lawrence.

When we opened these doors in 1994, we wanted to create more than just a clothing store—we wanted to create a place where you felt confident and seen. Looking back, it wasn’t the designer labels that made this journey special; it was the people. From styling you for first dates and dream jobs to weddings and milestones, thank you for letting me be a small part of your lives. We love this business.

To my loyal customers: you are the heart of this business. Thank you for your support, your friendship, and for years of unforgettable memories. Indeed, maybe I should write a book or a screenplay. My hope is that you will always remember to “live a little,” “feel the excitement” and never forget that” life is too short for boring clothes!”

With much love,

David

03/31/2026

Squash Anyone?

Our new space at the Bravern was the perfect venue for any event. Duplicating the strategy we used in our Seattle store, anything was cause for a great party. Trunk shows were always popular with our clients.

We introduced many new and established brands with live models, food, drinks and often live music or a DJ. Some of the most memorable events were hosted by the brands including Versace, Hervé Léger, Maison de Papillon, Faith Connexion, Marion Parke, Brett Johnson, Built for Man, Engineered for Motion, and House of Matriarch.

We also hosted off-site fashion shows, always followed by an after party at the store. Some favorite memories include the 2011 Chinese New Year Gala at the Sheraton and the 2015 World Squash Championship at Meydenbauer Center presented by YSK Events.

Our Casino Nights were our most popular events. Table games, raffles, prizes, food, drinks, DJs, and, of course, live models. Our clients won millions.

Check out the stories on our website for links to some of our favorite events. Look closely, you may see your friends, neighbors, a celebrity or yourself in these photos. :-)

World Squash Championship 2015
Casino Night Benefiting the Crescent Moon Foundation
Brett Johnson Trunk Show
Engineered for Motion with the Sounders Trunk Show
David Barton Gym Summer Nights

03/26/2026

September of 2010, The Shops at the Bravern celebrated its first year anniversary by hosting Fashion’s Night Out, a national celebration of all things “fashion” that had launched the previous year in NYC and benefited local charities.

We had just closed our Bellevue Square and downtown Seattle stores and opened our new flagship store at The Shops at the Bravern. We designed the space specifically for fashion shows with a lighted, “aerial runway” running the length of the store terminating at the twelve foot three-way mirror in the rear of the store.

We were anxious to celebrate our arrival at the Bravern, our new elevated luxury direction, and showcase our new space by presenting the Fashion’s Night Out Saturday evening Fashion Show hosted by Versace. Versace hosted the Saturday evening event and trunk show in the store the following day.

As always, TCM Models and Talent helped us produce the show, and we sold out the house with fashion fans who also enjoyed the afterparty featuring great food, drinks, and music.

Check out Stories on our website to get the links to the photos of some of our other fashion events from the past. You may be in them.

03/19/2026

03/19/2026

David Does the New York Stock Exchange with Farfetch in 2018

Shortly after opening at The Shops at the Bravern, our concept and mix of collections drew the attention of FarFetch who was just expanding into the U.S. market from Portugal. Farfetch was a luxury online marketplace originally launched to connect independent boutiques with the global audience at a time when the brands themselves were still leary of online sales.

David Lawrence was one of Farfetch’s earliest U.S. partners and has partnered with them since then as the online world has evolved.

In 2018, eleven years after founding the platform, José Neves took the company public. As early adopters, David Lawrence was invited to attend the ringing of the bell on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) trading floor, located at 11 Wall Street, with a presentation and breakfast to follow.

I had never imagined that my passion for fashion would land me at the historic hub of global stock trading.

David of David Lawrence

03/07/2026

I have spent the better part of my adult life traversing the Lake Washington floating bridges while traveling between our two stores and commuting to our home in Seattle. In an effort to save the planet, a bit of money and what little sanity that remained after sitting in traffic for hours a day, I decided in 2011 that I would take the bus! After all, we only had one store now.

One day while sitting on the Sound Transit 550 bus at a complete stand still on the I-90 bridge deck, it occurred to me I should do more than just ride the bus, I should advertise on it! Specifically bus tails! After all, who among us has not found themselves trapped behind a bus during our daily commute. The juxtaposition of glamorous fashion and the back of a bus made the idea even more interesting.

Bucking the attitude promoted by the tech industry that dressing poorly is somehow a badge of honor and inspired by one of our favorite clients, we decided that "Effort is Back in Style!" would inspire out latest marketing campaign. This Microsoft executive graciously consented to join me for a photo shoot. We hired Lyrical Imaging photography studios, and Joe Stanford did the hair and makeup. Before we knew it, we were boarding the bus featuring Jenni in Hervé Léger, and I tried to hold my own in Versace.

We rode the east/west buses on I-90 and SR-520 for about a year to rave reviews. It seems everyone saw the bus boards. I received texts with photos of our campaign from customers and friends that were driving behind the bus. Complete strangers would greet me with "Hey bus guy!"when they passed me at the transit center. It turns out the bus was literally our best advertising vehicle.

Thank you Jenni for riding the bus with me! Commuting was never so glamorous or fun!

02/15/2026

This Versace beach towel is great for drying off or to use as decor! Choose your own adventure!

02/06/2026

Super Bowl Bound

In the fall of 2013, the PNW was vibrating with Seahawk energy. During those glory days of Seahawk football, the excitement was palpable. Our boys were winning, and we were on our way to our first and last Super Bowl victory in February 2014. Even though our new quarterback Russell Wilson, running back Marshawn Lynch, wide receiver Sydney Rice, and some of their teammates were clients, we were still completely starstruck when they turned up on the front row for our Fall Fashion Show that year! These were their glory days and ours!

In October of 2013, we presented a fashion show benefitting the Seattle Children’s Hospital Nephrology Guild in partnership with Seattle Dental Associates. We created an amazing runway in a vacant space adjacent to our store so we could maximize the number of seats we could sell and prepare our retail space for the party and shopping event that followed. TCM Models and Talent produced the show, providing models, lighting and music. The show sold out and proceeds from the ticket and retail sales that evening were donated to Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Guests are always excited about a David Lawrence Show, but they definitely felt they got their money’s worth when our soon to be Super Bowl champs were escorted up the back elevator, through the back door and to their front row seats. The only way it could have been more dramatic was if they had walked the runway themselves.

Let’s hear it for our 2026 Seahawks, hoping they will recreate that Super Bowl magic this Sunday!

Go Hawks!

02/06/2026

Movin’ on Up on the Eastside

After sixteen years in business with ten years of shaking things up at center court in Bellevue Square, we were feeling the need for growth and something new.

Three blocks east of us at Bellevue Square, something literally groundbreaking was happening. Schnitzer West was developing a multi-use project featuring two Microsoft office towers and two 33 story condo towers built around and above an outdoor shopping center boasting an amazing lineup of European luxury brand stores never seen in the northwest and anchored by Neiman Marcus!

We were the only boutique on the eastside showcasing European designer collections and soon became the first stop for recruiters for all of the new stores soon to open at The Shops at the Bravern. The glamorous temptation of the French, Italians and Neiman Marcus was more than most of our talented fashionista staff could resist, and we soon found ourselves short a half dozen of our sales personnel. At the same time, we were approached by the Shops at the Bravern and offered a space there.

While trying to navigate the challenges of the “great recession” in both our Seattle and Bellevue stores, we decided to go all in, trade up and go play with the big boys. We would build our most beautiful store yet. We would close at Bellevue Square and in downtown Seattle, move to The Shops at the Bravern and open online. In doing so, we could pivot and focus on true, luxury brands that Bravern shoppers and our customers would love.

The 2010 move to The Shops at the Bravern was a massive statement. By securing that 3,000-square-foot spot on the third floor, David Lawrence positioned itself right at the heart of Bellevue’s luxury hub, overlooking the 110th Street arrival court and fireplace patio. The oversized sign wasn’t just a landmark siting while driving down NE 8th Street; it signaled a new era for David Lawrence as a premier destination for high-end fashion in the Pacific Northwest.

Another decade, another reinvention.

01/30/2026

Sensei and I love this Versace quilted barocco vest. It’s reversible too so you can wear it for any occasion.

01/17/2026

David Lawrence Ushers In Bellevue Fashion Week in 2005! 👗👚👙👖👕👔🩳😮

As The Bellevue Collection celebrated 20 years of Bellevue Fashion Week in September, it brought back many memories of our shows during the first five years of what is the biggest annual fashion event in the northwest. ITALIA-Life in “I” Style, our final runway show for Bellevue Fashion week in 2009, was sponsored by the Italian Trade Commission.

For each of the five years, David Lawrence anchored the weekend with its own show in the event space the night before the big Collective Show. The David Lawrence show was a big draw and always sold out quickly because everyone could count on us to present an absolutely fun, sexy show and go where no one else could, should or would.

Partnering with the Bellevue Collection and TCM Models and Talent we were able to mount productions we could only dream of on our own. The show venues were immense and built out with professional lighting, sound, video and pre-show lounges.

The brands supported us by providing samples from their most recent markets, none of which had been produced for sale yet, so we could present their collection exclusively in one scene as a preview of the next season. It was a fashionista’s fever dream come true. Men’s and women’s Dsquared2, D&G Dolce & Gabbana, Gianfranco Ferre, Just Cavalli, Versace and the hottest LA premium denim brands such as Rock and Republic and True Religion, served up on the hottest models, accompanied by ridiculous music, amazing lighting, video and some eyebrow raising fun!

The after parties back at the store at center court became the stuff of legend. Our landlord, Kemper Freeman, loved to share the tale of two competitive men hotly contesting who would purchase the only $4000 D&G fur coat in our stock for their girlfriend and the bidding war that followed. The story got even better when it was later discovered that the ultimate owners of the fur managed to somehow set it on fire at a subsequent “after-after” party. That D&G fur really was “fire!”

David of David Lawrence