The New Bloomie's, Moving Up

When Bloomingdale's opened its first area store at Tysons Corner in 1976, some people at an opening event had never heard of featured designer Ralph Lauren, according to news reports at the time. But everyone knew about Bloomie's.

Such was the power of the retailer's Manhattan mystique that even first lady Betty Ford showed up to browse the model rooms and shop.

The store has enjoyed a reputation for setting trends since the late 1800s, when the brothers Bloomingdale brought New York the hoop skirt. Throughout the decades, the buzz on Bloomie's was all about Now: up-and-coming fashion names (besides Lauren, Calvin Klein and Perry Ellis got an early spotlight there); shopping bags designed by artists that quickly become collectors' items; and the latest It products, such as the pet rocks that were the Christmas craze of 1975. Bloomie's buyers tuned in early to international chic, staging promotions of all things Tuscan or Provencal or Asian years before the current celebration of globalism and ethnic authenticity. "Retailing as theater" is the guiding message behind the merchandising.

The chain's third area store -- and 40th nationally -- officially opens today at 5300 Western Ave. in Chevy Chase. Within the three-level space, escalators climbing past shops for Marc Jacobs and Tory Burch eventually spill out into the top-floor home furnishings department. Construction constraints resulted in a home store with about one-third the square footage of corresponding departments at Tysons and White Flint. So executives decided that if the department couldn't spread out, it would move up, with a selection edited to reflect the increasingly burnished Chevy Chase shopping neighborhood that serves up Neiman Marcus, Jimmy Choo and Barneys Co-op. Ralph Lauren now has his own posh boutique up the street.

"This is one of the best markets for home furnishings in the country for Bloomingdale's," said Joe Laneve, senior vice president and general merchandise manager for home furnishings, as he gave a reporter a preview tour. "In Washington you have very upscale customers. A customer that understands the Bloomingdale's DNA. They have been to 59th and Lexington and understand the glitz and excitement."

Making the best of the space crunch, Laneve's team reinvented the presentation of home goods. In contrast to the stores at White Flint and Tysons, this branch did away with separate departments for furniture, linens and fine china. Instead, a pair of sleek brown arches frames displays of two distinct design sensibilities.

To the right reign "updated classics" that are relaxed versions of traditional staples such as wing chairs and camelback sofas. Ralph Lauren and Californian Barbara Barry are the eye candy here. And color blooms in tableware, towels and sheets, especially this year's top shades of aubergine, terra cotta and jewel tones.

To the left is staged a more urban contemporary mood with spare lines and lots of white, black, gray and cream. There are polished beds by Thomas O'Brien, silver sweater-knit pillow shams by Donna Karan and platinum duvet covers by Calvin Klein.

"We have both modern and traditional, but our staff is trained to show customers how to mix it all together," said Laneve, adding -- tactfully -- that Washingtonians tend to tradition when it comes to home furnishings. "We think that one of the great things about the Washington customer, though, is that they understand the mixing and matching of things."