On Sep. 23,  the new Vineyard Vines store at the Galleria officially opened to the public. In the following weeks, many new customers have been exposed to the brand. Vineyard Vines is a widely known retail company started by brothers Shep and Ian Murray, who grew up summering on Martha’s Vineyard, and followed the expected trajectory to office jobs in Manhattan. In 1998, the brothers ditched their office suits for bathing suits and started the company. The pink whale’s new location in Edina is perfectly positioned to attract younger customers. Many subscribers or followers of the brand recently received an email from the store announcing a grand opening party on Nov. 16. The email said that the first 100 to RSVP received a special gift.

At the party, customers quickly filled up the store, and to many’s surprise, brothers Shep and Ian showed up to meet with their many fans and customers. Lines went out the door to meet them and get an autograph. Juniors Andy Youngstrom and Ronan Duffy were at the party on Nov. 16 and had the chance to meet with the brothers. “I thought it was fun and exciting. Shep and Ian were very nice and you could tell that they really appreciated the support of their company,” said Youngstrom. The brothers, dressed up in their Vineyard Vines clothing, signed autographs and took pictures with their supporters, and contributed more to a few. “I think that it was very nice for Shep to give us a free hat and get to know us by asking us questions.  It made me feel like he really liked us and he was connected to his customers and wanted to get to know them.  It is especially good for them to do this with teens so that they can grow up with a brand that they love and remember that they met the owners when they were younger and can have a brand for life” said Duffy.

Customers that RSVP’d were given a bag with various Vineyard Vines merchandise such as sunglasses, coozies, and lanyards. Many customers were given bright pink foam whale hats to wear during the party, and they could also take their picture with the whale mascot. In addition to the RSVP, the first 100 customers to spend $150 received an exclusive Edina-Galleria shirt. Many members of the of the Edina Community foundation were there taking pictures and talking with customers because 10 percent of all sales went to the foundation.

As Vineyard Vines is known as being a classier clothing brand, the party was high-end as servers delivered food on silver platters. The platters had gourmet snacks like sliders, egg rolls, and cookies. There was live music playing and a bar with various wines and champagne. “I haven’t been to a premiere event before so it felt special in a way. The food catered by Crave was very unique,” said Youngstrom.