Opening a new store is always a gift and highlight of my year. But this one feels incredibly special. This March, Flea Style will open our ninth location — and we’re coming back to Houston.
Long before Flea Style was a brand with brick-and-mortar stores, Houston played a huge role in my journey. Ten years ago, I hosted my first Houston Flea show in the artsy Heights neighborhood.
Those events – which I hosted biannually for three years – were fun, supportive, and full of passion. They were a creative marketplace where artists, vintage hunters, and dreamers came together and made magic happen. Houston helped shape my love for community-driven retail, and it feels deeply full circle to return to the city a decade later.
Coming back now, with years of growth, lessons, and learns behind me, is surreal. Flea Style has evolved, but at our core, we're still about celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and self-expression. This Houston store represents all of that — and then some.
This store wasn’t a quick decision. I’ve visited Houston three times over the past five years searching for the perfect retail home. Each visit I was full of hope to find the right spot but fell short each time.
In 2022, I couldn’t wrap my head around the high rent and vast retail landscape. Last year, the timing just wasn’t right for the space I had eyes for. But this fall, the stars aligned. 
I had one day free in my November calendar and booked a roundtrip same-day flight to tour spots with some brokers who have become more like peers. I trusted them implicitly and let them take me on a very short tour of just two spaces. Yes, two.
I had given them direct advice on what I was looking for. The only problem? My wants were so clear that I fell in love with both locations! In the end, I selected the one that made more sense for our business (although my design-driven heart really loved the groovy architecture and windows of the other space). As I learn more about business over the years, I know the right decision usually isn’t the cool one.
Don’t get me wrong, our space is amazing! I selected River Oaks for our first flag in Houston. The neighborhood is central and buzzing with our customers. The shopping center is beautiful, and our neighbors are dreamy (hello, Hudson House, Sephora, Barry’s Bootcamp, and Serena & Lily). And the space was the perfect clean slate to let my vintage dreams take shape. Sign. Me. Up!
By far, this will be our quickest store opening from lease execution to opening date. I’m not talking months, I’m talking weeks! I’ve spent countless hours interviewing contractors, shopping online for materials and combing consignment stores and Facebook Marketplace for quick vintage finds that hit my timeline. From organizing hot shot trucks to deliver product to researching city codes for installation aspirations (can I hang a nine-foot metal umbrella from the rafters and pass fire inspection?), I’ve been researching and shopping nonstop to meet our crazy-tight deadline. 
As we prepare to open our doors alongside the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo kickoff, I will pull back the curtain and share more of my design process, business decisions, and incredible finds that make each Flea Style location unique. From the layout to the product mix, every detail is thoughtfully curated with H-Town in mind.
Houston, thank you for being part of my past — and now, my future. I’m beyond excited to be back, to reconnect, and to welcome you into our newest Flea Style home.
See you this March!
Xoxo,
Brittany
