tootsies in blue

Iconic Houston fashion house dons blue to honor COVID-19 heroes

Houston’s most fabulous fashion star is back. Fady Armanious, Tootsies creative director and local style guru, announced that he will be onsite in the chic store when it reopens on Friday, May 1, with new hours: Monday through Saturday, from 11 am to 5 pm. Private appointments before and after regular store hours are also available.

Armanious says he will be “socially distancing and wearing a mask” (emblazoned with the Tootsies logo, which all employees will be wearing), and observing all proper protocols as he hosts eager shoppers.

Said shoppers will find Tootsies’ storefront emblazoned in blue as a tribute to first responders on the front lines of the COVID-19 battle. “We just wanted to acknowledge and recognize the front-line people who have been there for us and the community,” Armanious tells CultureMap.

When choosing the “Blue Heroes”-themed apparel, shoes and accessories for the windows, Armanious opted for casual items that shoppers are gravitating toward while they are staying at home, according to the store. The clothing is set against backdrops made of rounded geometric shapes in subdued colors.

The beloved fashion hub is donating a percentage of profits to the Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund. “It’s our way of saying, ‘Let’s stop and recognize that there are a lot of people on the frontline who risked their own lives and their families to be there for us,’” Armanious notes.

The always-dazzling Armanious has hardly taken a break during the pandemic. He’s been a fixture on a “Fashion on Demand” video series, an online interactive shopping and styling experience. The live video series airs on Instagram Stories and is also posted on Facebook.

And fans flock to his Friday Happy Hour Zoom call every week at 4 pm. (Customers are added to the call list via email.) Topics have included “Baubles and Bubbles” to “Wine and Wedges.” This week’s call? “Friday is ‘Mimosas and Moms,’” says Armanious. Mothers are invited, and guests are encouraged to share a favorite saying from their moms. It’s all part of the new normal, one that has seen Tootsies stylishly pivot.

“It’s a wakeup call that retail is changing a little,” he says. “It’s a little curve and another element to add to what we do.”

Creative director Fady Armanious will be back in the store.

Fady Armanious Tootsies storefront COVID

Photo courtesy of Tootsies

Creative director Fady Armanious will be back in the store.

shopping

be well

3 hot wellness studios move swiftly into new Heights development

Courtesy of Radom Capital

The Swift BLDG is expected to open in late 2026.

A new mixed-use development in the Heights has announced its next round of tenants. Three wellness businesses are coming to The Swift BLDG, Houston developers Radom Capital and Triten Real Estate Partners’ project in the historic Swift & Company Packing Plant that’s located near the Heights Hike & Bike Trail.

They are:

SweatHouz, a contrast therapy studio
Strong Pilates Studio
The Skin Clinic, a Houston-based aesthetics and skincare destination

Scheduled to open in winter 2026, SweatHouz will offer infrared saunas, cold plunges, and other protocols to improve a person’s well-being. The protocols are focused on areas such as athletic recovery, reducing stress, improving circulation, mental health, and longevity. In addition, it will offer a beauty bar equipped with Dyson hot tolls and a beverage station stocked with different waters.

Building on the success of its Katy location that opened last year, Strong Pilates Studio will occupy 2,500 square feet in the Swift BLDG. Using Rowformer and Bikeformer machines, customers have the opportunity to take classes in Strong Body, Strong Loaded, and Strong Pilates-Only. It’s expected to open in the fall.

“Our method blends strength, cardio, and reformer-based training into one, delivering real results in just 45 minutes. This isn’t just Pilates — it’s a new standard for fitness in Houston. And a community that sweats together stays strong,” franchisee Mona Hussein-Zaki said in a statement.

Currently located in M-K-T, the Skin Clinic will more than double its footprint by relocated to the Swift BLDG. The clinic’s services focus on skin health and rejuvenation. It also expected to open in the fall.

“The response from this community has been incredible, and Swift gives us the room to grow into what our patients have been asking for: more space, more services, and the same patient-centered care that got us here." founder Kelli Nwuli said.

All three businesses join previously announced tenants such as Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, premium juice bar Leemoo, Merit Coffee, and Houston Tex-Mex staple Escalante’s.

On track to open to the public in fall 2026, The Swift BLDG will offer more than 30,000 square feet of office space along with 30,000 square feet of restaurant and retail tenants. The two companies previously partnered on M-K-T, the Heights mixed-use development that’s near the Swift project. Radom is known for a number of other Houston developments, including the Montrose Collective and the historic Tower Theater property and its adjacent buildings.

openings the-heights