The Bravern's opening in Bellevue attracts thousands

A few things were apparent at Saturday's opening of The Shops at The Bravern in Bellevue:

One, if you want to know what the rich are wearing and driving these days, a prime place is the arrival court off Northeast Eighth Street.

Two, people really, really like cupcakes, even in the morning.

And three, maybe, just maybe, the Puget Sound region is more interested in expensive fashion than its grunge-and-Gore-Tex reputation suggests.

An estimated 5,000 people had turned out for the opening by 10 a.m., according to Bravern developer Schnitzer West.

Among them was Theresa Hirsch, 41, of Bothell, who stood in line with more than 20 people outside Trophy Cupcakes, waiting for a sweet confection. Hirsch had just bought baggy, boyfriend-style jeans and a black sleeveless blouse at Neiman Marcus.

"It was a little steep, considering what I could do at Banana Republic," Hirsch said, referring to Neiman's prices. "But I loved the fit."

The Shops at The Bravern (a contrived name pronounced with a long "a" and meant to convey an entrepreneurial spirit) opened with about two dozen of its 35 retail spaces filled. It has a large gym, day spa, several restaurants and such stores as Louis Vuitton and Jimmy Choo.

A day earlier, Neiman Marcus opened at The Bravern, marking its first full-line clothing store in the Northwest. Although the recession has hit Neiman Marcus hard, the store's debut "materially exceeded their expectations," said Dan Ivanoff, managing-investment partner at Schnitzer.

"I got Neiman's numbers last night, and they were amazing," he said, declining to disclose sales figures. "There's just pent-up demand for this type of offering in the region."

A roving runway of models dressed head-to-toe in Tory Burch caught Denise Bernard's attention. Bernard, 45, of the Sammamish Plateau, then bought skinny jeans, a black T-shirt and orange flip-flops for about $300 at Tory Burch. "I'm not a big high-end shopper, so this would not be my everyday shopping experience," she said.

Others seemed content to people-watch and take freebies, including 700 cupcakes between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. at The Bravern's DavidBartonGym.

Marc Cohen and Kevin Kavanaugh — New Yorkers in town to help open the gym — stood outside Louis Vuitton overlooking the Northeast Eighth Street entrance.

"It's like the Madison Avenue feel and vibe," Cohen said.

"We've seen some amazing cars — a few Lamborghinis, and there was an amazing yellow Ferrari," Kavanaugh said.

"And everyone just panicked about a white one," added Cohen. "The valet got in it and tried not to smile, like he does this all the time."

Amy Martinez: 206-464-2923 or amartinez@seattletimes.com