The Miami Design District is an upscale shopping area dedicated to fashion, design, architecture and dining experiences. Initially, this neighborhood was a gritty precinct of furniture and home-decor showrooms and warehouses. However, the area came into its own when Craig Robins, founder and president of the Miami-based developer Dacra, started buying up buildings across an 18-square-block area. Robins persuaded purveyors of upscale furniture and housewares to open stores in the Miami Design District. He also helped establish Design Miami, a decorative-arts sideshow to the annual Art Basel Miami art fair. His cultural curatorship transformed the neighborhood into a fashionable hangout with round-the-clock street life.
The Design District has since become a retail mainstay that rivals world-renowned areas like Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive, Paris’ Champs-Elysees, or NYC’s Fifth Avenue. It’s home to more than 120 flagship luxury boutiques, including Hermes, Christian Louboutin, Cartier, and Celine. It also houses a handful of high-end restaurants and low-key bars, as well as artist-run exhibition spaces. It is this blend of fashion, food, and art that makes the Miami Design District so unique.
A collaboration with SB Architects, the Miami Design District was constructed from the ground up to be an innovative and forward-thinking retail destination. The result is a high-end shopping area that aims to promote the concept of “fashion as art.” Storefronts showcase their collections in stunning, architecturally-innovative spaces. Many of the restaurants and galleries within the Miami Design District are commissioned by local artists and designers, and the Miami Design District hosts many events throughout the year that celebrate fashion, art, and design.
What was once a run-down and neglected area of the city is now one of the premier retail destinations in the country, and it’s thanks to the vision of Craig Robins and his long-term investment in integrating fashion, design, and art into this neighborhood that it has become what it is today.
Located in the heart of the Miami metropolis, this neighborhood is a major center for global commerce and creativity. With the help of Dacra and L Real Estate, a real estate development and investment firm backed by the global luxury giant LVMH, this once-gritty neighborhood has been given new life as a place to shop, eat, and experience the latest in fashion and design.
The Miami Design District has remained under the stewardship of Dacra and L Real Estate for more than twenty years, allowing the district to grow and expand with careful stewardship and rich cultural programming. Through the years, this has attracted leading fashion brands, important contemporary art collections and exhibitions, design showrooms, and world-class restaurants and cafes. Through its continued adherence to its ethos, the Miami Design District will continue to evolve into a vibrant and ever-growing community of extraordinary shops, restaurants, and experiences.
