En Avance

Quality did not drop, if you are wondering why a 4 and not 5 stars. Since this last review my grading scale has developed into a finer sense of what really knocks my socks off. You have to have a little slice of heaven for my 5 stars these days. That being said, En Avance is still one of my favorite Miami shops. Karen, the owner… really takes into consideration what her clients want. She used to have the store on Lincoln Road for years until that became the «super mall» that it is today. The Design District is a perfect location for this treasure of a store. It’s an independently owned sanctuary of style. I’ve had things I’ve bought here for years. The quality and the price really do match up. Yes, you may pay more for something, but it is a durable quality product.

love this store
great mix of clothing, shoes, accessories etc. for men and women.
the staff rocks, one of the best at the design district.

SIMPLY marvelous what would the Design District do without this place!!! Everybody there very welcoming and product savy!

2.5 Stars — and I agree with Maria on this one.
The style here isn’t that great. They’re not bad either, but they didn’t even look or feel high-​quality so I can’t really justify the prices some of these items were going for. Additionally, the offerings here are looking more «vintage» than «retro.» And yes, there’s a difference — think about it.
And yes, the men’s selection is better — but I can’t see myself rushing back here either.
The décor could use some improvement as well. This looks more like a long rack on the wall.

An upscale clothing boutique in the Design District just a ways down from Sra Martinez and Michaels. I’m glad there is a growing crop of fashion shops and I look forward to more. However, I think this shop epitomizes what isn’t working.
Yes, the clothes are high end and expensive but I saw few if any pieces that made my heart jump, skip, or hop. There was no Marni mouth dropping moment. There is no love at first sight shoe from Louboutin. There isn’t even that odd mix of inspiration and infatuation from Tomas Maier. I found the men’s collection to be a bit better with an Etro shirt in a colorful of the moment plaid but overall the store lacked strong pieces or even amazingly feminine staples.
Even more telling is the odd, mismatched feel of the store. The aesthetic is worn and dated. Feng Shui anyone? anyone? Speaking of odd the door was locked when I pulled on the handle, in the middle of the day. Suddenly, I felt oh so safe ;-)
Again, I want to see more stores, a well curated cocktail of boutiques ranging from hip vintage boutiques brimming with treasures to high end international names, and local up and comers.