Downtown Disney shoppers are quick to embrace Tren-D

Jim Hill

16 years ago

Trendy. Cutting edge. These aren’t exactly words that
one normally associates with The Walt Disney Company. At least when it comes to
fashion.

And yet – judging by the steady stream of shoppers that
have been coming through the doors at Tren-D, Downtown Disney’s newest boutique
– there’s clearly an appetite out there for hip apparel & accessories that makes whimsical
use of the Disney characters.

According to Dara Trujillo, manager of merchandise
synergy & franchises for Disney Parks & Resorts, this recent addition
to WDW’s shopping, entertainment and dining district (which has been in soft
opening mode for two weeks now but will have its grand opening this Thursday
morning) has been in the works for quite a while.

“We’ve spent the past year working on this project,”
Dara explained. “Our goal was to add something truly unique to the Marketplace section
of Downtown Disney. An eclectic boutique where our Guests could find character
merchandise with an urban twist.”

Tren-D’s interior is certainly a departure from your usual
WDW shop. Formally the home of Summer Sands, this 2,500 square-foot retail
space now has a raw, unfinished feel. With a funky assortment of jeweled
chandeliers hanging over displays of embroidered handbags and jeweled sunglass
cases.

“What we tried to do here was create something that
went beyond our Guests’ expectations, which served up something more than the
usual assortment of souvenirs to choose from,” Trujillo continued. “We’ve
worked with some top designers in order to create Tren-D’s merchandise. People
like Kidada Jones and Tarina Tarantino, who bring their own individual style to
these Disney-inspired creations.”

Mind you, some of the stuff that’s currently up for
sale at Tren-D is pretty subtle when it comes to how it makes use of the characters.
Sure, there are items in here that are full-on Disney. But there are also other
pieces that just make use of the characters’ silhouettes. And then there’s that
25% of Tren-D merchandise which has no Disney characters on it whatsoever.

“We wanted a shopping destination with offerings unlike
anything else that you’d find on property,” Dara said. “Which would then appeal
to that WDW visitor who was looking to make a fashion statement while they
visited the Parks or once they got back home.”

And speaking of making a fashion statement … Check out
Faith Prince’s new look.

“What’s with the duds & the do?,” you ask. Starting
tomorrow night, this Tony Award winner joins the Broadway Company of Disney’s “The
Little Mermaid.” Where Faith begins playing that oh-so-stylish Sea
Witch, Ursula.

And should those elbow-length, blue-green ruffled
gloves that Prince is wearing in the above photo ever catch on with hipsters … Well,
you can bet that Tren-D will start selling them shortly to WDW visitors.

Your thoughts?