Sliver Buckle opens in Edwards

When Gary and Tracy Pesso opened the Silver Buckle in Beaver Creek eight years ago, they missed a part of the Vail Valley they regained earlier this month: Locals.The Pessos have opened a second “unique boutique” in Edwards they say has a little bit of something for everyone. It has house and personal accessories, women’s and children’s clothes, shoes and even jewelry, belts and handbags.”We love being down here.” said Tracy Pesso. “We get to see all the locals who wanted to shop our store but hated to come to Beaver Creek. We try to have a little bit of something for everyone.”They plan on closing their Beaver Creek store in October, when their lease expires, but it will remain open through the summer.

They opened the tastefully decorated 1,100-square-foot store in Riverwalk in Edwards in May and completely redecorated and remodeled the space, doing much of the work themselves.Paying attention to the look and feel of the store and its merchandise is something Tracy Pesso works on. “You have to have a presentable space,” she said. “Presentation of merchandise has a lot to do with successful retailing.”She learned that while working at Pepi’s in Vail Village and when she helped open Neiman Marcus in Denver’s Cherry Creek Mall in 1990. When she and Gary got married – nine years ago – they decided they wanted to embark on an entrepreneurial venture. He’s a former manager of the Bristol at Arrowhead. They have a son, Oliver, and daughter, Chloe.

The move to Edwards was a logical one, Tracy Pesso said. “This area has turned into a shopping mecca,” she said. They started looking for a space in Edwards and in a whirlwind of activity, within a month, found, purchased and opened it.One of the things the Pessos have learned during eight years in retailing is to make sure to carry orderable lines of merchandise so special customer requests can quickly be accommodated.

“I like to make sure I can get them from somewhere,” Tracy says. “Eighty to 90 percent of our merchandise can be special ordered.”Among the merchandise at the Silver Buckle: Isabella Fiore and Mary Frances handbags; Bernardo shoes and Minnetonka moccasins; Double D clothing, Chaudry T-shirts and David Kahn jeans; assorted leather products; and housewares by Palacek.Moving to a new location has brought a slightly different mix of customers to their store, necessitating new products. “We’re going to be listening to our customers this summer to be sure they get what they want,” Tracy Pesso said. Cliff Thompson can be reached via e-mail at: cthompson@vaildaily.com or by calling 949-0555 ext. 450.