CHARLESTON’S M. DUMAS & SONS CELEBRATES $2 MILLION MAKEOVER
Charleston, South Carolina menswear retailer M. Dumas & Sons celebrated the completion of its renovation on Friday, September 25, with long-time Charleston Mayor Joe Riley and Senator Lindsey Graham cutting the ceremonial ribbon. Over the past few months, the 98-year-old retailer has invested approximately $2 million into the renovation of its King Street retail store, which has been open since 1973. Among the brands carried by the shop are Hiltl, Hickey, Samuelsohn, Barbour, Vince, Faherty, Citizens, Southern Tide, Bonobos, Hugo Boss and Sand.
The renovation, which focused on the 9,000-square-feet of retail space on the building’s first floor, is the result of CEO David Dumas’ desire to provide a fresh, updated look for customers, while preserving much of the building’s historic elements and the specialty store’s comfortable atmosphere. “We realize how much the store is synonymous with King Street and believed that it was important to focus on restoring our beautiful, historic building rather than looking for a new home outside of the Peninsula,” Dumas says. “Just as previous generations have found our doors open and welcoming, we wanted to make sure that today’s generation of customers also find that to be true.”
Customers can now experience include updated walls and apparel space, including sections where the building’s original interior brick walls are now visible, revealing 200-year-old bricks. The entire showroom floor has been replaced with reclaimed pinewood harvested from old barns in the Carolinas.
The architectural team, Reggie Gibson Architects, worked closely with the Preservation Society of Charleston to ensure the building was restored accurately and true to the period. “The architects did a great job of preserving the authenticity and history associated with the store, while completely updating the space,” says Jim Twining, interim president of M. Dumas and Sons.
