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(Updated at 2:30 a.m. on 2/22/2024) A Pakistani fashion company will soon leave its first footprint in the U.S. with the unveiling of a new Tysons store.

Khaadi is set to launch a 5,500-square-foot “Experience Store” at Tysons Corner Center this Saturday, Feb. 24, a company spokesperson confirmed to FFXnow. The retail outlet will be located on the mall’s second floor near Barnes & Noble.

This will be Khaadi’s first physical location in the U.S., but it has already expanded outside of its home in Pakistan to the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates, totaling 50 stores worldwide.

“Khaadi sees the US market as the next crucial step in its global expansion journey,” Khaadi spokesperson Tinath Saeed Fahd said. “The United States, with its vast retail landscape, presents abundant opportunities for brands offering unique and diverse products and Khaadi is prepared to embrace these opportunities.”

Tysons Corner Center was chosen as the site for Khaadi’s U.S. introduction because of its status as “Virginia’s premier shopping destination,” Saeed Fahd added.

“[It] highlights Khaadi’s ambition to expand its international presence and build connections with a wider audience that extend beyond shopping,” she said.

Here’s more from the company on its background:

Founded in 1998 by Shamoon Sultan, Khaadi is a leading retail brand which has experienced unprecedented growth from a single store selling hand-woven fabric to 50 stores spanning the globe from Pakistan to UAE, UK and now US.

Khaadi’s commitment to innovation and pushing the boundaries of fashion, means it’s always looking for ways to evolve designs. The brand’s designs are known for their vibrant colors, intricate craftsmanship and connection to Pakistani and Eastern culture and heritage. Khaadi’s aesthetic is a mix of traditional and modern elements, which help create a unique and contemporary feel, catering to a wider audience globally.

With the Muslim community as a primary audience, Khaadi sells both fabrics and ready-to-wear clothes, including kurtas, shawls, pants, shirts, skirts, jumpsuits, and other formal and casual items.

The Tysons store was “carefully” designed to celebrate “creativity, style and individuality,” according to Saeed Fahd.

“The modern, minimal space hosts a curated collection of everyday versatile ready-to-wear assortments along with accessories for an effortless style solution,” she said.

(Correction: This story previously said Khaadi will offer gift-wrapping options. A spokesperson says that won’t be available at the Tysons store.)

After making its introduction in Tysons, Khaadi plans to continue expanding in the U.S. with stores anticipated in Texas and New Jersey in the next two years.

Khaadi will continue a fashion-focused year for Tysons Corner Center, which welcomed Rothy’s last month and is set to add Primark and Mango.

The mall has also lured the restaurants Maggiano’s Little Italy and the Cheesecake Factory away from their longtime homes in Tysons Galleria. The chains are expected to move this summer and in the fourth quarter of 2024, respectively.

(Updated at 12:10 p.m. on 10/9/2023) A central piece of the Scotts Run development near the McLean Metro station is now in place.

Distinguished by a tall, glass-box front, the 28-story Heming has wrapped up construction after more than three years, bringing 410 new apartments and 38,000 square feet of retail space to 1800 Chain Bridge Road in Tysons, developer Skanska announced yesterday (Wednesday).

With site work underway since August 2020, the project required 1.1 million hours of labor, 2,700 tons of steel rebar and 37,000 cubic yards of concrete, according to the construction firm.

“We are excited to deliver this stunning project thanks to the unwavering commitment and meticulous work of our construction team,” Dale Kopnitsky, general manager and executive vice president of Skanska’s D.C. building operations, said in a press release. “As the communities of Tysons and McLean continue to grow, Skanska is honored to be part of the team transforming Scotts Run into a modern urban core.”

Resident move-ins began on Sept. 5, a Skanska public releations representative says.

The apartments that are still available range in size from a 545-square-foot, one-bedroom studio to 2,195-square-foot, three-bedroom units that cost $ 7,118 per month, according to property manager Bozzuto’s website for the building. The cheapest unit is a $1,331-per-month studio, one of 53 designated workforce dwelling units (WDUs).

(Correction: This article initially said the cheapest available unit was a $1,885-per-month one-bedroom apartment, and that there were 82 WDUs. Corrected numbers were provided by Skanska.)

The WDUs are reserved for households earning up to 60% to 80% of the area median income, or a maximum of $85,200 for one person, according to Fairfax County Housing and Community Development.

The residential tower is supplemented by underground parking and 23,000 square feet of amenities, including a penthouse dining room on the top floor, co-working spaces, club and game rooms, a pet spa, an outdoor pool with cabanas, a community garden and a fitness center.

Though Skanska didn’t provide information on how many units have been leased, the developer says Heming saw “a surge of interest” from both residents and businesses over the summer.

“The completion of Heming marks a substantial milestone for the Scotts Run Development and transitions this area of McLean and Tysons into a community that is navigable for pedestrians and cyclists,” said Mark Carroll, Skanska USA Commercial Development’s executive vice president of D.C. operations.

As part of the project, a new private street called Platform Avenue was built to connect Colshire Drive and Dartford Drive. Skanska has said the road could be blocked off for events, such as farmers markets.

Heming’s retail is centered around The Levels, a 21,000-square-foot, tiered outdoor public plaza that will host neighborhood gatherings and events.

Incoming tenants include Modan, a Japanese restaurant slated to open next spring, and Body Fit Training, which is scheduled to open in Suite 202 on Nov. 14, according to Pavan Katariya, the fitness company’s D.C. area developer.

The 3,374-square-foot studio will serve as Body Fit Training’s flagship franchise in Northern Virginia, where it plans to have about eight locations. Discounted memberships are now available for those who sign up for the founding member club.

Katariya says the company was drawn to Tysons for the area’s growing sense of community, something it tries to foster in its regular training sessions and through volunteer activities like races. Leading up to its opening, the new studio is offering free outdoor workouts at 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays.

“With the population increasing, with a lot of the pedestrian-friendly activities, with a lot of the things like The Perch at Capital One, it’s getting its own identity and its own neighborhood,” Katariya told FFXnow. “So, we felt like it would be a really good fit for Body Fit Training there.”

Scotts Run is planned for over 6.6 million square feet across 17 buildings at full build-out. Other completed portions of the mixed-use development include the Haden apartments, the Mitre4 office building, the temporary pop-up Shipgarten and Archer Hotel.

Sushi Umi was expected to open by the hotel at 7615 Colshire Road this summer, but a pop-up message on the Herndon-based restaurant’s website just says its new Tysons location is “opening soon.”

Shake Shack has staked out an opening date in Tysons.

The fast-food restaurant’s new location at Pike 7 Plaza (8350 Leesburg Pike) will welcome its first customers at 11 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday). Free merchandise, including custom mugs, phone Pop-sockets and stickers, will be available for roughly 100 patrons.

In addition, Shake Shack says it will donate $1 for every sandwich sold on its opening day to Northern Virginia Family Service, a nonprofit that provides financial and housing assistance, physical and mental health services, early childhood education programs and other community resources for those in need.

This is Shake Shack’s fifth location in Northern Virginia and its second in Tysons, where it can be found just east on Leesburg Pike (Route 7) inside Tysons Corner Center. The company also has restaurants at the Mosaic District in Merrifield, inside the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly and in Arlington.

The Pike 7 Plaza location, however, utilizes a relatively unique concept.

Newly constructed in the shopping center’s parking lot, the 3,200-square-foot building features outdoor patio seating and a “drive-up” window exclusively for drivers picking up online orders. The drive aisle for the window can fit 11 to 12 vehicles, according to the plan that Fairfax County’s board approved in 2022.

A Shake Shack representative says the company has “a few” other drive-up locations, but this is the first one in Northern Virginia.

“We’re delighted to bring a new Shake Shack location to our loyal fans in Northern Virginia at Pike 7 Plaza,” a Shake Shack spokesperson said. “This easily accessible spot, complete with a drive-up window for added convenience, allows us to connect with our guests more effectively and meet them where they’re at. Our team is excited to become part of the community, offering our signature warm hospitality, top-quality ingredients, and a menu filled with exciting options.”

Started in 2001 as a hot dog cart in New York City, Shake Shack opened its first restaurant in 2004 and now has over 500 of them around the world. Recently, it has focused on expanding digital sales and adding drive-thru locations, which were introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to the milkshakes suggested by its name, the business sells burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, crinkle-cut fries and frozen custard. It’s also currently serving a limited-time “Korean style” menu featuring a fried chicken sandwich, barbecue burger and spicy Korean barbecue fries.

The Pike 7 Plaza restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday, and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Online orders can be placed through Shake Shack’s website and mobile app.

Tysons has been working to transform itself from a suburban retail center to a mixed-use, urban oasis for over a decade — but it still has a ways to go.

Why it matters: Creating a walkable, transit-friendly, and mixed-use urban downtown isn't easy, especially in a place like Tysons, which sprung up around highways and despite improvements still lacks much of the draw of communities closer to D.C., like walkability, charm, arts and culture, and nightlife.

The big picture: Tysons is already a large economic bolster for Fairfax County. It sees over $2.4 billion in annual spending, accounting for 8% of the county's tax revenues despite comprising only 1% of its land, according to a recent Tysons Community Alliance (TCA) report.

Under its Comprehensive Plan, Tysons aims to transform the census-designated area into the kind of live-work-play environment seen at The Wharf, with the goal of housing 100,000 residents and 200,000 jobs by 2050.

What they're saying: Tysons is leading the example countrywide in suburbs-to-urban retrofitting, says Alex Iams, FCEDA's executive vice president.

Catch up fast: Tysons was largely farmland until the 1960s, when Dulles, Tysons Corner Center, and the Capital Beltway opened, corresponding with a period when much retail and residents (many of them white) left cities for the suburbs.

State of play: In the decade-plus since then, Tysons has seen a swath of development — today it's home to Fortune 500 companies like Booz Allen, Hilton, and Capital One, the latter of which recently built a sprawling campus complete with a performance hall, a Skypark, hotel, and baseball stadium.

By the numbers: According to TCA's recent survey, Tysons is making strides in some of its 2050 goals.

Meanwhile, residential development is racing to keep up.

Tysons also continues to bet big on the "work" part of the equation, even amid post-Covid office uncertainty:

Reality check: TCA's study also found Tysons has much to accomplish concerning transit, biking, and walking — likely not shocking to anyone who's recently tried to go carless there.

Zoom in: When it comes to walkability, Tysons ranks "somewhat walkable" — better than nearby Reston and Bethesda, but lower than Crystal City.

Yes, but: Its bike score is lacking, worse than Reston, Bethesda, and Crystal City. This is partly thanks to busy roads like routes 123 and 7 and a lack of safe ways to cross them.

The bottom line: Tysons' residential addresses are still more likely to be located in less walkable and bikeable areas farther away from transit options, the study found.

What we're watching: Fairfax has allocated $25 million toward biker and pedestrian updates, part of its $100 million commitment to improving pedestrian safety over the next six years. A new pedestrian/bike bridge was recently built over the Beltway.

The region’s first CAMP storefront brings to world of “Encanto” to life with a speakeasy-style play area hidden behind its toy store.

Get ready to have the lyrics of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” stuck in your head … again. On Friday, CAMP at Tysons Corner Center opens its Encanto-themed experience, its first interactive show at this location.

This Encanto-loving writer got a sneak preview of the new family-friendly experience and let’s just say your kids are going to love it.

Getting into the world of Encanto is an experience within itself. Patrons are gathered near the Magic Door, which acts as the speakeasy-style entrance to the 5,000-square-foot play and performance area. Once you sneak behind the bookcase lined with toys, you’ll find yourself in front of the Madrigal’s Casita with the characters from the movie.

Mirabel welcomes guests outside the door of Casita, introducing her family, as they sing “The Family Madrigal” with everyone. Then the magical door to Castita glows and opens for everyone to come in and explore.

Once inside, the cast escorts the group from room to room, singing songs, playing games, and interacting with the kids at every stop. There are a total of six rooms in the play area, including one for Mirabel, Isabela, Antonio, Luisa, Pepa, and Bruno.

Behind Isabela’s glowing door are more flowers than you can ever dream of. Take a ride on the spinning flower ride, pose on her hanging flower bed, make music on the interactive flower instruments while singing her duet “What Else Can I Do?” with the cast. A flower fight is also in the cards as the entire floor is covered in pink roses.

In Luisa’s room, which is not depicted in the movie, you can ride the donkey seesaws, lift “1,000-pound weights,” and play an endless game of skeeball.

While you’re not supposed to talk about Bruno, you are allowed to visit his makeshift room. Head through his mysterious door and down the glowing hallway to watch a live telenova with Bruno and his rats from behind the walls of the Casita.

Antonio’s magic room resembles the rainforest shown in the movie. Search his ivy-covered room to find familiar faces, like the jaguar and toucan, and climb the playset with forts that sits in the center. An obstacle course challenge through the hidden passageway and Antonio’s room awaits for guests who still have extra energy.

Once the hour-long session is over, guests end their experience through Tia Pepa’s door. Here, the weather-themed room — equipped with a ceiling of umbrellas and larger-than-life rain drops — changes from sunshine to rain as guests exit the experience. Finish the day with a family picture.

The interactive experience isn’t the only thing to do at Tysons Corner Center’s only toy store. In the toy store part of CAMP, families can find plenty of other activities that won’t break the bank. This includes a slime station called The Schmutz Bar, a CAMPiteather for live events, and rotating craft classes. The store will be able to host parties in the coming months.

The CAMP store is open 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.–9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, while hours for the Encanto experience vary by day. Tickets range from $30–$44 depending on the day. Children 2 and older and adults will need a ticket to enter the attraction. The experience is currently open through the end of April, though it is likely to be extended.

Feature image by Michele Kettner

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