Rocky Mountain Magazine & Meeting Place

By Anna Paige

Lisa Wyss, owner of the downtown clothing boutique Meridian Ltd., bustles amongst the variety of designer jeans, shimmering chic tops, bubble dresses, rolled belts, jeweled hats and handbags as she organizes stacks of clothing.
Filled with contemporary collections of clothing for men and women, Meridian has been located in downtown Billings for 10 years. Wyss said the location has been very good for her.
“It’s a destination,” Wyss said. “Customers looking for something a little more unique take the time to come downtown and shop the stores that are here.”
Meridian’s selection encompasses an urban cotemporary style and clothing is a smattering of bright colors, subtle paisleys, and cuddly t-shirts, but relies on staple pieces in black and gray, as well as denim, to round out the clothing racks.
Over the years Wyss has actively grown the denim style of her business. “Denim has really made a fashion comeback and is fitting into fashion like it hasn’t in a long time,” she said.
She carries a plethora of denim brands, but focuses on clothing lines with a history. 7 For All Mankind, True Religion, Hudson, Citizens of Humanity are some of the “tired and true” denim lines she carries.
Because each pair of jeans fits very differently, Wyss carries a large selection in hopes her customers can find a pair that’s just right for them.
Meridian customers aren’t necessarily brand loyalists, Wyss said, so she brings in new denim lines each season. “Yes, they will wear a certain brand for a while, but if I introduce something different and new, they are willing to experiment and try a different line,” she said. “The bottom line is how it fits.”
Jeremiah Young, owner of Marcasa, a men’s and women’s clothing store located a few blocks from Meridian, also sells a lot of denim.
“The thing about Montana is that you can go absolutely anywhere in jeans. You meet the governor and he’s wearing jeans,” Young said.
Young and his wife Catherine purchased Marcasa and the adjacent clothing Rocke Gear Inc. in January 2008. Since taking ownership of Marcasa, they have made subtle changes to the business. Young said they’ve been a bit more experimental, bringing in new brands and “mixing things up.”
“We want someone to come through outdoors and find interesting pieces they wouldn’t find anywhere else,” he said.
The couple is also in process of reinventing Rocke Gear. They’re not ready to unveil the business just yet, but Young hints that they’ve instituted new graphic standards and infused creative energy into some of the things Rocke Gear has been know for, such as sweatshirts. In addition, the space has been revamped architecturally and will be a complement to Marcasa.
Amongst the delicate tops, knits, graphic tees and stacks of jeans at Marcasa, punches of color shimmer throughout the store. Plum, purple, and the currently popular yellow, emerald and aqua stand out, intermingling with classic pieces of clothing in blue, gray, brown and black.
“People respond emotionally to color and when they come into our store, they are drawn to specific floors,” Young said. “But of course there’s always black.”
Wyss said that she is seeing lots of bright, punchy colors coming into spring, as well as more feminine ruffles and chiffon.
“I’ve been selling a lot of color, and I haven’t seen that in a long time,” she said.
Wyss goes to markets all over the country and sees trends from L.A. to New York. She has to ask herself, “Am I going to be able to see that in Billings Montana?”
“It’s very easy to be caught up in the trends and what girls are wearing down on the coasts. But I’m in Montana. I have to translate where I was into what I can see in Billings.”
Young said style in the Magic City varies, but is not a complicated formula: a figure-flattering pair of jeans and a delicate, becoming top with a pair of heals. “It could be a boot cut pair of jeans with a fitted top, or a straight skinny pair of jeans complimented with a looser, flowing top,” he said.
Wyss agrees it’s difficult to sum up style in the Magic City, but said that it’s characterized by sophistication and effortlessness at the same time.
“You see a lot of looks that are a little more streamlined that aren’t over the top, with subtleness and very clean lines.”

Meridian LTD is located in downtown Billings at 2818 Second Ave. N., and its parent store is located in Bozeman at 101 E Main St # 6. Each is an independently owned franchise. Marcasa is located in downtown Billings at 100 N. Broadway, and Rocke Gear is located next door, at 102 N. 28th St.

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