NEW YORK — When it comes to upscale designers, Topp’s is about the only game in Omaha, Neb. But women with a taste for Oscar de la Renta, Akris, Escada and St. John will have to look elsewhere starting in late spring, when Topp’s plans to close.
Tony Siena, who bought the business in 1978 with his wife, Mary, the granddaughter of founder Mattie Nelson Topp, said the decision was precipitated by his battle with cancer.
“Life’s too short,” said Siena, who runs the company’s daily operations. “We want to spend time with our children and grandchildren and play golf. We also have a home in California we enjoy visiting.”
Siena said he discussed selling the business to another retailer, “but the name Topp’s is a family name. We decided we want to keep the name. We’re fortunate enough to be in the position to do that.”
Mimi Siena Gleason, Tony and Mary’s daughter, is a buyer for Topp’s. Her father said she didn’t want to take over the 10,000-square-foot store because it would leave her little time for her family. Their son, who works in commercial real estate, wasn’t interested in running a specialty retailer.
Mattie Nelson Topp opened a fabric and clothing store at 17th and Vinton Streets in Omaha in 1918. At Nelsie’s, as she called it, she sold everything from bib overalls to garden equipment. In 1943, her daughter, Nelsie Topp, moved the store and changed its name to Topp’s. She also shifted the focus to women’s apparel. The store, which moved three more times before settling in its current location at the Regency Court in 1993, also carries fine jewelry and accessories and has a leased shoe department.
Tony Siena declined to discuss Topp’s annual sales volume, but said: “We do a tremendous business. We do trunk shows with Oscar de la Renta, Akris, St. John and Escada. We can do around $500,000 per trunk show.”
Topp’s has virtually no competition in Omaha, Siena said. “We have very loyal clients,” he added. “We have a lady who flies in twice a year from St. Louis. We even ship clothes to customers in California.” The customers are sophisticated travelers who will buy their designer garments in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago or Europe once the store closes, he said.
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Mary Siena recalled visiting the New York showroom of Anne Klein — Topp’s was one of the first stores to buy the line — and being told there was a $5,000 minimum order. “We were very nervous, but we did well with it,” she said. “Her pant body is still one of the best that ever was. They became very good friends of ours.”
Mary Siena has been a fixture on Seventh Avenue. “I’ve been in this business since I was a child,” she said. “I would go for two weeks in the summer with my mother when she did the fall buy. I sat in those showrooms when I was eight years old….I have some regrets about closing the store. There are some lines I just love to see. I have elevator operators I look forward to seeing in New York. I will miss the people in those buildings I’ve been going in and out of all those years.”