WhoWhatWHEREWhy: Free People store new at Bakery Square
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The rustic/modern look of Free People.
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When Beth Wehagen was scouting locations for the first Free People store in Pittsburgh, she chose Bakery Square for several reasons. Free People's sister store, Anthropologie, opened there last June and has done well. Ms. Wehagen also loved the cool, urban look of the development, especially the former Nabisco building that now houses Google. But the kicker came when several people, hearing she was Free People's director of stores, approached as she toured.
"They said they loved Free People and begged me to come. They were really excited by the possibility."
Free People will open at Bakery Square on Friday, featuring an assortment of fashions and accessories for young women. Many wintry items that have sold out in other locations were reserved for the Pittsburgh store, and they will join trendier spring fashions, such as the maxi dress, cropped shirts, bright bralettes, special knits and a range of slips.
Ms. Wehagen describes the Free People customer as "free-spirited, soulful, curious, passionate, creative and a younger demographic, age 26 through mid-30s." Both Free People and Anthropologie are owned by Urban Outfitters, a company started by Pittsburgh native Dick Hayne. His first store, opened in Philadelphia in the 1970s, was called Free People, but the name was later changed to Urban Outfitters. Free People became the wholesale supplier to Urban, Anthropologie and more than 1,000 specialty stores worldwide including Nordstrom. The Pittsburgh store is the 42nd in the chain and, like the others, will offer the complete line.
The design of the 1,330-square-foot Bakery Square store is infused with natural materials and playful accents. Beneath a decorative stencil overlay on the brick facade, the storefront is framed with reclaimed timbers painted white. The same white timbers are used as columns and beams throughout the interior, with recycled thrashing-floor planks on the floor, reflecting the combination of modern and rustic.
"If we have a mantra, it's Free People, free to be," says Ms. Wehagen. "We want people to feel good about who they are. We have things that are more Bohemian, slightly sexier, more tomboyish or just very feminine and very pretty. There's something for everybody."
Free People is at 6425 Penn Ave., Larimer, near East Liberty. Hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Information: 412-665-4680 or www.freepeople.com.
First Published January 25, 2011 12:00 am
