Savannah’s fashionistas will soon have another trendy national retailer to shop downtown.
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Free People will open a boutique on Oct. 4 in the West Broughton Street space formerly home to The Clothing Warehouse.
“The brand’s aesthetic is the perfect fit for the Savannah vibe, and after many requests, we’re coming to town,” wrote Free People spokeswoman Naomi Huober in an email.
Free People is locating next door to its sister store, Urban Outfitters. Anthropologie, another brand owned by Free People’s parent company, will open a downtown location in November at the corner of Montgomery and West Congress streets.
Free People bills itself as a “boho-chic” boutique and targets “carefree, confident and curious young women” as customers. Free People sells everything from dresses to shoes and intimates, but the “main focus will be around printed tees, thermal tops and fresh, innovative jackets,” according to a company press release.
Free People started in 1972 as the name of Urban Outfitters original store in Philadelphia. Company founder Dick Hayne later changed the name to Urban Outfitters but brought back the Free People brand in 1984 with a wholesale clothing line.
Free People clothing was sold exclusively through specialty shops and national department stores until 2002, when the company opened its first namesake boutique. The Free People online store opened two years later.
The Savannah location will be Free People’s 85th standalone store.
Free People joins the burgeoning retail corridor along West Broughton Street. Other national retailers in the area include Marc Jacobs, Gap and Banana Republic, as well as Urban Outfitters, which opened in 2008. The corridor is also home to several independent boutiques.
“Urban Outfitters has a good feel for this market, and that’s why they are so comfortable putting all three of their stores down there together,” said Judge Realty’s Lori Judge, who brokered the lease with Free People. “Free People had been looking for a while so when space came available in the same building as Urban Outfitters, it was a natural fit.”
Free People’s store measures 2,200 square feet and will feature the original brick walls and an exposed beam ceiling. The space has been vacant since The Clothing Warehouse closed late last year.
Free People’s hours will be from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. A grand opening celebration will be held Oct. 4 and include goodie bags, surprise gift cards and apple cider spritzers.
ABOUT FREE PEOPLE
Free People is a specialty clothing brand featuring the latest trends and vintage collections for women who live free through fashion art, music and travel, according to the company. Founded in 1984, the retailer has 85 stores in the United States. Free People also operates online at freepeople.com.