Anthropologie

Following an evolving segment

AGENCY
Pompei C3

CLIENT
Richard Hayne, Chairman, President & CEO of URBN Brands: Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People & Terrain

PROJECT
Original Flagship | Anthropologie, Wayne, PA
New Retail Brand Experience & Prototype Design

MY ROLE
Prototype Development Concept Designer: Retail Facility Brand Concept, Merchandising Concept, On Site Supervision of Merchandising Display Development, Materials & Furniture Selection

OVERVIEW

With the success of Urban Outfitters continuing to reach new heights in the late 80s, it became clear to Dick Hayne there was room for more iteration that would follow the Urban customer as their profile evolved through age & taste, more specifically identified as: creative, educated, affluent, aged 30-45 yrs with still the desire for an eclectic, bohemian & provocative sense of style but requiring at least one to two notches up on the sophistication scale & quality meter. The 1992 Anthropologie prototype debuted in a re-purposed, historical, art deco car repair & showroom in Wayne, PA, a charming, affluent bedroom community of Philly perfectly suited with attributes to support the brand’s launch. In 1998, a mail order catalog was developed, doubling its subscription base within a year.

As a Senior Designer, the quest to translate the desires of the target market,  creative-minded women, who want to look like themselves, not the masses, into tangible experiences was primarily an intuitive one, instinctively led by the notion of found, rustic objects, eclectic treasures, plus combining rich & diverse textural materials, along with quirky furniture, colorful accents & lighting, all to evoke the feeling of a global bizarre or unique & wondrous flea market.

STATUS

In 2015, Anthropologie annual sales were in excess of $300m.  Its continued growth is supported by partnerships with artists & designers from around the world to create limited-run collections in apparel, accessories & home –as well as through product genre diversification, the newest being Terrain, a garden center combining merchandise, an event space & café environment.

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