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October 13, 2005
Now Open: Forth & Towne
We explored the new Forth & Towne store at Old Orchard last night. This is one of five prototypes across the U.S. (4 of which are in Chicago). The store opened on August 31. As speculated, the store is two floors.
It's definitely a different feeling when compared to Gap's other stores. This one feels more like a department store. Very lush decor, almost retro in nature... harkens back to the comfy shopping experiences of old. A large staircase welcomes you to the second floor. Vast changing rooms take up a large circular space on both the first and second floors.
This store is obviously marketed at the same demographic as Talbots... older or professional women. Paul Pressler and friends have launched a couple of brands to support this approach.
Those include:
Allegory
Features suiting with a distinctly feminine touch and classic pieces with modern elegance.
Gap Edition
Inspired by the nostalgia of Gap - fresh, casual, American style with a more mature fit.
Prize
Celebrates fun, wearable trends with flattering silhouettes, flirty fabrics, and stylish cuts.
Vocabulary
Offers comfort and graceful femininity with rich knits and pants accentuated with prints and jewelry.
Overall, nifty looking place. Clothes were rather pricey, but that was to be expected. Impressive store design. I liked the approach they tried to take there. That said, it seemed like there really wasn't a whole lot of stuff "in" the square footage they had. Probably an intentional move, but felt more empty in the end. Then again, it's just not my demographic, I guess.
Posted by Tannerman at October 13, 2005 10:53 AM | Categories: Now Open | Old Orchard | Other Malls | The Promenade