Carolyn Fath
Walking through the hand-carved teak entry doors into Free People, the latest lifestyle brand to launch in Hilldale’s new open-air pedestrian mall, is kind of like walking into Coachella. But without the live music. And instead of hanging on lithe, supermodel bodies, all the fringed, flowing, flowered frocks are artfully displayed on hangers.
Not just any old hangers, though, but charming, floral fabric-covered versions. Shimmery sequined curtains provide dressing room privacy, while the store’s warm, white texturized walls are carefully adorned with twinkly lights, mirrored mosaics and decorative macramé wall hangings. Free People occupies an impressive 4,505-square-foot space. Its decor doesn’t miss a beat in creating a laid-back bohemian vibe.
If sister stores Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie have mastered the kitsch and French flea market aesthetics, respectively, Free People has cornered the market on music festival chic (all three are owned by Philadelphia-based Urban Outfitters Inc.).
According to the store’s assistant manager, Macy Milanowski, this corporate relationship is one of the main reasons the parent company chose a revitalized Hilldale for North American boutique number 121. “The success of Anthropologie in Madison really contributed to the decision to open the first Free People in Wisconsin,” says Milanowski. Traffic has been strong since the store opened June 24. Milanowski feels it’s a destination for shoppers from all over the state: “We are regularly seeing customers who are driving in from Milwaukee and the Fox Valley, too.”
Milanowski says mother/daughter shopping dates are a store mainstay, and I can understand why. Despite being approximately half and twice the age of Free People’s self-proclaimed 26-year-old target demographic, my daughter and I both fell in love with the same breezy, crocheted off-the-shoulder peasant dress ($168), vegan-leather moto jacket featuring funky metal hardware ($168) and frayed-at-the cuff high-rise ankle jeans ($88) from Levi’s — one of the few non-eponymous brands the store carries).
The folks at Free People understand that there’s genuine intergenerational appeal in the creative, carefree spirit that hippie-esque apparel evokes. It’s not too often that a mother born before Woodstock and a daughter too young to drive herself to Lollapalooza can agree on sartorial choices.
The store also boasts an impressive intimates collection, a well-curated jewelry selection that leans heavily on chokers, and, in keeping with the music fest zeitgeist, a line of faux-vintage concert T-shirts sporting artists’ logos ranging from the Steve Miller Band to Van Halen to the Clash ($68).
The “Free” part of the brand’s name might be a little misleading; much of the store’s full-priced clothing collection starts at well above $100. Not quite designer prices, but still quite a bit more than one would pay for similar products from Art Gecko or the SERRV stores.
Fortunately for the price-conscious, the store has dedicated an entire room to displaying heavily marked down end-of-season merchandise. Because Free People knows it’s never too early to start shopping for next year’s festival season — Bonaroo, Burning Man and Summerfest, after all, are less than a calendar year away.
Free People
709 Hilldale Way, Madison; 608-238-3044; freepeople.com
