Free People
 | |
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founder | Dick Hayne |
| Products | Apparel, Accessories, Shoes, Intimates, Swimwear |
| Services | Apparel & Fashion |
| Parent | Urban Outfitters |
| Website |
www |
Free People is an American bohemian apparel and lifestyle retail company that sells women’s clothing, accessories, shoes, intimates, and swimwear. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Free People is a part of Urban Outfitters, Inc.. Today Free People sells their line in 1,400 specialty stores worldwide. The brand is distributed globally via direct channels, including the Free People Global site and Free People UK site, as well as specialty clothing boutiques, top department stores, and the brand’s free standing retail locations in the U.S. and Canada.[1]
History
In the early 1970s, Dick Hayne opened a store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with his first wife, Judy Wicks, and named it Free People. His store attracted the young people who lived and shopped in the area. When his store’s popularity grew, he opened a second store and he changed its name from Free People to Urban Outfitters.
Urban Outfitters’ business began to grow rapidly. Dick’s wife, Meg, oversaw the development of Urban Outfitters’ private label division, which supported product exclusive to Urban Outfitters. This proved to be quite successful, so in 1984 they decided to create a wholesale line, which they ultimately named “Free People".
In the fall of 2002, the first Free People Boutique opened in Paramus, New Jersey. Since its founding the company has opened over 81 boutiques in the US and 2 in Canada.
Free People developed an app which allows users to shop and to upload their own looks and pictures wearing Free People clothing and products.
Along with serving as URBN’s chief creative officer, Margaret Hayne is also currently chief executive of Free People.[2]
Criticisms
In April 2016, the company was criticized for the advertisements of their new clothing line directed towards music festival attendees. The advertisements promoted Native American styled clothing on a Caucasian model, which gardened much negative attention on social media websites.[3][4][5][6]
References
- ↑ Official site
- ↑ LAUREN SHERMAN, Will Anthropologie Win Where Traditional Department Stores Have Failed? OCTOBER 11, 2016
- ↑ "Free People festival line slammed for cultural appropriation". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
- ↑ Rheana Murray, Free People accused of appropriating Native American culture with festival line TODAY April 11, 2016
- ↑ Refinery29 Free People’s Festival Shop Gets Called Out For Cultural Appropriation ALEXANDRA ILYASHOV, APRIL 8, 2016
- ↑ CARLY STERN, Free People accused of 'disgusting cultural appropriation' over its new Native American-inspired 'festival' collection, which is almost all modeled by a blonde, white woman dailymail.co.uk 8 April 2016