Woolrich, Inc., the Pennsylvania-based outwear and lifestyle brand, opened its first standalone retail space in North America at 125 Wooster Street in New Yorks SoHo neighborhood. The two-level flagship will carry mens and womens clothing and accessories from the brands contemporary collection, Woolrich John Rich & Bros.
It will also feature men wear from the designer label Woolrich Woolen Mills. The move marks a significant step for the companys international retail expansion, which follows the recent opening of three European stores in Hamburg, Sylt and Prague.
The SoHo flagship is designed as a contemporary retrospective of the companys 184-year history. Vintage items from the original Pennsylvania mill, including wool-production tools, swatch cards, catalogues and various garments from the historical Woolrich archive, decorate the space. The 1,400-square foot ground floor features antique windows and furniture, recovered from an old hardware store, while the 500-square-foot basement level is designed as a contemporary Woolrich Mens Club which will double as an event space. The ground floor will highlight the Woolrich John Rich & Bros. collection―notably, the full range of iconic Arctic Parkas which is finally available in the U.S. for both men and women. The basement level will house the brands made-in-America product, including blankets and bags and the Mark McNairy-designed Woolrich Woolen Mills collection.
Weve been talking about bringing our retail concept back home to the U.S. for a long time, said Josh Rich, Woolrich, Inc. executive vice president. The brand has performed very successfully in Europe and Asia over the past few decades thanks to our partnership with WP Lavori in Corso, but weve never had a strong retail presence in the U.S. Were moving into to SoHo just as the temperature is dropping, so the timing couldnt be better. Woolrich has been outfitting Americans for more than 180 years and with our ongoing expansion plan, were poised to be Americas favorite outerwear brand for 180 more.
Woolrich, Inc. and WP Lavori in Corso, the Italian company that holds the license to design, produce and distribute Woolrich John Rich & Bros. in Europe and Asia, have signed a long-term, international distribution agreement which will see WP Lavori in Corso managing the European, Japanese and Korean markets, while Woolrich, Inc. will manage activities in the U.S. and Northern America―both companies will be involved in coordinating activities in China. WP has a long-standing relationship with the Woolrich family, so this a natural next step for us, said Cristina Calori, founder and president of WP Lavori in Corso. Were excited to enter in to this partnership and open the doors to the first North American Woolrich store in New York.
Expansion into Asia and North America mark the first steps in the development of the Woolrich John Rich & Bros. brand outside of Europe. By 2020, the Woolrich global store network will reach 50 units, all in major capitals and ski resorts in Asia, Europe and North America and will see new retail locations opening in Aspen, Boston, Chicago, Hamburg and Tokyo beginning in October 2014.
