PORTLAND, Maine — It might be gray outside, but at the corner of Middle and Pearl streets, bright yellows shot through with hot orange hues, royal blue and metal sheen flash behind the glass.
Hello, Anthropologie. The Philadelphia-based retailer, known for its colorful trending fashions, opens its first Maine store Friday in Portland.
The more than 8,000-square-foot space is laid out in vignettes, from a garden patio to an arty kitchen to a plush Euro bedroom. It brings a big city shot of energy and flair to the Old Port.
“We are always looking at new markets and where we think would be a good fit,” Abby Powell, public relations representative for Anthropologie, said. “The Portland community has such great historic value and a strong arts scene and community.”
A few blocks from its sister store and parent company, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie is an anchor in an awakening pocket of the city. Located in a 19th century building that had been vacant for two years — the last tenant was Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce — the new merchant signals that the economy is back and the malls have not won.
In November, work crews began knocking down walls and framing the large first-floor space that encompasses two buildings.
“In the last 25 years, we’ve seen Portland change from a town to a small city,” Tim Soley, who owns the building, told the Bangor Daily News in November.
Well-established companies such as Anthropologie want a piece of the action.
“Maine is on the map for New England style,” Powell said. “We have a sense that what customers are interested in is quality and durability. A lot of our clothes can be mixed and matched and layered.”
Catering to 28- to 40-year-old professional females, Anthropologie should do well with the influx of newcomers trading cities such as Brooklyn for Portland. This marks their 205th store in the United States and Canada Powell said.
Beyond clothes, Anthropologie’s interior invites discovery. Each store has an art department and an employee in charge of displays. Themes change twice a year.
For the Portland store “we studied the coast,” said Patrick Minkley, store opening visual manager, who travels from store to store to create a sense of place. “We explored the area because we’d like to be a part of the community.”
Shells and driftwood in the front window embody this notion.
Two days before opening, employees were putting on the finishing touches. Candles and cookbooks were artfully stacked, hats and clutches at the ready. Hanging ferns spill out from paper mache planters overhead. Terracotta pots and watering cans give the store a lived-in feel. “Maine is an untapped retail market,” said Heidi Lachapelle, the store’s visual manager, who grew up in Maine and is happy to return. “No two stores are the same.”
Because this is Maine, the apparel will reflect the location. “We wanted to bring a lot of home products. We want to give a lot of layers,” Powell said. “People will be really be taken with the way the space is laid out, the special touches. We strive to bring customers and clients things they can’t find. The texture and color of our apparel is something to get excited about,” Powell said. “We are coming to Maine. We are coming to Portland.”
Located at 60 Pearl St., Anthropologie opens 10 a.m. Friday.
