ABOUT FREE PEOPLE
OUR ROOTS
Back in the 1970’s, a young man named Dick Hayne planted a seed in the maze of streets and trees that make up West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He opened what was then called “The Free People’s Store.” Free People nurtured the young people who lived and shopped there, who looked for a little of their own freedom in the clothes they wore.
The original ‘The Free People’s Store’ 1970s storefront.
As Dick’s store grew from one to two, the name was changed from Free People to Urban Outfitters.
In time, his wife Meg came on to tend Urban’s private label division, which crafted an apparel line exclusive to Urban Outfitters. Demand was almost immediate and to meet this overwhelming need, she and Dick decided to create a wholesale line. It was very well-received, so much so that Dick separated the businesses. For a while, the wholesale line took on many personalities: Bulldog, Ecote, Cooperative, Anthropologie, and then in 1984 a new life was breathed into the name Free People. And that’s us.
OUR COMMUNITY
After many internal conversations, we agreed that our work reflected the ethos of a woman with a penchant for something unique, rich with a story to later be told through travel and unique styling moments. Someone for whom creativity, individuality, and care and community-building are paramount.
WHAT WE MAKE
At our start, Free People was known primarily for creating novelty sweaters , wovens, knits and denim . But in 2001, we realized the importance of looking at our collection as an opportunity to complement vs solely stand out. So we began designing with more intention, to satiate our community’s want of clothing that catered to their intelligence, creativity AND individuality, while maintaining our quality standards.
A sampling of our original Free People clothing tags.
Today, that looks like purposeful lifestyle outfitting by way of apparel ,accessories,activewear , and beauty + wellness.Within the apparel realm, we’ve also developed several sub-brands–which honor the Free People aesthetic but are distinct enough to stand on their own:
-We The Free: Our heritage-inspired line of denim, heirloom-worthy jackets and tops, and accessories
– Intimately FP: Made-to-be-seen bras, slips, undies, and loungewear
– free-est: Our “everyday, anywear” line of responsibly crafted, versatile and airy sets and pieces, dresses, and swimwear (formerly named FP Beach and Endless Summer)
WHAT WE MAKE
In addition to our site (US, UK, France) and app experiences, Free People operates four wholesale showrooms–in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and London–and sells in over 2000 specialty stores worldwide, including Nordstrom, Selfridges, Revolve, and Bloomingdales. Our first brick-and-mortar boutique opened in Paramus, NJ in Fall 2002, with over 180 stores now operating throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe.
A rendering of what would become Free People’s very first .com home page in 2004.
No matter where or how you find us, we are here for you, and work tirelessly to provide you the same boutique experience throughout those touchpoints. And always Crafted for the Creative Spirit.
Free People is part of URBN , a portfolio of global consumer brands. Visit the URBN Investor Relations Global Community Initiatives pages to learn more.