Aritzia
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Products | Clothing |
| Website | aritzia.com |
Aritzia is a Canadian clothing retailer for women that started in Vancouver, British Columbia in the Hill's department store in Kerrisdale in 1984 and has 12 of its stores in Vancouver. Aritzia operates a total of 50 stores, with locations in Toronto (14), Vancouver (8), Victoria (1), Calgary (4), Edmonton (3), Ottawa (2), Kitchener (1), London (1), Winnipeg (1), Seattle (1), San Jose (1) San Francisco (1), Portland (1), Short Hills, NJ (1), Dallas (1), Chicago, IL (2), New York City (1). Of the 50 Aritzia locations, 6 of them are TNA boutiques located in Toronto (1), Calgary (1), Vancouver (3) Whistler (2), and 1 of them is a Wilfred boutique located in Toronto. At the start of February 2011, a showroom called Shop Before the Shop was opened in the upper floor of their new flagship location on Broadway, until its doors officially opened on June 15, 2011, in SoHo, New York City. It is expected that online shopping will be offered on aritzia.com within the year.
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[edit] Brands
Aritzia has eight exclusive house brands. They are: A Moveable Feast (a minimalistic line that could easily be classified as the darkest, edgiest, and newest of their lines), Community (the ethical line featuring organic and sustainable materials), Talula (for the outgoing and fashion conscious), T.Babaton (catered towards young professionals), TNA (for the outgoing, active Vancouverite at heart), Wilfred (their more feminine, fashion forward line with attention to detail and quality), Wilfred Free (a more casual, comfortable version of the Wilfred line), and Le Fou by Wilfred (vintage inspired and made with luxe fabrics). A ninth exclusive brand, Park Life for Aritzia, was an officially licensed line of apparel for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Aritzia also designed the costumes worn by medal bearers and athlete escorts at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Other labels carried include Acne Jeans, BCBGirls, Athe by Vanessa Bruno, MM6 by Maison Martin Margiela, Rachel Comey, J Brand, Marc by Marc Jacobs, See by Chloe, Citizens of Humanity, Current/Elliott, Mackage, 7 for all Mankind, Nudie Jeans, TOMS Shoes and more.
[edit] Culture
Aritzia tries to maintain a strong cultural link through its featured artist of the month (artwork as seen on their shopping bags). They were sponsor to FUSE at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and play indie and electronica tracks[citation needed]. Their playlists consist of artists like Patti Smith, Stars[disambiguation needed 
], Bat For Lashes, Simian Mobile Disco, Peter, Bjorn and John, Lily Allen, Justice, Daft Punk, MGMT, Bloc Party, Vampire Weekend, Santigold, Crystal Castles, and M.I.A.. Location designs are also unique, with an artistic and modern flair. The store claims its designs are reflective of the city and its residents and that no two boutiques are alike. Occasionally, local DJ's will play in the store.[1]
[edit] Popularity
Clothing from Aritzia has been spotted on Jessica Alba, Victoria Beckham, David Beckham, Alexa Chung, Rachel Bilson, Paris Hilton, Emma Watson, Scarlett Johansson, Amanda Bynes, Ashley Greene, Vanessa Hudgens, Megan Fox, Victoria Justice, Shenae Grimes, Kristen Stewart, Elizabeth Reaser, Nikki Reed, Shay Mitchell, Selena Gomez, Hilary Duff and model Amanda Schmidt.[1] Stores are often busy, and they have been known to experience long lineups on Boxing Day. Since 2005, the company has had explosive growth, doubling their locations. Stores are often the number one or number two retailers in their respective malls, with sales usually exceeding $1000 per square foot.[2]
[edit] Sustainability
Aritzia claims it has a commitment to sustainability. Their stores use low energy lighting, earth-friendly paint and wood-free shopping bags.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official Homepage of Aritzia
- Official Twitter of Aritzia
- Official Facebook Page of Aritzia
- Official Homepage of TNA
- Official Homepage of Wilfred
- Official Homepage of T.Babaton
- Official Homepage of Talula
- Official Homepage of Community
