Anthropologie, the romantically inclined elder sister to Urban Outfitters, opened the doors of its first European store in autumn 2009, so those who stocked up during New York shopping sprees can now access the US brand’s signature classics closer to home.
The store’s signature large-scale window displays and installations, and a light-filled atrium with a jaw-dropping 1,500 square foot living wall of 11,000 plants, help to challenge London gloominess, while stock is of a feminine bent, with delicate necklaces adorned with puppies and birds, soft knit cardies, craft-edged homewares and blouses with ruffles and bows.
London designers, such as Eley Kishimoto and Beyond the Valley, have collaborated with the label to produce exclusive pieces for the store; but it’s the vintage-inspired range of homewares that has really filled a hole in the London market.