BUCKTOWN — A Swedish-based maker of outdoor apparel and gear like heavy parkas and tents is bringing a dedicated storefront to a shopping strip along Damen Avenue, but the news of Fjallraven's entry into the area is bittersweet for a Wicker Park shop that has long carried the popular brand.
"We knew it was happening and did not pre-order any of their heavy winter coats. We love it when brands are committed and purposeful and work well with the big picture and that includes us, the small independent shops," said Candise Cho, co-owner of MildBlend Supply Co., at 1342 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Fjallraven, a unit of Swedish firm Fenix Outdoor International AG, will be opening its store at 1708 N. Damen Ave, its first in Chicago, Crain's reported in October.
Ian Feinerman, Fjallraven's landlord, said on Tuesday that the Fjallraven store, which will be on a stretch of Damen that is in Wicker Park but many refer to as Bucktown, has a goal to open its storefront on Dec. 20, the weekend before Christmas.
A Fjallraven spokeswoman at the company's Boulder, Colorado office confirmed on Tuesday that the shop could be opening soon but declined to give a date, citing more details to be released this week through an official news release.
Fjallraven will be located inside of 2,350-square-foot space at the base of a two-story building that was built within the last year and replaced an 1870s-era greystone building that had been demolished.
Above the storefront, Feinerman is building a two-bedroom apartment with a den that will go up for rent after the new year, once Fjallraven is settled into its new storefront.
Feinerman said he cannot speak for Fjallraven's motivation to set up a shop along Damen Avenue but said, "I assume it was the right location, the right size and style and that they wanted to be in the area."
Feinerman added: "With the continued growth of high-end retail in the neighborhood, it just makes sense."
MildBlend, which carries between 60 and 80 brands in its store, including Fjallraven, has sold out of all of its Fjallraven jackets, and will no longer be selling the brand.
Currently MildBlend has just one lightweight Fjallraven coat left in stock and about a half-dozen bags that are discounted on a sales rack, Cho said.
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