WICKER PARK — Oak + Fort, a Canadian apparel shop that sells men and women's clothing along with jewelry and accessories, will be opening its third U.S. store this summer in the soon to be vacated Joe's Jeans storefront on Damen Avenue.
"We are excited to join the neighborhood as we know this is a burgeoning area, and as we are also a young company, we want to be a part of this growth and contribute to its culturally rich diversity," said Christine Nguyen, a spokeswoman for the Vancouver, British Columbia-based Oak + Fort, on Thursday.
Nguyen said that the shop's goal is to open in late spring or early summer. Once open, it will add about 15-20 new jobs to the shop at 1715 N. Damen Ave., which sits a few blocks north of the Milwaukee, Damen and North avenues intersection.
"From our research of the Damen Ave. and Bucktown/Wicker Park area, we were looking for a location that our brand can identify easily with and this area fit that mould. We want to be in line with this high-quality fashion district but still have the Midwestern culture at heart," Nguyen said in an email.
The tony shopping section of Damen Avenue — in an area that is technically Wicker Park but many refer to as Bucktown — has attracted many internationally-owned shops in recent months.
Earlier this month, Aesop, an Aussie skincare brand, announced plans to open at 1653 N. Damen Ave. Over the summer, YellowKorner, a French chain of photo galleries, moved into the former caffe DeLuca at 1721 N. Damen Ave., across the street from Swedish-based bag and parka maker Fjallraven.
Currently Joe's Jeans is having an "everything must go" sale, with many items marked up to 75-percent off. John Krenger, the building's owner, said Joe's Jeans will be closing by the end of the month.
Oak + Fort's entry into the area was first reported by Crain's.
Janika Brenner, a Baum Realty principal, told Crain's that Oak + Fort was attracted to the 1,890-square-foot spot because of the other new tenants on the block.
“They have a similar price point to other brands on the street — a higher-end, contemporary price point,” Brenner said.
Oak + Fort has other two other United States shops, in New York and San Francisco, which opened over the summer, along with eight stores in Canada. The brand was founded in 2010.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
