Sustainable apparel company Nau announced the grand opening of a flagship store in its hometown of Portland, Ore. Marking the brand’s return into brick-and-mortar retail, the new store represents a physical expression of the Nau brand resulting “in a sustainable, modern space that complements the high-design aesthetic of Nau product,” said the company. The Nau flagship is located in Portland’s Pearl District at 304 NW 11th Ave.
Nau teamed up with Portland-based design agency ENGIN Creative to create a retail concept that matched the brand’s aesthetic and passion for sustainability. With a vision to connect to the natural world, the team utilized FSC certified white oak as its lead build material. To offset the natural wood elements with an industrial touch, surrounding fixtures were designed with 100% recyclable hot rolled steel. Additional sustainable design details include use of FSC certified white laminate, low VOC paints and water based finishes, and programmable LED lighting for reduced energy consumption. Materials recovered from the original space were donated for reuse or recycled as much as possible, said the company. GBD and Colas served as architects and contractors, respectively, and all build partners were chosen based on their locality and resourcing capabilities.
Along with Nau’s style-driven performance wear for men and women, the store also carries a mix of products from complementary third party brands, including Nudie Jeans, Snow Peak, Shwood, The James Brand and Juniper Ridge, among others.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer our consumers a physical brand experience to engage with our products,” said Mark Galbraith, general manager at Nau. “The new store is the right complement to our online business and our location among design companies and wonderful restaurants in the cultural hub of the Pearl District is a natural fit for our brand and our fans.”
Nau will officially mark its grand opening with a celebration hosted in partnership with Portland Monthly on Thursday, December 3, 2015 from 5:00 – 8:00 PM. To RSVP for the private reception, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/portland-monthly-and-naus-first-thursday-opening-reception-tickets-19502051160.
