Gorgeous Little Things

Submitted by Kristin on Wed, 05/27/2009 - 2:08pm.

Whenever my family heads out to eat at our favorite restaurant, my daughter makes a point of drawing my attention to a nearby landmark. "Look, Mom...Anthropologie!" she sing-songs, with a good-natured tease. She knows I'm a sucker for that place, for the clothes, the jewelry, the fun stuff for the home.

And for the creativity in merchandising and design -- which, you already know, is amazing. The fact that Anthropologie's parent company, Urban Outfitters Inc., is this year's Peter Glen Retailer of the Year (which will be presented at IRDC on Friday) has nothing to do with my lust for sweaters. It has everything to do with this creativity, because UO is in a class by itself when it comes to successful mainstream retailing without sacrificing personal artistic expression.

In 2009, "retail success" is practically an oxymoron. It's grim out there; we all know that. But UO is holding its own, and because its attention to design detail and passion for beauty have always infused its stores, this year is the perfect time to honor those efforts. And I can't wait to meet James Smith, Anthropologie's store design director, in person when he accepts it on UO's behalf. I wonder if he'll bring any coupons ...