Leifsdottir Opens in New York While Urban Hears Wedding Bells

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Urban Outfitters Inc., the parent company of Urban Outfitters, Free People and Anthropologie, yesterday announced plans to open its first free-standing store for Leifsdottir this year in Manhattan. The location has not yet been announced, but the line's managing director Clare Schultheis says, "it won’t be the white box in the mall."

In fact, it sounds more like she dreams of turning New York into a big tea party. "We can imagine taking an old patisserie and pairing it with Leifsdottir and serving cupcakes," she said. "We like the authenticity of that. We imagine a whole unique Leifsdottir lifestyle concept with jewelry and fragrance."

In odder news, Urban also says it is planning on getting into the wedding business. They figure that if the average wedding costs $45,000 and the average bride spends $4,500 on her clothes, they can grab a piece of that with pie cake with their own gowns, which will be priced from $1,000 to $5,000 and designed by the team from Anthropologie and other guest designers.

Urban's new wedding business will start out online, WWD reports, but brides ordering gowns will be able to schedule local fittings. In addition to the gowns, there will be bridesmaids' dresses, jewelry, accessories, shoes and invitations.
· Urban To Enter Bridal [WWD, subscription required]