North goes Southwest
Austin shopping center welcomes the city's first North Face, plus 2 other stores
We're certainly not seeing many jackets around Austin right now, but the residents of this outdoorsy city loves a hiking trip. And although its logo is classically seen on cold weather gear, the North Face is turning Southwest to Austin.
A new North Face store at Domain NORTHSIDE (appropriately) is open now. As the name would imply, this hiking apparel is inescapable in Northern states, with high-quality, no-nonsense windbreakers and vests making up the bulk of the products visible on the street — or more accurately, the trail. (NOTE: An earlier version of this story mischaracterized it as the first North Face store in Texas, based on incorrect information in a press release. It is the first in Austin.)
This company, with its brisk-but-temperate San Francisco roots, isn't just for staying warm. The products range from quilted jackets to tank tops, shorts, and even a range of surprisingly sleek performance footwear. Austinites may especially like the climbing line. And we can travel, you know. Cold places do exist.
News of the 4,500-square-foot store also included announcements about Solidcore (stylized [solidcore]) coming this September, and Rails in November.
Solidcore offers group classes on reformer machines, which people may be familiar with after taking some Pilates classes. The sliding bench provides low impact body-weight resistance for building muscle and working on control.
Rails breaks with the fitness theme, offering laid-back semi-casual apparel for men and women. Styles run the gamut from minimalist knits to unique matching sets, but all take a mostly monochrome hue and a lot of restraint in the details.
“These three great brands meet and fulfill Austin’s market needs, and we’re excited to add these locations to our lineup at Domain NORTHSIDE,” said Northwood Retail president Ward Kampf in a release.
“The North Face is iconic with its tried-and-true tech performance outwear and gear," he continued. "[solidcore] is redefining fitness, adding to our daily 18-hour offerings that activate the property day-to-night, while Rails further bolsters the elevated contemporary mix at NORTHSIDE with its polished casual fashion.”
Domain NORTHSIDE is located across from The Domain, but it is a separate entity with more than 120 mixed-use tenants. See all the stores at domainnorthside.com.