Women's Clothing Store Anthropologie To Light Up Space on Brattle St.

Anthropologie, the high-end women’s clothing and furniture store, will move into the iconic glass-paned premises at 48 Brattle St. this fall.

Well-known for its distinctive decorations and artful window-scapes, Anthropologie caught the attention of building owner William J. Poorvu when he overheard a female assistant mention last fall that the chain would be “terrific for that space.”

“Who’s Anthropologie?” Poorvu, the managing partner of the Brattle Square Office Building Company, recalled asking his daughter-in-law that evening.

Upon visiting several Anthropologie stores in New York and Boston over the next few months, Poorvu said he determined that the chain deftly utilized multiple-level spaces and showcased a keen visual sense of interior design.

“They really cared about what would be shown there,” Poorvu said.

He ultimately decided that Anthropologie would be the best fit for the empty space on Brattle St., which had been vacated by Crate & Barrel in January 2009. Poorvu commenced the final approval process during the winter months.

“We’re delighted and looking forward to the grand opening and...to having that building lit with beautiful colors and beautiful displays that really lend such excitement and vibrancy to that end of Brattle St.,” said Denise A. Jillson, executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association.

Anthropologie will be joining its sister retail brand in Harvard Square. The popular store Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie are both run by Urban Outfitters, Inc.

—Staff writer Xi Yu can be reached at xyu@college.harvard.edu.