With its opening earlier this month, the new Eileen Fisher clothing store in Great Barrington has introduced the brand's second “Lab” store in the country, designed to pilot the company’s sustainability and renewable fashion initiatives. The boutique offers exclusive samples, garments repurposed through the brand’s long-running Renew program, and pieces made from innovative recycled and plant-based fibers—making it a testing ground for the market viability of “eco-conscious” clothing.

Downtown Great Barrington seemed like a natural fit for Eileen Fisher’s experiment, according to Retail Marketing Manager Jaimie Lafrano. The brand was drawn to what they see as a built-in customer base that values quality and mitigation of environmental impact. “It’s really important to Eileen Fisher to be part of a community,” Lafrano says.

Store leadership was joined by their new community on August 3, for a “cloth-cutting” grand opening event. The store partnered with a group of local businesses and makers to turn the moment into a more comprehensive showcase. The day included a button-sewing demonstration with Hart Textiles, breakfast from Shire Donuts, massages from Mend Sustainable Spa, a raffle, wine, snacks from Rubiner’s Cheesemongers and Grocery, and dancers from Berkshire Pulse, who wore Eileen Fisher garments while performing with the intent to show, “how easy it is to live all ways and move in the clothing,” Lafrano says. “I think that enabled different varieties of people to come see us, see what we stand for, and see the store.”

Eileen Fisher has a personal connection in Great Barrington too, as the brand’s vice president of design innovation is local resident Julie Rubiner, whose husband owns the aforementioned cheese shop just down the street from the new store. Additionally, when Jena Pace, senior director of real estate and brand environment  began visiting the area during the pandemic, she says she “saw ‘our customer’ while visiting the Berkshires,” Lafrano recounts.

Eileen Fisher’s clothing lines are known for being comfortable, versatile, and minimal. Made largely with sustainable, high-quality fabrics, the brand does have high price points (around $300 for a pair of pants). While the chain is on the pricey side, the addition of the Lab means the store will also offer discounts on sample pieces as well as items used previously for photo shoots. “You never know what you’re going to find,” Lafrano says.

The Great Barrington store also offers racks of clothing from the Renew line, which fixes, updates, or recycles older Eileen Fisher garments. Savvy shoppers will likely be able to find a full outfit for $150 or under, according to brand marketing. On opening day, Lafrano says, that rack needed to be refilled three times.

“So many fashion companies are talking about sustainability, and Eileen has been talking about it for over 40 years,” says Lafrano. “We find a way to do something with every single garment that comes back to us. Even if it’s dirty or slightly damaged, we take back the goods and find a way to repurpose them.”

The Renew program has collected around 2.7 million Eileen Fisher garments; some are fully recycled into new fabrics, while others are able to live a second life with minimal adjustments. This fall, the brand will introduce a “Fiber to Fiber” capsule collection made entirely with recycled materials—fully recycled wool garments, bias cut dresses, and skirts made from Naia, a new washable and renewable cellulosic fiber.

Lafrano said she and her colleagues are optimistic about the new store, one of 57 in the US, with the next-closest shop in downtown Northampton. “Eileen prefers the street-facing stores in communities,” Lafrano says. “When I toured the area and saw all the culture here, I was like, ‘Wow, this is going to be a spectacular partnership.’”

Eileen Fisher is open at 316 Main Street in Great Barrington Mon–Sat from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sunday from noon–5 p.m.

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Written by
Francesca Olsen