Food & Drink
Nordstrom Partners with Madewell, Flagship Redesign in the Works
The remodel will honor some of the original design features of iconic downtown building
By Lauren Mang March 4, 2015

There are new, noteworthy developments a-brewing over at Nordstrom.
First off, the department store has partnered with Madewell, J Crew’s laid-back, denim-heavy sister brand, to bring more than 70 different clothing and accessory items to 15 Nordstrom stores, including the Bellevue Square locale. Starting in March (online now and in store this Friday), you’ll be able to scour the racks in the store’s TBD department for Madewell’s spring wares such as relaxed denim, swingy printed scarves and dresses that you’ll want to pretty much live in. We’re told it’s an ongoing partnership, so look for more styles in the coming months. For more deets, visit nordstrom.com/madwell.
Meanwhile, Nordstrom’s downtown Seattle flagship is experiencing some nips and tucks. The Nordstrom store design team has partnerd with Seattle-based global architecture firm Callison to remodel its location at 500 Pine Street, built in 1918 to house the now-defunct Frederick & Nelson department store.
Exciting changes are planned for the flagship redesign, including incorporating beaucoup natural light into the shopping experience. The retailer will expand its sales floor to the perimeter windows and open up visibility to the street on the first floor as well as remove the canopy around the building’s exterior and replace it with a glass version to help increase daylight and connectivity to the outside. Welcoming natural light into store environments by opening up once-covered windows is a relatively new trend: Macy’s did it with its Herald Square flagship back in 2013. Bergdorf Goodman also exposed previously hidden windows at its Fifth Avenue building in New York.
“We think [bringing a lot of natural light into the store] will help create a more engaging shopping experience,” says Nordstrom spokesperson Jessica Canfield.
The remodel is also focusing on flexbility and will feature a “clean, beautiful, single-surface tile floor throughout,” which will alllow different departments to adjust and evolve depending on customer demand. “We hope that it will help create a sense of discovery, allowing our customers to navigate easily and find new brands they haven’t experienced before,” Canfield says.
Outside, some of the modern materials will be replaced with terra cotta to match the building’s original design and the Nordstrom signs will receive a few updates with new materials, but will otherwise keep with the same lettering and vertical style.
On the third floor, the retailer will add a Habitant lounge–which currently exists in its Bellevue Square location–and will serve light snacks, wine and cocktails and will feature windows overlooking the Westlake Monorail station. Shoppers can also expect a renovated fourth-floor Cafe Nordstrom, an updated street-level espresso bar and new designer shops on levels one and two.
The flagship remodel is expected to be finished by 2016.