HEYDUDE has opened a new store concept in Austin, Texas, created by UK-based design studio Briggs Hillier and designed around the brand’s country roots and the easy-going character of its customers.
The concept is intended to define HEYDUDE’s retail identity globally while remaining grounded in its North American roots. The store invites visitors to slow down, connect with friends and pick up Austin-exclusive merchandise, with retail used as a platform for events, collaborations, workshops and live performances.
The Austin store introduces the brand’s “Icon” format, bringing together an extended product range and a retail narrative centred on the idea of “HEYDUDE country”. Austin was selected as the launch location in recognition of the city’s setting in Texas, a state associated with country roots and the country music scene.
The brief for Briggs Hillier was to create an environment that feels warm, familiar and authentic, while strengthening brand positioning and community connection. The store has also been designed to support customer engagement and conversion.
The interior uses raw brick, walnut wood, copper, tanned leather and Persian rug finishes to create a rustic design language. The material palette is intended to convey comfort, nostalgia and ease, encouraging customers to spend time in the store, interact with the brand and explore the product range.
Customer-centricity is central to the concept, with the store designed to feel like a home away from home. Lounge areas act as social hubs, inviting customers to spend time in-store beyond browsing or shopping.
A walnut-clad performance stage forms a key part of the retail experience. The stage can shift from a curated retail environment into a platform for local artists, with cinema-style signage and curtains adding a theatrical element.
Local references to Austin are woven throughout the store, while maintaining a consistent HEYDUDE retail identity intended for wider rollout. The concept is set to inform a series of “Full Price” and “Icon” stores across North America and other international markets.
“HEYDUDE Country isn’t a place, it’s a headspace.”
Lewis Capaldi, musician and HEYDUDE brand ambassador
Austin marks the first store in the wider rollout of the new concept.
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