Bohemian retailer gets into business of outfitting brides

It is America’s most bohemian clothes store, notorious for its range of subversive clothing that includes a discontinued line of T-shirts that featured a Palestinian child holding an AK- 47 over the word “victimized”.

Now, in a bid to tap into the lucrative wedding fever gripping the country, Urban Outfitters is to launch its own chain of bridal boutiques. URBN, the parent company behind Urban Outfitters, Free People and Anthropologie, launched the new range – bhldn, pronounced “beholden” – this week.

The new range promises the same off-beat vintage style that has made its sister brands famous. But white wedding connoisseurs, be warned. Gone are the traditional meringues and minimalist columns. In their place are unfinished hemlines, loose bows and subtle embellishment. Prices will be significantly more expensive than Urban Outfitters attire, too – with wedding dresses costing up to $4,000 (£2,500) and bridesmaid dresses costing up to $600.

“We’re offering a take that’s not out there,” said Kristin Norris, who is bhldn’s managing director . “We have a lot of shorter dresses, lots of colour and prints and no optic white dress.”