Yoga lovers got a treat on Halloween when athletic apparel store Lululemon Athletica celebrated its opening Friday with a complimentary yoga class.
The space at 1622 Sherman Ave. had been vacant since cereal store Cereality closed in May 2007. But Brooke Johnson, Lululemon’s regional community manager, said she thought Evanston was ready for another specialty store.
“It’s just a really great community,” she said. “A really strong yoga community, a really active community and a great place to be.”
The 10-year-old company sells clothing for yoga, dancing and running, according to its Web site. After first opening in Vancouver, Lululemon now has 80 stores in the United States, Canada and Australia. Evanston was the sixth opening in the Chicago area, Johnson said.
About 20 people attended Friday’s morning class, led by yoga instructor Bob Wysocki of Evanston Athletic Club and Heaven Meets Earth. The lights were dimmed and clothing racks were moved out of the way for attendees to roll out their mats and spread throughout the store.
Kellogg School of Management student Lisa Wong attended the Friday class, themed “Fearless Yoga.”
“I was working abroad, (and) since I moved back to the states I haven’t done yoga,” she said. “I saw the flyer and it instantly caught my eye. It was a lot of fun.”
Lululemon also offered free classes on Saturday and Sunday, themed “True Self Yoga” and “Family Fun Yoga.”
“Each month we’re going to do a special feature,” Johnson said. “One month it could be Heaven Meets Earth, which is a local studio, one month it could be Evanston Athletica, one month it would be cool to do something with SPAC.”
The Boogie Crop, the Be Still Pant and the Let Me Hold Those 4 U tank are some of the products Lululemon offers, but to store manager Brittany Puglia, the clothes are more than just funky names.
“There’s a lot of technology behind our fabrics,” she said. “The fit, the function, the fabrics that are used, the designs are cut a certain way.”
Savitree Kaur, who attended the opening, has been a yoga instructor at Heaven Meets Earth for three years. She said she has always recommended Lululemon to her students.
“I think their whole mission and their philosophy is right on,” she said.
The company features their manifesto in a “community board” at the center of the store. It features quotes like “jealousy works the opposite way you want it to,” and “sweat once a day to regenerate your skin.”
To complete their opening celebration, Lululemon plans to hold a Masquerade Ball inside the store on Nov. 13.
