Info

Since 1990, Free Country has manufactured casual outerwear and active wear inspired by a modern, active lifestyle and has emerged as a power in the apparel industry with a look and spirit that stands on its own. The company takes a different approach to outerwear by creating compelling designs through a fusion of active performance and fashion. The driving force behind Free Country's success began with its founder, Ira Schwartz, who found inspiration in his own active lifestyle of outdoor sports and especially skiing. From the beginning, Ira had a vision "to market and merchandise a lifestyle which reflects the philosophy of doing one's own thing-creating authentic outerwear with a not-too-serious attitude, that people will have fun wearing." The result was a collection of men's outerwear constructed from active, high performance fabrics with rugged charm, smart styling and classic authenticity. Ira's innate ability to seek out trends and develop fabrics with special breakthrough characteristics put Free Country on the map in the retail world. When Ira's wife Jody joined the company in 1994, the inspiration for a ladies collection became clear. The launch of Free Country for women was immediately well received. The strong consumer reaction illustrated that the company possesses a niche, not only in developing high quality, high performance fabrics for the active men's lifestyle, but also for translating these concepts into trend right styles that fit the lifestyle needs in the ladies market.