RH, Paris Baguette Make Debut in Shadyside
A Brandy Melville retail store also is expected to open alongside the shops on Walnut Street.
WORK UNDERWAY TO CONVERT THE BUILDING AT THE CORNER OF WALNUT AND IVY STREETS FROM BANANA REPUBLIC TO RH. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN
A makeover for Shadyside’s Walnut Street is well underway thanks to the recent openings of two new businesses — with one still on the way.
On Jan. 16, RH (formerly Restoration Hardware) made its debut in the former Banana Republic store on the corner of Walnut and Ivy Streets. The 15,000-square-foot space had been empty since last March.
Spanning four levels, the new RH Pittsburgh, The Gallery on Walnut Street features luxury home furnishings collections from RH Interiors, RH Modern and RH Outdoor alongside antiques and curated artifacts, according to a press release from RH.
The location also includes a RH Interior Design studio.
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PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN
In December, popular South Korean chain Paris Baguette opened at 5514 Walnut St., which had been vacant since a Williams Sonoma store closed there back in 2022.
Known for its wide array of baked goods — as well as fluffy chiffon cakes such as the Strawberry Soft Cream Cake and Rainbow Cake — the chain has 4,000 locations around the world, including one at The Block Northway in Ross that opened in 2024.
Clothing retailer Brandy Melville also is set to open along Walnut Street in the first half of 2026, although not without some controversy.
Popular among teens and young women, the national chain is known for its “one size fits most” policy, which correlates to a size XS or S.
When the storefront was announced on the Shadyside’s Chamber of Commerce Instagram page in November, it was met by a flurry of social media commentary from locals that ranged from excitement to those upset by the brand’s reputation for discriminatory race, sex and weight practices.
The brand notably was the subject of a 2024 HBO documentary “Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion.” Based on reporting from a 2021 Insider article, the documentary centered on allegations by former employees against Brandy Melville’s founder and chief executive officer, Stephan Marsan, that included bigotry and the creation of a toxic work environment.
Marsan and his father, Silvio, founded Brandy Melville in Italy in the 1980s and opened their first U.S. location in Los Angeles in 2009. The European-based brand now has more than 100 locations globally.
Brandy Melville’s Shadyside location will be the chain’s first store in Pittsburgh and its third in Pennsylvania; the other two state locations are in the Philadelphia area.
