Sustainable clothing a focus of new Lincoln Park retailer Free Air Life Co.

A new outdoor retailer is making its home in Duluth’s Lincoln Park Craft District.

Selling clothing and other items, all with a sustainable emphasis, Free Air Life Co. opened on Dec. 9. Its owners and staff say the eco-focused products align well with the active lifestyles of those in the Duluth community.

Opening the storefront in the craft district was a natural fit for the new company, said Sarah Steinbach, who co-founded the store with her husband, Justin Steinbach.

"There was a draw to this neighborhood and community and what's happening down here is really exciting. It fits ... our brand and what I wanted my messaging (to be)," she said.

The Steinbachs used to run I Lake It at the Miller Hill Mall and still operate Canal Park’s Vista Fleet cruise line. They closed I Lake It in May, and then moved into their location at 12 N. 20th Ave W., right next to DLH Clothing, which also opened within the past year.

Compared to the Miller Hill Mall, collaboration — instead of competition — among craft district businesses is more widespread, Marketing Director Katy Rochel said. "We've gotten a lot of positive feedback and ... other businesses welcoming us to the area," she said.

Since it opened earlier this month, Rochel said people have been receptive to the store’s products, which include leggings, backpacks, hoodies, jackets, T-shirts, tank tops and more.

“Being on the North Shore ... we have all these great trails and lakes and things to do outside. It's kind of an outdoor mecca,” Rochel said, making people gravitate to the outdoor-centered brands.

Its name also has outdoor origins. Based on the Scandinavian of concept Friluftsliv — which roughly translates to “free air life” — it alludes to benefits people gain by being outside.

Every corner of the store is filled with brands with a mission to give back: One brand, Glyder, supports breast-cancer research when people purchase their leggings or joggers. Others, like Carve Designs, use organic and sustainable fabrics. And some brands, like Tentree, plant 10 trees for every item purchased. On Friday, the store's total sat at 1,680 trees, a number that Steinbach said doesn’t encompass recent sales.

Steinbach decides what brands appear on Free Life’s shelves and racks. Some of the brands were discovered during her and Justin's travels, while others she stumbles across on Instagram.

She called Instagram a “rabbit hole” for finding brands: When she follows one brand, more appear. “There are so many more and I'm excited,” Steinbach said.

For now, Free Air’s products are available only in-store. It may eventually sell some products online, but those would be only a small pool of items.

“I still believe that our generation — millennials — we (still want) that shopping experience. We want to touch and feel things and you want to have unique experiences,” Steinbach said. “That is why I think we’ve even … (tried) to create kind of a unique experience in here.”

Stephanie LaFleur, president of the Lincoln Park Business Group, said the store will add more variety to the neighborhood, an area that’s returning to an era where it was flourishing.

“It’s coming full-circle again and becoming a viable place where people come (to) enjoy what we have to offer,” she said.

This, Rochel said, is why they chose to open the store in Lincoln Park.

“The craft district as a whole is so encompassing and ... growing, she said. "We definitely knew we wanted to be a part of that."