Northeast Florida’s first Madewell opens today, in the St. Johns Town Center between Coach and Omega at 4813 River City Drive.

Madewell, known for its chic, understated fashions, announced in January that it had signed a lease for the 3,000-square-foot space.

The retailer is a subsidiary of J. Crew launched in 2006. It traces its roots to its beginnings as an American denim company founded in 1937.

Today’s celebrations include free tote bags with every purchase and “mystery gift cards” for the first 25 shoppers, in amounts from $25 to $250.

The St. Johns Town Center is the epicenter of the city’s retail scene. A 50 percent ownership stake in the property, owned by Atlanta developer Ben Carter, is on the market and could fetch as much as $750 million. It will be the site of the region’s first Nordstrom Inc. department store, slated to open Oct. 10, as well as the city’s first Tervis store, also slated to open this spring.