Temporary Retail Goes Upmarket In China’s Stylish Cities
Nouveau Riche Pop Up Store in Sanlitun Village (Beijing)
Temporary retail spaces have been a popular trend state-side for quite a while, with big brands using them to promote new collections and collaborations or small scenes of selectively curated items. With more mainland Chinese consumers becoming not only big spenders but also fashionable, edgy and stylish in their own right, pop-up shops are appearing in China to generate excitement around new products and introduce new labels to the country’s shoppers.
Nouveau Riche, a pop-up store in Beijing’s Sanlitun Village, had an opening party last night and will run until February 5. A collaboration between Shumeng Ye, a Chinese-Finnish designer, and her group of friends, Nouveau Riche aims to bring a collection of affordable and unique items, created exclusively for the pop-up.
This past fall, Triple-Major, a Beijing based concept studio and store (previously on Jing Daily), opened a pop-up shop in Hong Kong, as well as a pop-up flea market in Beijing. Triple-Major’s Hong Kong pop-up shop ran in November for 7 days as the first stop in its Nomad Store traveling tour. The Nomad Store’s looked to appropriate local elements, but also introduce experimental designers among some of the established international talents that they carry.
Temporary retail shops have been popping up on a larger scale as well, with Lane Crawford using space in their retail centers to celebrate brands that they’ve begun to carry or new collaborations. Lane Crawford’s notable pop-up stores includes their Holiday Season soiree gift shop, an American Apparel debut, and a display of Rag and Bone’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection that coincided with a visit by the designers.
In 2011, look for more pop-up shops to appear throughout China, preceded by successful opening parties in a growing fashion scene, but meanwhile, don’t miss Nouveau Riche — open until February 5.
Nouveau Riche
The Thing – SLG15
Sanlitun Village South
Hours: Mon-Sun 10:00-22:00