June 2004: Comme des Garçons Guerilla Store
Duration: One Year
Following countries like Berlin and Warsaw, the first unofficial pop-up store opened here to much fanfare. Its cool mix of limited edition products and past season collections were lapped up by the fashionably clued-in. It helped that the setup was forward and cutting-edge during its time, featuring bare concrete flooring and walls with the sexy scribbling of French artist Agathe de Bailliencourt.
June 2009: Hansel Pop-Up Shop
Duration: One month
One of the most commercially successful pop-ups here, the store was set up with the sole intention of selling the label’s past-season collections at the now vacated Stamford House building. Not only was the vibe at the store bright and cheery featuring quirky artworks modeled after pop-up books, they sold a chunk of their goods for a profit of $50,000.
June 2010: Camp Pong
Duration: Three months
For almost three months from June last year, the space now occupied by A Curious Teepee at *SCAPE first made its mark as a pop-up ping pong bar. Punters loved the fact that they could grab a beer (or play beer pong) with a round at the tables, while cool indie and 80s music filled the air.
February 2011: Dr. Martens Blue Drifts store
Duration: Two weeks
This rare collaboration between local fashion designer Jonathan Seow (Woods & Woods) and the UK footwear specialist resulted in a small capsule collection featuring ready-to-wear and shoes drawn from the jazz and blues movements of the 50s. Held at Post Museum in Little India, the setup was raw and inspired, with a layout inspired by the film Dogville featuring old cabinets, bed frames and ubiquitous markings on the floor.
April 2011: SBTG Garage Days
Duration: One month
Revered local sneaker customizer Mark Ong a.k.a. SBTG’s first pop-up store at Blackmarket was an interesting mix of rare pre-owned bags and T-shirts as well as one-offs created by Ong himself. Vintage sling bags, headbands, T-shirts, studded bags, Converse shoes—they were all here.
June 2011: Asahi Pop-Up Bar
Duration: Five hours, on three occasions
With announcements made only two or three days before via Facebook, the Japanese beer boys popped up first at One Fullerton, then at Raffles Place and finally in Clarke Quay. The best bit? Despite beers as cheap as $5, the organizers were all too happy to give it away for free. Hard to argue with that.
Upcoming and ongoing pop-up stores not to be missed:
Revolution Pop Up Shop
Jul 23-24, 141 Devonshire Rd.
One of the best pop up concepts of late, this two-day sale of used designer clothing and accessories is organized by social enterprise Fair & Square to benefit disadvantaged youths from Northlight School. Dig for gems from labels like Ashley Isham, agnés b, Chloe, Gucci, Fendi, Prada, Miu Miu and Marc Jacobs—all for a good cause.
The Steeping Room
Through Jul 31. #02-30 Blk. 261 Waterloo St., 9655-0357.
Brainchild of the same coffee nerds who brought you Papa Palheta, this guerilla coffeehouse features locally roasted beans and aims to raise awareness of alternative brewing methods and home-brewing techniques.
Very Wooonderland Pop Up Store
Through Jul 31. Glass House, Outside ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn.
Special edition Underground boots from the UK are on sale here, paired with special theme music nights featuring emerging names like DJ Linda Hao and graffiti artist Eman Raharno.
Marni Winter Edition 2011
Through Aug 7. POP UP Forum, #01-28/29 Forum The Shopping Mall, 583 Orchard Rd., 6304-3557.
Marni’s winter collection gets the pop-up treatment, featuring a luscious variety of bags, shoes, accessories and a full ready-to-wear collection with polka dots and tapestry prints set against a spacious layout—available exclusively at the store.
“The Al Fresco Tales of Something…”
Jul 28-Sep 18. A Curious Teepee, #02-24 Scape, 2 Orchard Link, 6820-1680.
Local clothing brand See You Tomorrow and eyewear maverick Mystic Vintage present a collaborative pop-up store showcasing a mix of wares from both labels. Blurring the lines between an outdoor experience and an indoor setting, this “little picnic adventure” will feature limited editions specially curated for the store.
Pop-Up Shop by Al&Alicia
Through Oct 5. 2/F, Wrap Around @ Wisma Atria, 435 Orchard Rd.
The latest Resort collection by the novice local label will be selling at 30 percent discount in this intimate new space.
PUMA Motorsport Pop-Up Store
Sep. Details and location to be confirmed.
In conjunction with the F1 Grand Prix, sports lifestyle company PUMA will be rolling out a motorsport-themed pop-up store. Enthusiasts can get the latest from the PUMA Motorsport Collection and PUMA Ferrari inspired range.
