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5 Questions with Designer Jumble Sale – Pop Up Shop Interview

What is your pop-up history to date? Where have you been and how long have you been in operation?

I began hosting one-day charity sales during London Fashion Week, popping up at a stunning Edwardian Gothic church in Marble Arch, called The Church of the Annunciation, while at home with two small children. I had worked at VOGUE.com for 12 years, so I asked all my old friends to donate their fashion cast-offs and the British Fashion Council very kindly put us on the London Fashion Week events schedule. I wanted to go back to work once my children had both started school, so I decided to launch a profit-making arm of the business, so that I could also continue to run the charity sales every six months. With my brother’s help, I won my first rent-free popup shop in December 2012, in a competition run by retail agent Farebrother, on Lambs Conduit Street. What a fantastic launchpad! We were lucky enough to be there for 5 months. Next we are taking part in a community project in Willesden Green from 30 May… and then on to Camden.

Why pop up?

I want to communicate a message about the longevity of good craftsmanship, ethical fashion and sustainability in a fun and friendly environment – and rather than expecting customers to come to me, I want to go to them! We aim to pop up in new places every 3 months.

Why did you decide to enter the Collective Competition?

It was a no-brainer: Camden is a great fit for our offering – think Camden, think secondhand clothes; it is a very vibrant street; and Camden Collective and WeArePopup are very good at what they do.

What can people expect to find in the Collective shop during your spot?

The Designer Jumble Sale is a collection of high quality secondhand clothes and accessories, curated by a member of the fashion industry (ahem… *blush*… me). Brands include classics like Schiaparelli, YSL, and Dior, alongside Best-of-British brands like Rupert Sanderson, Bill Amberg, MCQueen and Terry de Havilland. Adam Hill of Retrouvius will be loaning us some fantastic salvaged furniture and Tamsin Flower of beldirugs.com will be showcasing her beautiful vintage Moroccan carpets, too. No neophiles here, folks.

How would you incorporate 300 bananas, 5 tons of golden syrup, and 2 peacocks into a future pop up?

I would commission Hussein Chalayan, Stephen Jones and Jean-Pierre Braganza to help me make something deliciously sculptural out of crystalised syrup and feathers. The bananas would be required for energy. It is part of the Designer Jumble Sale message: a LOT of work goes into these pieces.

A jewellery designer’s pop-up journey – Gimme That Thing

Story #3 – Gimme That Thing – A jewelery designer’s pop-up journey

Amanda Robins doesn’t take no for an answer. She designs jewellery in Manchester, and was trading on Etsy and at local artisan markets. A pop up shop would offer Ms. Robins and fellow artisans to an opportunity to showcase their work, and meet new customers. The process was not easy, and she discovered a variety of friction points along the way.

In the end, her entrepreneurial spirit won out and Handmade Local became one of Manchester’s first pop-up shops. The success of Handmade Local also helped a letting agent secure a long-term tenant for a property which had sat vacant for over a year…

“This March, I ran my own pop up shop, Handmade Local, in Didsbury, Manchester and included the creations of over twenty local artists / designers. I stocked fine art, ceramics, handknitted fashion, retro baby clothes, soaps, lotions and potions, cards, fibre art, craft kits, quirky soft toys and a whole heap more.

“It was open for 5 weeks, a couple weeks longer than I was looking for, but this was the shortest time that the landlord would rent the premises for. A difficult thing for me as the organiser was to find shop contents insurance for that short period. I ended up being covered by a company who specialise in artists’ cover.

Two days before the Handmade Local pop up shop opened:

“This is the shop once it had been dressed:

“The most difficult aspect of this venture was actually finding premises. Pop up shops are practically unheard of in this area and it took me a year to find a landlord or estate agent who was willing to accommodate me. None of them would let premises for less than three years. My shop, which had laid empty for over a year, was viewed via the agent while it was in my hands and consequently it is now being rented out on a long-term lease.

Paris Earrings, Vintage-Style Eiffel Tower Glass Retro Jewelry

“As a jewellery designer I was able to sell my own items and promote the artisan markets that I take part in each month. I now have several repeat customers from the strength of running Handmade Local.”

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Gimme That Thing

http://www.etsy.com/shop/gimmethatthing

chicitarobins@yahoo.co.uk

https://twitter.com/GimmeThatThing

5 Questions with Agnes & Lola – Pop Up Shop Interview

What is your pop-up history to date? Ex. Where have you been and how long have you been in operation?

This is our first physical pop-up event. Prior to this, we have been exclusively online.

Why pop up?

It is an opportunity to meet our customers in person and also to introduce our unique collection to a new audience. Face-to-face interaction generates a different closeness with the customer that is not always possible online.

Why did you decide to enter the Collective Competition?

Firstly, the area was perfect as we love Camden. I remember going to Camden when I was younger, and getting some vibrant t-shirts and vintage garb. It is one of those areas that encourages individual, off-beat design and has never lost its unique atmosphere, be it the vintage stores or the art print stores. We felt that it would be ideal for our first pop-up store as our styles are unique and fit into the overall vibe of the area.

What can people expect to find in the Collective shop during your spot?

They can expect a variety of fashion options that they will not be able to get elsewhere…for the men, we have print shirts with tapestry dog motifs and the most awesome print swimming trunks. Whilst for the women, we have hand-painted patch bra-tops and skirts which were inspired by the graffiti artist Mr Brainwash and hand-beaded 20’s style Ankara dresses with a leather flared hem, to name a few!

How would you incorporate 300 bananas, 5 tons of golden syrup, and 2 peacocks into a future pop up?

It would have to be used in an outdoor pop-up event inspired by the fashion of Josephine Baker and Carmen Miranda. The bananas will help recreate the famous banana skirt worn by Josephine Baker and some of Carmen Miranda’s hats which can be worn by hosts and gifted to guests. Of course, I’ll need more ingredients to make them but the bananas are a good start. For the syrup, I think it would come in useful for making some experimental cocktails and ice-cream dessert sauces to serve around! As we’re outdoors, the peacocks will be free to do what they do best and roam about, proudly displaying their feathers. Maybe we could have a photo booth so guests can take photos with the peacock…that would be quite tricky to manage though.

Pop Up Shop Interview: 5 Questions with Pop Up Ping Pong

What is your pop-up history to date?

Pop Up Ping Pong has been in operation since the beginning of this year plotting our first pop up. Our launch event had such a great turnout with a classic American frat party vibe, people just turned out in their masses and made the most of what we had – Ping Pong tables, cheap booze, awesome street food burgers by #BRGR (www.hashtagbrgr.com) and shaped the party as much as we did to make it happen. So at one point we had people asking if they could put together some tables so they can set up a Beer Pong match, without knowing too much about the rules or the consequences we rustled up whatever we had in storage and put out a make shift table and watched the ants take over the ant hill! We’ve incorporated Beer Pong ever since as testament to our first customers and you can come to any of our pop ups now and see hulking crowds teeming over our dedicated tables complete with regulation markings. So that’s how the story goes, and we’ve been popping up and at ‘em ever since!

Why pop up?

*Rolls sleeves up* Pop Up is the way of the future. As I heard Daniel Young (www.youngandfoodish.com) pop up entrepreneur once say, and I quote, ‘pop up restaurants are restaurants with no walls’. This applies to any pop up business or art. We are obliged never to settle and always aspire to create a new experience for our customers. This agenda is simply dictated by the economics of having ‘no walls’. As a pop up you’re not burdened with the overheads of rents, gas, electricity, wages, but for the period in which you use your space. You are only committed to use your space as long as you wish and this gives us the freedom to create. It almost forces you to be artistic and ‘things to do’ in London are better for it!

Why did you decide to enter the Collective Competition?

This may sound a little evangelical but we thought with a high street location we could really do something special for that part of Camden High Street. We’ve spoken a little about this at Pop Up Ping Pong and we’ve always loved the idea of Camden. It’s a hotchpotch of what’s trendy and cool and there’s always something a little bit romantic about that. Problem is it’s not always been that accessible for the rest of us! Koko has been a shining beacon on one end of the high street in that respect. They always have something good on that you can see with friends or on a date but somewhere along the middle of the high street the buzz dwindles and we think we can add to it with a bit of sparkle. People often meet for the first time over a game of ping pong at our events and that’s quirky but we like it!

What can people expect to find in the Collective shop during your spot?

The PUPP Shack is a boutique-style ping-pong pop-up parlour featuring one Olympic-sized table combined with a street food diner offering dainty and delicious sliders by mini burger purveyors #BRGR. They use the finest ingredients, with their golden brioche buns sourced from Miller’s of Wimbledon and their grass-fed beef from The Ginger Pig butchers. A drinks bar will also be featured, with the legendary PUPP beer pong table (complete with regulation size and cup markings) making a stalwart appearance alongside it. Throughout the course of the four-day pop-up, expect events ranging from sporting competitions with prizes to ping-pong masterclasses and more.

How would you incorporate 300 bananas, 5 tons of golden syrup and 2 peacocks into a future pop up?

It would be a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory/Great Gatsby themed extravaganza no doubt!

Pop Up Shop Stories: Pop Up Ping Pong

Pop Up Shop Story #1 – Pop Up Ping Pong – Humble beginnings…

Nesma and Amin love ping pong. They started sharing that passion with their local neighbourhood in London. Other enthusiasts responded, and there’s now a series of Pop Up Ping Pong parties – complete with their own soundtrack. They collaborate with London favourites #BRGR for epic burger pong nights…

(This is being written to epic background music: Bloc Party – The Pioneers (M83 Remix))

Once upon a time, Nesma and Amin were super-competitive about Ping Pong.

Bats were thrown, tears were shed, but the love for the game grew stronger. As with any passion you want to share it and so we set about doing just that. Without any resources being obviously available to us we began to beg, borrow, wheel and deal!

And thus, we became Pop Up Ping Pong.

What we didn’t realise was that our humble beginnings were also our greatest strengths. Our local neighbourhood rallied around to lend us their unloved tables, a local landlord of a certain disused venue got in touch, and even our online followers contributed to our Collaborative Playlist on Spotify. We had ourselves a party!

Our passion has since turned into a business and our bricks and mortar competitors don’t let us forget it! They can take our Red Solo Cups, Beer Pong and Unlimited playtime – but they can never take away our freedom!

We are a party with no walls – no rents or wages. We are free to be original and create.

So we only have one thing to say to everyone: “POP UP!”

Pop Up Ping Pong is looking for a pop-up space in London. [ Full details ]

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We Are Pop Up’s pop up shop stories tells stories from the community about popups, supperclubs, exibitions, and events. Share yours…

Pop up shop interview: 5 Questions with Atomica Gallery

Atomica Gallery is the first of four pop-up experiences coming to Camden High Street for the month of June. Winners of the Camden Collective Pop Up Shop competition, Atomica Gallery owners Holly Lander and Orla Bennett have shared their ideas about Pop-ups, Camden High Street and life as a pop-up with us!

^{What is your pop-up history to date? Ex. Where have you been and how long have you been in operation?}

From the get-go Atomica was always planning to be a permanent gallery and shop, but as the idea started to take shape it made sense to do some sort of test trading to see if people would like the concept and the artists we planned on showing, so we launched Atomica as a three week pop-up in December 2012. The pop-up was alot of fun and gave us the confidence and collateral to open up our new permanent space which is located Hackney. Atomica pop-ups are still on the horizon though – we are very excited about our week in Camden at The Camden Collective and we would like to do more around London this year and possibly in other parts of the UK. Maybe even one in America in the next few years!

^{Why pop up?}

Its a great way to expose what you are doing and get a feel for different audiences.

^{Why did you decide to enter the Collective Competition?}

We love Camden, we grew up going to gigs and and spent alot of our teenage years hanging out there. When we heard about the competition we jumped at the opportunity to do our second Atomica pop-up there. It is great opportunity to be part of one of our favorite parts of town and having the chance at a rent free space for a week on a busy high street is something we didn’t want to miss.

^{What can people expect to find in the Collective shop during your spot?}

People can expect to see under-exposed contemporary artists, illustrators and lowbrow weirdness from around the world. We specialise in beautifully framed affordable art, as well as books, magazines and collectable, artist made objects.

^{How would you incorporate 300 bananas, 5 tons of golden syrup, and 2 peacocks into a future pop up?}

We would ask an artist to do a massive artwork on the floor with all the items, make a time lapse and show the video in the pop up “Art Attack” style.

And here’s a bit more information directly from Atomica Gallery about their launch.

The facebook event is here: https://www.facebook.com/events/378051902300970/?fref=t

Music: DJ Paskal from Rough & Tough crew will be spinning classic ska and reggae vinyl

Drinks: Sailor Jerry are sponsoring the event and will be providing rum cocktails

Atomica’s launch will also feature the debut of Honest Brew’s “We Are Pop Up x Camden Collective” brew!

Follow Atomica Gallery on Twitter

Follow Camden Collective on Twitter

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Pop Up Restaurant Competition: PipsDish Pop Up Challenge

For three nights, PipsDish in Islington is hosting three of London’s hottest rising pop-up restaurateurs.

LONDON — MAY 13, 2013 — We Are Pop Up announces The PipsDish Pop-Up Challenge. Over three evenings in May, three of London’s hottest new chefs showcase their talents at a Citroëngarage in Islington.

PipsDish is run by culinary dream team Philip ‘Pip’ Dundas and Mary Doherty. They originally opened PipsDish in 2011 as a temporary restaurant that was hidden in plain sight. In March 2013, Dundas announced that Pips Dish would finally be leaving the Citroën garage. But first, he wanted to give a few of London’s leading underground chefs the chance to shine.

In partnership with We Are Pop Up, PipsDish took open applications from a wide variety of chefs. Today, we are pleased to announce the three winners of the PipsDish Pop-Up Challenge:

The Best of Italy by AMooseBush – Tuesday, 21 May 2013

In the spirit of their grandparents, Nonna Bianca and Nonno Giuseppe, AMooseBush is a foursome of family members who are on a singular mission to champion regional Italian dishes that have been handed down through the family.

Pisco Fuego by Cult Events – Wednesday, 22 May 2013

Inspired by the cuisine and culture of Buenos Aries, Lima, Mexico City, and Santiago, Pisco Fuego is a dining experience that brings authentic Latin American zing, zest, and charcoal-grilled goodness to the streets of London.

Cult Event’s chef Ian Ballantyne said: “We’ve created an immersive experience that mixes classic asado barbecue cookery with modern street art and live music, all served in a beautifully set-designed venue.”

Azonto Banquet by Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen – Friday, 24 May 2013

Chef Zoe Adjonyoh creates “Haute Ghanaian” culinary events that merge the Ghanaian roots with a contemporary dining experience. Born from a pop-up Ghanaian restaurant during the Hackney Wicked Arts Festival in 2011, Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen has become a favourite of London foodies.

Zoe recently collaborated with Diesel in London, hosting a temporary kitchen at Soho’s Diesel Village pop-up. Her underground success is also taking her to continental Europe, where she recently popped-up in Berlin. Ghanalicious.

Tickets for all evenings are available now through Edible Experiences: http://www.edibleexperiences.com/popupchallenge

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Media Contact:

Mike Salter

Co-Founder, We Are Pop Up

+44 (0) 7590 119625; mike@wearepopup.com

Pop Up Shop Community Event : Pop Up Meet Up (#PUMU) Camden

Yesterday, We Are Pop Up and Camden Collective teamed up to bring you Pop Up Meet Up 7. It was an honour to work with Jude Bennett and the Collective team; using the space for this month’s #PUMU and helping to launch the Camden Collective’s first mainstay pop-up shop.

This month it was all about collaboration, with different skills coming together to create successful, exciting and unique pop-up shop concepts. What better way to share the beauty of collaboration than to show it? Honest Brew showcased their new customizable brewing concept and filled the space with the aroma of hops. Les Greedy Cochons treated us to the best food in Camden; bite-sized!

Filled with an expertly curated art show by Test Space, there were artists pulling screen prints and live music. This was truly a unique room full of creative and like-minded people sharing, inspiring and working together.

The night’s big announcement was the Camden Collective and We Are Pop Up competition. Camden Collective are offering a beautiful space on Camden High Street for 2 days to 2 weeks cost-free. The competition is open to creative projects, businesses and brands working in fashion, retail, art, design and creative events.

Met someone who has inspired, interested or shared a passion with you? This is a great reason to start a conversation. Applications can be mixed-and-matched, and you can even link to another project you love to apply with a collaborator.

What are you waiting for? Apply now!

Many thanks to Camden Collective photographer Keiko Yamazaki for the incredible photographs of the evening. You can see even more on our #PUMU 7 Pinterest Board.

Pop Up Shop Collaboration Feature: Sharing

Today we are very pleased to announce new features for a concept we find invaluable to the pop-up community: Sharing

Over the past few months we have heard from our incredible community about their experiences finding new pop-up space. As a result, we have built new sharing tools into We Are Pop Up.

Sharing A Space

Often times sharing a rented space or bringing in a collaborator for a new space is a great opportunity, but difficult to manage. Now anyone can extend a property to the community of great individuals and brands currently looking for short-term space on We Are Pop Up.

Why this is awesome:

– Anyone currently renting pop-up space can easily find a collaborator

– Anyone running events or short-term shops can now extend the opportunity to hundreds of exciting UK businesses currently listed on We Are Pop Up

– Agents, landlords or space managers can quickly find a great pop-up business that are ready to move in soon

To get started with a pop-up collaboration, log on to We Are Pop Up and (if you have not already) create a project. There is now a new option to add a space.

Add the details of a property and see a list of great brands looking for space in your area with the click of a button.

Ready for the next step? Make contact with an inspiring brand directly via We Are Pop Up!

Sharing Your Projects And Space Requests

We want it to be easy for all of our businesses to generate buzz and support for everything they do on We Are Pop Up. Now there is an easy way to share your ideas with the world and connect with people who have open space.

A set of social buttons now accompanies all of your projects. These enable the community show support for projects and will have a positive impact on offers to potential landlords and collaborators.

We help too by sharing your great projects on our networks and including you as part of our community pages.

We look forward to hearing what you think about these new updates. And we’re excited to starting sharing your fabulous projects with the world!

For a more in-depth guide to how our new features work and to ask us any questions about the process directly, you can join our Forum and FAQs.

Pop Up Shop Community Event: Pop Up Meet Up PipsDish

This past wednesday, March 6th we were joined by vibrant members of London’s underground and independent cooking community to celebrate the ethos and ideas that motivate innovation in the kitchen. We were delighted to host the evening at PipsDish, a wonderful space tucked away behind Upper Street in Islington in a converted Citroen Garage.

All too often, we speak to people who have a wonderful idea for a foodie pop-up, but who get stuck when it comes to making it happen. Or perhaps they have been running a successful Supper Club in their home for a while, but are unsure how to take it to the next level.

We decided it was time to address these questions head-on. So for this Pop Up Meet Up we invited some of our most admired restauranteurs, who have grown their businesses from humble pop-up beginnings to more established movements and asked them to share their stories.

Our panelists for the evening were Philip Dundas of PipsDish, Martin Morales of Ceviche, and Cynthia Shanmugalingam of Kitchenette, the UK’s first food business incubator. Laura Day of Digest Magazine played compere for the evening and conversation lubrication came in the form of 2 ridiculously tasty wines supplied by A Grape Night In.

“Not for the faint-hearted” (Philip Dundas)

Starting up your own restaurant is serious business. Philip and Martin shared their personal journeys – ‘cooking for friends and family’ at first, and then asking for referrals until they were filling rooms entirely with newcomers. Using the pop-up model, Kitchenette looks to give emerging cooks the tools necessary to get their ideas out of the house and into the world.

Philip made an insightful point: “pop-up is entrepreneurship,” an ideal way to ease into bigger projects, build a community and develop a business plan. Having been through an accelerator program, we here at We Are Pop Up completely support a model which triumphs speed and access to new resources. Projects like Kitchenette are great for exposure and can facilitate growth in unexpected and exciting ways.

How Do You Take The Next Steps?

The panel uniformly agreed that ‘waiting for the perfect opportunity’ to take the next step could mean you miss a number of chances to innovate and develop. Don’t wait – mortgage your house, borrow your friend’s lounge, steal crockery from neighbours and spread the word. Reveal your passion for food, look after your guests and remember why it is you embarked on the adventure in the first place – the journey is more rewarding than the destination.

“Then you start inviting the ‘sneezers’,” that is: the bloggers and writers whose every nasal expulsion makes news. Having people in the room with clout and reach will help extend your network and your story. Whilst asking directly for reviews or a big news break may seem like the obvious outcome, simply asking for their impressions, ideas and suggestions for your project will help lay the foundation for meaningful long-lasting relationships.

What Are You Waiting For?

Philip’s recent “Opportunities For Cooks” post hits on some great upcoming opportunities for food entrepreneurs at PipsDish. We will be announcing more details about the application process towards the end of the month. Make sure you’re signed up to wearepopup.com to receive updates via email.

Further impressions of #PUMU: The Effervescent Collective reviews the evening.