Selfridges’ Unforgettable Pop-Up Concepts, Windows & Installations

Over the years Selfridges has garnered a reputation for creating some of the city’s most inspiring window displays, consistently challenging preconceptions of retail design and merchandising. Collaborating with innovative designers, artists, performers and brands, the iconic department store manages to keep its image refreshed. Following the recent inception of the Fashion East Pop-Up Store, headed by the seminal initiative’s founder Lulu Kennedy, Something Curated examines some of the most successful pop-up concepts, window displays and art installations to have graced the Oxford Street store during the past five years.

 

Fashion East Pop-Up Store || Lulu Kennedy (2017)

Fashion East headed by its founder and director Lulu Kennedy is largely responsible for the early success of designers like Simone Rocha, Marques Almeida, Jonathan Anderson, Grace Wales Bonner and Craig Green as well as the current buzz that surrounds the likes of Matty Bovan, Charles Jeffrey and Mimi Wade. Now the initiative has been brought to life by way of a pop up at London’s Selfridges. Kennedy has invited its current designers as well as the initiative’s eminent alumni to create one-offs and limited edition pieces and the space will also host the collections of the alumni that Selfridges stock so expect an amalgamation of some of the most exciting fashion pieces around.

 

Agender Concept Space || Faye Toogood (2015)

The Agender Concept Space, created by renowned designer Faye Toogood, provided an environment in which shoppers were given the freedom to transcend notions of men’s and womenswear. Expanding upon her vision, the designer said: “Agender literally means ‘without gender’, but it also suggests a plan of action or an ideological goal. This projects sets out an agenda to move fashion forward and to reflect the realities of the way we live now. The spaces are based on the idea of stripping away the artifice of commerce and marketing: they are designed in the shape of houses, to suggest a domestic space as opposed to the impersonality of a retail space, and rendered in steel mesh to add transparency. All of the garments are presented in pared-down, uniform packaging to free them from the preconceptions that would ordinarily colour such purchases.”

 

The World of Rick Owens || Rick Owens & Douglas Jennings (2014)

Cult designer Rick Owens opened his concept store in Selfridges with a monumental, 25-foot sculpture of his unclothed torso by figurative sculptor and long-time collaborator Douglas Jennings. Based in the UK, Jennings’ works can be found worldwide, including in the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace, among other places. The statue was the pièce de résistance of ‘The World of Rick Owens’, a partnership between the designer and department store, marking twenty years since the Californian launched his eponymous label. Owens also curated a series of window designs, of which three were influenced by the Richard Strauss opera Salome. Owens designed an exclusive 20-piece collection for the occasion, with each item labelled with Selfridges’ signature yellow.

 

William Shakespeare 400th Anniversary || Astrid Andersen, Caitlin Price, Liam Hodges, Life’s A Beach & New Future London (2016)

Selfridges presented a series of windows marking the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare. To celebrate the illustrious bard’s life, the retailer had window displays designed by fashion designers, product collaborations and an in-store theatre, where shoppers could attend workshops and have access to rehearsals. The Project, named Shakespeare reCITED, positioned rappers Krept and Konan, Novelist, Little Simz, Rejjie Snow and spoken word artist James Massiah as modern day playwrights. Each discussed their creative process, performed, and in the case of Rejjie Snow, created a piece of graffiti live in store. To tie in with the project, each artist was paired with a leading young British designer, including Liam Hodges, Astrid Andersen, Caitlin Price, Life’s A Beach and New Future London, to collaborate on a capsule collection and other visual outputs.

 

Louis Vuitton x Kusama Concept Store || Marc Jacobs & Yayoi Kusama (2012)

Back in 2012, Louis Vuitton famously collaborated with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama to create a collection of garments featuring her obsessional polka dots. Well known for her repeating patterns, painter, poet and performer Kusama has lived voluntarily in a psychiatric institution since 1977 after battling with her compulsions from a young age. The concept store was appropriately immersed in polka dots, with perforated giant lamps hanging over display tables while walls, floors and cabinets were covered in an abundance of bright dots of various sizes. Remarkably, twenty-four display windows were dedicated to the Vuitton and Kusama Collection and inside visitors were instructed to follow the red dots along the shop floor leading to the store and a life size model of the artist herself.

 

Christmas Windows || David Lane & Rachel Thomas (2016)

Selfridges approached art director David Lane to come up with the concept for their most recent festive windows. He then brought in set designer Rachel Thomas to collaborate with him on the project. Lane is creative director and founder of The Gourmand magazine, a biannual journal focussing on food in all its guises. Designer, Thomas’ clients include brands like Mulberry, Hermes, Anya Hindmarch and Nike. The concept, based on the words, ‘Always Be Open’, featured illuminated lettering and shimmering theatre curtains, pulled back to reveal the words. The richly toned fabrics are complemented by a soft pink backdrop, forming the stage for the installation.

 

Fragrance Lab || Campaign & The Future Laboratory (2014)

Fragrance Lab was an immersive experience conceived by Campaign and The Future Laboratory, headed by Philip Handford and Trevor Hardy respectively, taking visitors on a journey to find a scent that matches their personality. The previously existing concept in the southwest corner of the shop was transformed into a white laboratory-like space, complete with assistants in lab coats. Inside, visitors were encouraged to interact with various items along a path through the space to create an olfactory picture of their personality. At the end, each visitor was presented with a scent by perfumer Givaudan to match their character. The experience began with a personality test conducted using a set of multiple choice questions and pictures on an iPad.