Once upon A Pop-up Store: Interview with Paige from Shop Bicyclette
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TweetYou will find Paige working at her pop-up shop, Shop Bicyclette at 972 Queen Street West. But, it won’t be there much longer. That’s the beauty of the pop-up shop concept – here today, and gone tomorrow. This holiday season, you can find modern fashion from names like Central Park West and Motel Janine at Shop Bicyclette until the end of December 2010.
Pop-up stores are sensational. What do you do to create that sensational experience for your customers?
Visual merchandise is a huge thing for me. The atmosphere of the store is really important so I put a big emphasis on the visual displays and having a theme. Right now, it’s a Winter Wonderland theme with the white and the glitter. It’s the holidays, so it’s bringing people in and offering them a little bit of chance to see the product that I’m offering.
This isn’t your first pop-up store. What did you take from the first one and apply to this second one?
Marketing is huge, so for this one I definitely contacted more bloggers and local press. But, it was hard because it was last minute. I only had about a week to put everything together. And, it was an insane week to put everything together so everything was very, very last minute.
Also, the first one was in Kensington Market, so I definitely wanted to try out a different area. Queen Street West (fashion district of Toronto) is where I’d ultimately want to be for a permanent location. So, it was really important to me to find somewhere in that general area so that I can kind of test it out.
What is the one key thing to be mindful to other inspiring owners of pop-up shops?
Visual merchandise. I know a lot of shops go in with temporary racks, throw everything together and not worry about that. But, I think that creating environment replicates a store. People really appreciate it. They appreciate the details and they notice them. It doesn’t take much. I found most of my stuff. I re-painted it. Or, I borrowed it. Or, I’ve done my own little twist. So, you can do it on a dime.
What would be the one thing that would give your best friend from your store?
The necklace that I’m wearing. It’s a jeweler (Lauren Elan Collections) that I just started working with. Her pieces are one of a kind because they are individually tangled. Her pieces are absolutely amazing, so that would be my ultimate gift. I had this piece customized as my Christmas present from my boyfriend. I think its’ better to pick out your own gifts sometimes!
What’s next for you?
January/February is going to bit slower. I’m taking time off to do some planning for the next year. In March, I’ll have another pop-up shop if not a permanent location. I’m looking for a space for 4-6 months – a more permanent pop-up shop but with still that temporary aspect.
Also, there will be a lot of focus online. I just did a lot of photo shoots, so there will be more creative editorial shots.
Blinked and missed Shop Bicyclett’s pop-up on Queen Street? Or, you don’t live in the centre of the universe (aka Tdot, TO, or Toronto)? Find Paige’s collection at http://www.shopbicyclette.ca/.
Picture captions:
1) Bicyclette – A name inspired by chic women dressed to the nines riding their bikes in Amsterdam – a romantic/whimsical/nostalgic feeling.
2) Paige – A Fashion Communications graduate from Ryerson, Paige has worked herself into the fashion industry with her humble start in Whistler, BC. The concept of the store came from her final thesis as part of her creative project at school.
3) Earmuffs –Paige’s other gift recommendation? Earmuffs from Unique Fille. “They are just so much fun. I’ve never seen anything else like them. They are from a designer from the UK but she is originally from Toronto.”
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