The concept behind the Dr Marten's pop up store in Spitalfields, London is fundamentally inspired by Dr. Martens’ heritage. The boot was originally worn by working class society, the postmen and factory workers of the UK. It’s the spatial environments of these industrial origins that we were interested to evoke, thereby taking the brand back to its roots. We designed the store with a no frills aesthetic using inexpensive industrial materials, readily available and quick to assemble to capture the attitude and heritage of Dr Martens that catapulted it from a working-class essential to a counter-cultural icon. The store is designed in a lo-fi way with flexibility in mind; the store interior is easily modified to allow the stores to be changed at a very minimal cost on a regular basis. The location of the yellow dividing curtain can be changed on a ceiling grid to divide the space differently, a device which changes the flow of the store and therefore helps to keep the local & returning customer engaged.
What was the brief from the client? Do you need to face a small budget?
The brief was to create a store to a small budget that could be replicated globally.
What kind of materials did you use?
Materials include Gypframe metal wall system used to create the display system, warehouse PVC curtain used to create store divisions, repurposed furniture shrink-wrapped to create cash desk. All signage is stenciled directly onto the glass store front or floor and lighting supplied by Site Box.
How does it differ in your opinion to design a pop-up store from designing a normal store?
The difference between a conventional high street retail store and a pop-up store is first and foremost the fact that a normal store is designed to enhance and display product, where as the pop up shop is an exercise in promoting the brand. The two types of projects have very different budgets since the latter is governed by marketing spend. A traditional store is designed with a shelf life of approximately 5 years and the durability of the materials is a priority. In a pop-up store, the concept and the store’s capacity to attract attention is more important.
What have been the reactions of people and visitors?
The reaction from the retail and design press has been incredible. It seems to have been a real success, so much so that Dr Martens are keen to roll out seven more pop-up stores globally!
Campaign is a London based design workshop founded by Philip Handford to push the boundaries of the consumer experience. The studio is hands-on in exploring different media and methods in order to tell unique and engaging brand stories, developing integrated brand experiences through interior architecture and graphic design. Campaign is currently working with University of Arts London to develop their brand in a new range of promotional materials. The studio is also collaborating with Christopher Bailey, Creative Director of Burberry, to develop furniture and interior concepts for Burberry’s stores worldwide.









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