Retail Brands Refresh and Relaunch With Summer-Themed Pop-Ups
Fashion and food projects make cameos around town.
Pop-ups have long served as a way for retailers to temporarily extend their geographic or seasonal reach and for real estate brokers to rent space that may otherwise stay vacant. While that may still be the case in some instances, pop-ups have increasingly turned into valuable tools for brands to launch new lines and generate publicity in the process.
With spring well underway and summer just around the corner, we’ve noted a variety of pop-ups around New York. Here’s the latest on a couple such projects, whose scope ranges from the lakes of Northern New England to the seaside of Southern Italy.
Camp Sebago Pop-up Store
To mark its 70th anniversary, the Sebago brand, which originally hails from its namesake lake in Maine, set anchor in the NoLita area of Manhattan for the summer. The retail space showcases the theme ‘life well crafted’, and features a collection of pastel hued boat shoes, as well as signature penny loafers, apparel and bags for men and women. Some buyers may wear them while relaxing in town while others stock up on the items for their Big Apple getaways.
Sebago has both sides of the pond covered. Their core merchandise reflects their New England heritage, and their new collaboration with Liberty of London art fabrics adds a stylish array of patterned footwear to the mix. Speaking of Britain, none other than Kate Middleton sported taupe and white suede Sebago moccasins during a recent official visit to India with her husband. (Naturally that model became a favorite with non-royal shoppers afterwards).
Sabbia, Eataly’s Rooftop Bar
While Sebago popped up north of Little Italy, a seasonal summertime bar made an appearance on the roof of gourmet Italian food seller Eataly in New York’s Flatiron district. Sabbia, which means “sand” in Italian, replaced its wintertime counterpart, Baita Birreria, a rustic space brimming with pine trees and the flavor of the Italian Alps.
Sabbia has a lively nautical décor, complete with cabanas, beach chairs, umbrellas and a raw boat bar. The roof is retractable during fair weather, and the menu focuses on Italian themed cocktails and coastal fare.
Eataly serves as a popular year-round destination for locals, U.S. and overseas visitors, and this rooftop venue adds more buzz.
