Popped Up!
Pop up stores are such a ‘now’ phenomenon – just take the ToBe shoe shop last weekend, and the hype around Pop up shops and restaurants in London. And really, it makes sense: we’re all looking for unique experiences, we all love to buy stuff. And of course we’ve all seen the vacant shops around the place – there is space sitting empty, and some clever people are taking the proverbial by the horns. Case in point the latest pop up shop at 302 Tinakori Road.
With those ‘For Lease’ signs around the place, who could blame Kate Harrison from Native for taking note of a vacant shop on Tinakori Road one day. With so many talented designers in Wellington traipsing to markets every weekend and uploading onto websites, she certainly had a fair few beautiful things to choose from to populate the shop.
The store stocks a mix of market winners, online boutique makers and wholesalers, coming together for guest spots among the main shop stock from Native, AQ Bags and Cathy Baddeley Design. The prices are cheaper than any other craft and design shop and there is a whole heap of temptations, from gorgeous paper buntings to Kapiti Kitchen lemonade. It’s a great idea, and the place feels like a hive of activity when you walk in, with the makers themselves there to chat to you. While I was there Lyndy from Stitchbird Fabrics and I got chatting about how she got in to designer fabric, and how she sources her fabric from Australia and Japan then sells at markets, online, and even on Trade Me. Seeing the fabrics up close and chatting to her bought the fabrics to life and perked up my urges to sew considerably!
Looking at the daily schedule, it’s like a Lollapalooza of Loveliness, all tightly packed in to the cosy shop. I’ve tried to link to samples of work to give you an idea of what you can check out and which talented Wellington locals you might have the privilege of meeting:
- Friday 23rd Lyndy, Stichbird Fabrics & Anna, Zamm Lights
- Saturday 24th Sharon, We Got Knits
- Sunday 25th Melissa, Liss Photography
- Tuesday 27th Catherine, Imba
- Wednesday 28th Karen, Taprobane
- Thursday 29th Kate, Stitchlips & Christina, Cupcake Sweeties
- Friday 30th Shelley, Sweet William & Elle, Cactus Flower
- Saturday 31st Diane, Diane Massey Molloy; Meg, TeaPea & Sue Tyler
See? Heaps of great local stuff! And like all good pop up stores, it will be gone before you know it so start planning a trip to Thorndon now. It’s a pretty sweet suburb for a weekend stroll anyway, you might as well spend some money while you’re at it…
What else would you recommend we check out in Thorndon?
- By Steph, 2 comments
- Posted 23 April 2010
2 comments
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This place sounds fab. It's so good to see one of these pop-up shops around for more than a week, as all too often you hear about them after they've been and gone and you've missed out on some great stuff!
By Al, 27 April 2010
Also pays to note they have Eftpos... it's the last weekend people, go get some bargains!
By Steph, 29 April 2010