What Is A Fashion Pop-Up

We record from Central Park and unpack what a fashion pop-up actually is through our first-hand visit to Prada’s Chelsea Hotel activation. We talk about why it felt more like immersive art than shopping, what surprised us about the crowd, and how you can find great pop-ups before they blow up online.
• recording on location in Central Park and what you hear in the background
• first impressions of the Prada pop-up at the Chelsea Hotel
• collaboration-first storytelling with film and video game culture
• retro futuristic set design and the three-room walkthrough
• why a pop-up can work with minimal branding
• what fashion brands gain from pop-ups during slower seasons
• how Prada’s approach compares with New York Fashion Week pop-ups
• practical ways to find pop-ups through brand accounts and local creators
• how to join Victoria’s Instagram broadcast channel for fashion opportunities

Make sure to follow @thatsthevpodcast on all platforms for more fashion content and a big thank you to our sponsor, JAG Premier Advertising Agency
If you're looking to get on platforms like Hulu or Netflix, check out the link: https://jagadvertising.com/

Transcript

Central Park Setup And Sound

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Hi and welcome back to another episode of That's the Be. Today we are recording from Central Park, New York City. So if you're watching on YouTube, you'll see our lovely scenery and backdrop. But if you're listening to us, you're probably gonna hear a lot of Central Park noises. So just be aware of that.

Arriving At The Prada Pop-Up

SPEAKER_01 0:29

I'm here with my lovely manager, Alex, and we went to a fashion pop-up yesterday with Prada. So today's topic is what is a fashion pop-up? So tell us about your experience at the Prada pop-up.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

Well, yeah, we went to the Prada pop-up at the Chelsea Hotel yesterday in New York. It was a three-day pop-up from Prada. We went on the third day, and it was my first fashion pop-up, and I really had no idea what to expect. Um, but it was really cool. I thought I was gonna see some Prada items, some some of them promoting some attire, some new, you know, some line that they're coming out with, but no, it was very experienced collaboration focused. It seemed like Prada really wanted to put a spotlight on this uh filmmaker and video game uh maker that they collaborated with out of Japan, which I think is really cool. Um, and you know, just standing in line. I was also really surprised by who was standing in line, just like a wide variety of background and you know, different styles and fashion in the line. I mean, it was just a really wide audience, so I thought that was really cool, and I feel like that's that was kind of the purpose of this pop-up and this collaboration of bringing different types of people together to enjoy something that is art.

SPEAKER_01 2:05

Yeah, exactly. I love that you say that it was like what that it is art because Prada was really just trying to, from what I read, uh promote how much of a culture-driven brand they are, and pushing that forward with this artsy collaboration, but also very futuristic. I mean, it was a whole bunch of screens and metallics and just like bedrooms, but it was like telling the story of these two men who uh from what I read, they're like really good friends, and they're like in different industries, but somehow still like entertaining. So, like video games, filmmaking, and just making something come together with product.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

Yeah, um, it was very retro futuristic, very retro futuristic. Like a little bit of both.

SPEAKER_01 2:58

It was nostalgic, but yet like very robot y.

Touring The Three Immersive Rooms

SPEAKER_00 3:04

Yeah. And then and and for everyone listening and watching, the experience was you would walk up the stairs, and there were three rooms that you would walk into, right? It was three. Yeah. Uh the first one was a like a bedroom with just a bed, uh clouds, and a nightstand with a phone on it, and like drapes all around with old TVs from like the 1980s stacked on top of each other, like a pyramid, with something plain that was definitely from that time as well, and everything was decorated, as you said, like clouts.

SPEAKER_01 3:41

It all had like a print, each room had a theme. Um, but I do want to get into like this was one pop-up experience specifically with Prada, but usually I like pop-ups are meant to be very engaging, but also like very interactive. That's the whole point of it. It's to put yourself like immerse yourself into the art, the experience, the fashion. Uh, so for you, what did you think a fashion pop-up was before you experienced this specific one?

SPEAKER_00 4:22

Uh, to me, a fashion pop-up would be, you know, an event uh where they, you know, a fashion brand would do some sort of event in a random location that you really wouldn't think of. A fashion brand holding something and having it be, like I said, the biggest surprise to me was more of yes, you know, I know it

Defining What A Fashion Pop-Up Is

SPEAKER_00 4:44

was a collaboration, so I was expecting to see some art, see something about, you know, the the the Japanese filmmaker that they collaborated with, but something of Prada as well.

SPEAKER_01 4:55

Yeah, there was like no branding aside from the like pamphlet we got in the beginning, and then the little gift we got towards the end.

SPEAKER_00 5:06

We got goodie boxes instead of goodie bags.

SPEAKER_01 5:08

I love that. I feel like that's when Prada comes in. Like they they come in with their branding and their label and their boxing, and I mean what we got.

SPEAKER_00 5:18

It was very much just not about them. Yeah, and I think that was cool. And also what surprised me the most about the pop-up being my first fashion pop-up, I intend.

SPEAKER_01 5:27

I do know pop-ups when they first uh like pop up, like the day they kind of do like the inauguration of the pop-up, they usually tend to be more event-driven, have celebrities, influencers come in. The rest of the days are more like I feel for for the public. They still get the experience, but the whole fashion part of it really is like the initial event that makes it happen, that really kind of gets the like social media going, media outlets getting the attention, and also just like showcasing the outfits they're wearing rather than throughout the like three days that this specific pop-up was. But a lot of events or pop-ups would only be sometimes it's just one day, and it's just like you get invited or not. Um, and sometimes like this, it's more inclusive and more for people to enjoy it and experience it.

Why Brands Host Pop-Ups

SPEAKER_00 6:33

So let me let me ask you a question, if you don't mind. You know, what what is the purpose? You know, what are what are the goals of these fashion brands from doing these pop-ups? Like, what do they hope to get out of it? You know, like what would what would Prada, you know, what would their main goal be out of doing the pop-up yesterday? Not having any accessories or items or clothing of split.

SPEAKER_01 6:55

From what I read, it was mostly, like I said, uh promoting how they are very culture-driven. They're keeping up with not just the fashion of things, but seeing like where technology is taking us and like kind of immersing these worlds of not just fashion, but video games and filmmaking and how they can all come together. So I feel like you told me this earlier, like it might be a hint to where Prada is being taken to, but we don't know yet.

SPEAKER_00 7:38

We don't know, but you know, that could be something there, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 7:42

So I'm to answer your question too, I feel like pop-ups and why brands do it are just to get like more of that attention, especially when it's like low season, there's not really like a fashion week going on right now in this moment. Uh, like Paris Hot Couture is coming up next, but it it's I feel like technically in fashion world right now is like a slow time until we're back into like fashion weeks and all that staying the top of mind, yeah, kind of thing. Yeah, it's like a good way to get uh-huh to be on top of mind, especially like with their customers or consumers, and especially when they open up to the public, they want people to to feel like I feel part of the brand. Uh, if you love the brand, you know these things are happening. Like I knew this because I saw a post about it, because I followed their page, and I just like applied and and got us those entrances. So it's definitely something to keep yeah, top of mind. It's like a good tactic for that, I would say.

SPEAKER_00 8:55

Yeah, that's that seems smart. Now, I know you've you've mentioned you've been to multiple fashion pop-ups, especially during New York Fashion Week.

How This Pop-Up Compares

SPEAKER_00 9:03

So there's like a lot of those going on. So yeah, you know, this was my first fashion pop-up, not yours. Uh-huh. What was your experience about this fashion fashion pop-up versus other ones that you've been to? Like, was there something unique about this one? Was it similar to your other experiences?

SPEAKER_01 9:20

I will say sometimes um it is more visual. So you are there to like get content more than anything, be in the space, but you don't necessarily get anything. Um so it was really nice that Prada gave us like a little gift after the fact that we experienced the Yeah, we got some pins for everyone that knows. So excited. Three pins, Prada pins, Prada pins, all our things. But I mean it just really varies. Sometimes it's just very visual, sometimes it's more of like a cocktail hour or like a coffee hour, and you're getting like branded drinks and like looking at the exhibit that they have, or if it's like a collection pop-up kind of thing, or if it's a place they want to showcase. It just really depends. They've all been very different, but I do love the ones that you get to keep something from it. It's it's that's the best.

SPEAKER_00 10:23

Yeah, I I loved that we got a little souvenir for my first fashion pop-up and with Prada. Doesn't get better than that.

SPEAKER_01 10:30

So, I mean, all I can say is keep a lookout over the next pop-ups. They usually happen during New York Fashion Week. There's a ton of them in September in New York for Fashion Week. Um, I do know brands do them in other cities, mostly, I mean, I would say like LA, Austin, um, bigger cities that are gonna get that attention and that public. But like brands will do them around Fashion Week when it's busy, just to kind of like keep on top of things if they don't have like the money to also do like a full-on fashion show, or maybe they're not like a fashion brand necessarily, but they're more of like accessories or they're food, even and they're taking advantage that there's a fashion week going on, and they'll like do a collab with fashion week because of that. Um, but it just really depends on like the brands you follow. I know a lot of them are starting to do pop-ups, even for just content

How To Find Pop-Ups Fast

SPEAKER_01 11:35

purposes.

SPEAKER_00 11:35

I mean, is that the best way to find out about uh fashion pop-ups? Is just following the brands on social media or anything else that someone can do to try to find out, you know.

SPEAKER_01 11:45

I would say yes, follow the brands, but also I know like a lot of New York girlies who will post about them. Um, one of them being Sasha. We had her in the pod very early on. Um, and she has a channel, she posts so so many things going on in New York, New York City. I shout out to Sasha. Yes, shout out to Sasha, we love you. But anyway, also I try to share as much as I can in my broadcast channel for opportunities of pop-ups, but also just like casting something like that.

SPEAKER_00 12:22

You have your own broadcast channel, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:24

Yeah, and I mean mine is I feel like yes, some New York, but everything going out like in the southwest, more like Texas, New Mexico, as you know, like the things that are happening, even like LA, I'll share some of the things there.

SPEAKER_00 12:38

How does someone get into your broadcast channel?

SPEAKER_01 12:41

They go into my Instagram at Victoria Costa04, and then you see the broadcast channel, and then you just get into it. Perfect.

SPEAKER_00 12:53

Yeah, all right, yeah, get into it, people. You want to know about some fashion pop-ups? Follow Victoria's broadcast channel.

SPEAKER_01 12:59

That's how you do it.

SPEAKER_00 13:00

And fashion what else do you have on that broadcast channel? Fashion opportunities, other than fashion pop-ups.

SPEAKER_01 13:07

Well, I mean, as I was saying, castings, opportunities, even jobs, internship, internships, anything that's like I think fashion forward or like culture driven, something that's creative mostly. I I will share as much as I can.

SPEAKER_00 13:25

Okay, I didn't mean to deviate us off topic. Sorry.

SPEAKER_01 13:29

No, you're fine. Um, but yeah, that's how you can find all the things, and that's just a little bit of what a fashion pop-up is.

Wrap Up Sponsor And Subscribe

SPEAKER_00 13:40

Wonderful.

SPEAKER_01 13:41

And that's the V.

SPEAKER_00 13:43

Thanks for listening. Like and subscribe.

SPEAKER_01 13:46

Yes, please. We we love all the uh support. Like and subscribe, share, all the things, and we will see you next time.

SPEAKER_00 13:58

Ciao.

SPEAKER_01 13:59

Ciao! Thank you for tuning in. Make sure to follow at That's the V podcast on all platforms for more fashion content. And a big thank you to our sponsor, Jag Premier Advertising Agency. If you're looking to get on platforms like Hulu or Netflix, check out the link in the description.