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Setting: Mid-December. NYC. Weather as unpredictable as expected this time of year: Current Temp – “X”; Feels Like – “Y” do I keep doing this to myself?
You navigate the busy-ness of a New York City street compounded by holiday foot traffic.
Your Destination? SoHo. 477 Broadway, 2nd Floor.
Why: First of all…there are rumors of cocktail and whiskey samplings and catered bites… open-bar style.
There are also rumors of a pop-up shop of pretty exceptional brands under a single roof… #disfinnabeabreeze.
You reach your destination escaping the cold, and enter a warm, inviting, and colorful (I mean literally, colorful… SheaMoisture is set up near the entrance with a VERY pink, tall-standing, Christmas tree-like structure made up of curated gift boxes) loft. Immediately, you know you’ve entered a space designed very intentionally with you in mind.
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To say theBOM holiday pop-up experience was the BOMB would be so understated.
It was the perfect demonstration of what happens when culture, community, and commerce collide in explosive fashion creating an alternative and especially empowering shopping experience.
Culture: The vendors were all very conscious and intentional about what they created: products infused with their unique identities and stories. At the end of your visit, you brought home bags full of traditions passed down through generations; a candle whose fragrance locks in a single inspired moment in the creator’s life retold each time you light; vintage novelty items that revisit a Brooklyn that no longer exists; conscious, functional art in the form of a watch that demonstrates the creators equal care of the planet and appreciation for art.
Photo Credit: Karl Lunsford
Community: The sense of a shared goal was palpable from entry to exit. You walked down long rows of, vendors who in the entrepreneurial spirit created products that addressed not only their needs, but the needs of a much larger community. You encountered scores of patrons and merchants who, rather than complain about all the ways in which they aren’t accommodated in some form of fleeting protest, chose to actively resist the status quo and commit to create, build, and invest in community.
Photo Credit: Karl Lunsford
Commerce: It was commerce at its finest, not some form of pity patronization of black-owned business or blind support – which are just unsustainable. theBOM had handpicked vendors of exceptional quality, who created products that competed with – even outperformed – the best and most well-known brands. That you could purchase anything from consciously-produced apparel and jewelry to organic and clean beauty and care products (and at competitive prices!) was no small accomplishment.
Photo Credit: Karl Lunsford
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oneKIN exists because the pop-up experience needs to be a daily encounter where consumers and merchants can seamlessly share culture, enjoy community, and engage in commerce; and because all consumers deserve ready access to vendors who are attuned to their needs, and maintain a commitment to the highest quality standards.
As we enter the New Year inching one month closer to our spring 2018 launch, we continue to work tirelessly to create the ultimate online pop-up experience you deserve.