Vans: Covent Garden Boutique
Task
P13 was tasked to launch and programme Europe’s first boutique store for Vans EU in London's legendary Covent Garden, aimed at an art and design focused consumer.
Approach
London is one of the most creative cities in the world, but lack of space in central London is a challenge. The unique remit involved establishing an IRL platform designed to support London’s creative communities.
Output
Downstairs, we curated residency partners aligned with Vans' brand values of creative expression and authenticity, providing a useful and credible platform for both emerging and established creative communities.
Upstairs, we commissioned a Covent Garden inspired pub sign, a floral tribute to Covent Garden’s heritage and curated the lifestyle product for the store.
THE STORE LAUNCH
CULTURAL PROGRAMMING
For our first three month launch residency, we brought back the critically acclaimed London gallery and design-led store, KK OUTLET, which closed its East London doors in 2018. The return of KK Outlet saw the downstairs space recreated into their iconic tiled shop, a monthly exhibition and weekly workshops with their extensive and credible network and their well known mealticket format.
After this, Platform13 programmed a variety of takeovers, opening up the activation space as a platform for those who did not have a physical space of their own: an Anti Valentine's pop-up and themed workshops from Mean Mail, the first solo exhibition and tote bag customisation session from Liisa Chisholm, the first ever London pop-up showroom and launch party from Hatton Labs, and an exhibition and pop-up shop from Teejerker.
RETAIL DESIGN
We commissioned London creatives on a variety of retail assets to represent a contemporary Covent Garden. This included:
A bespoke pub style logo for the store and large mirrored artwork from traditional sign painter Alex May Hughes, a rotating exhibition from emerging artists - first up, the collective Roar Artists, a floral window installation from Palais, a reference to Covent Garden's famous flower market and traditional floral window boxes and a permanent art piece of over 20 skate decks by London artist Barry Reigate.
We sourced the every changing lifestyle product for the store, carefully selecting brands and artists, such as candle brand Earl of East, book publishers Hoxton Mini Press, ceramics artist Liisa Chisholm and CBD skincare brand DISCIPLE.
