SS19 ‘Earthstrong’ Pop Up Shop

This was my first-ever pop-up, and it remains one of the most formative projects of my career.

I was fully responsible for every aspect of the project, from start to finish. That included conceptualising the collection, designing all graphics, sourcing and developing products, securing and building out the space, and planning and programming events throughout the run. I also designed all supporting print materials, including in-store posters, window decals, stickers, and pins. In effect, I designed not just the products, but the entire environment they lived in.

I built and operated the shop for ten days while still studying at university. Fun fact: this all happened during the same week my Master’s thesis was due.

This project is a clear example of how I approach building full concepts. Not just designing products in isolation, but designing the spaces, experiences, and systems around them to create something cohesive, meaningful, and functional in the real world.

A note I wrote when I announced the pop-up on Instagram (May):

All I ever wanted to do was create something that meant something. To create something that gave people hope and made them want to stick around to see good days, to meet good people, to see the beauty the world has to offer. To see cities and sunsets with the people they love, and the people who love them. To move mountains. To find their tribe. To feel love when they find someone who makes them feel good.

I never thought I would have people from South Korea, Norway, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, and beyond tell me that the words I wrote and the things I created made them want to stick around. That the message I unapologetically repeated over and over again made them feel okay with existing. That is still surreal to me.

This whole thing was hard and stressful, but it was also deeply fulfilling, and it helped me more than it helped anyone else. The recurring theme in everything I’ve ever tried to do has always been simple: be good. Try to do good. Everyone around us knew how long and heavy that year had been, trying to make sense of it all. This was the moment it finally clicked for me.

I poured my heart and soul into everything from day one. This was only possible because of the good people who kept me going.