Gucci Icon-Temporary flash store

Pop-up stores have been the recurring theme in retail this year but it seems the trend for popping-up may be popping its clogs, to be replaced by something a little cleverer. Frida Giannini, Gucci’s Creative Director, has set the tone, launching the ‘Gucci Icon-Temporary flash sneaker store’, a travelling pop-up shop with a difference.

See more of the limited edition Gucci sneakers

The flash store will travel the world, starting today at Crosby Street in New York, where it’ll rest for two weeks before jetting to Miami in December, to catch the crowds at the art and design fairs. Giannini has enlisted the help of super-producer Mark Ronson, not just to provide the soundtrack (though he’s done this too) but to design a limited edition Gucci Ronson sneaker, one for every leg of the tour.

Alongside Ronson’s offering, 18 styles of limited-edition sneaker are available (16 for men and 2 for women), each incorporating classic Gucci elements like the interlocking G logo and the red and green band. Upping the exclusivity, each pair comes with a silver or gold dog tag and the option of embossing the buyer’s initials onto a leather tag for the laces. The packaging for each pair has been tailor-made for each destination too.

In the speedy world of retail, where shoppers are ever savvier and brands are obliged to innovate and offer something even more special than the month before, Gucci’s answer is a step ahead of the pack.

And, proving they’re inclusive too, for anyone not in range of one of the store’s scheduled stops, Gucci have just released a comprehensive, free iPhone app. As well as giving people the chance to buy a pair of the exclusive Ronson sneakers from their phone, when the store arrives in their city, the Gucci app has a ‘Gucci Beats’ virtual turntable also designed by Ronson for customers to mix their own music and a little black book of Frida Giannini’s favourite shops, restaurants, clubs and hotels around the world.

23 October 2009 | Fashion