The Shophound

HOLIDAY POP-UP: COOL HUNTING X GAP Will Be Your Favorite Gift Shop

Is there anythign more frustrating than shopping for gifts and being faced with the same old crap everywhere you turn? A few months ago, the folks at the GAP began addressing this problem by approaching Josh Rubin and Evan Orensten of Cool Hunting to fill their Fifth Avenue Concept Shop with Holiday Gifts. The pair quickly got to work squeezing about six months of work into four weeks and wound up with a collection of items that perfectly encapsulates their website's endless quest for the unusual, the intriguing and the just plain cool.

Rubin, Orensten and their editorial team's assortment ranges from brands you'll recognize like OXO, Moscot and Jonathan Adler, who made special limited edition merchandise for the shop, to obscure artisans and even friends and family. Special focus was given to local sources, and there are an abundance of items under $100, and quite a few under $50.

Orensten walked us through the store last week as the finishing touches were being applied just before their opening party. There are tons of items to browse from the practical and utilitarian like Jawbone's hot new Jambone speaker in an exclusive Cool Hunting green to specially commissioned flights of fancy like working skateboards completely covered in kimono fabrics by Tokyo's Zillion ($650-$750). There are toiletries, jewelry, accessories, food items, home items, toys for kids and even some for pets. Is it a random assortment? In a sense, but as in any good store, the merchandise is tied together with its collective appeal and Cool Hunting's dedication to innovative design, artisan craftsmanship, social and environmental consciousness.

Of course, they didn't just ship a bunch of stuff to the Gap and stack them on the shelves. ByKenyan was engaged to transform the white space of the shop into something of a general store with reclaimed wood from upstate barns, wall paintings by Evolving Image and an Ian Hundley quilt based on a map of the city ($2,500). Even the elaborate chandeliers are available for purchase.

There are too may items to recount, but our personal favorites included a limited edition Cool Hunting collaboration with the newly rejuvenated Swiss watchmaker Marvin, a charming avocado salt & pepper shaker for $40 from Daina Platais Ceramics, Tech Gloves from Freehands ($18-$80) with thumb and index fingers that peel back so you can use your iPhone without removing them, a Special Edition Marker Set ($500) from artist Tom Sachs and Krink, a build-it-yourself Bamboo Bike Studio Kit for $496, a limited edition Mast Brothers chocolate bar ($10), a special edition wool cycling cap from Outlier ($90) and so much more.

In addition, Gap and Cool Hunting will be hosting a series of events throughout the season to spotlight special designers and products. The schedule of events will be available on Gap's Facebook Fan Page. The Cool Hunting shop will be open every day (except Christmas) through Sunday, January 2^nd, but we are guessing that much of the limited edition merchandise will be sold out well before then, so don't dawdle. So far this is one of our favorite things to hit Gap's Concept Space in quite some time. Maybe if we are very, very good it will become a regular seasonal event.

GAP X Cool Hunting Holiday Pop-Up Shop through January 2^nd, 2011, 680 Fifth Avenue between 53^rd & 54^th Streets, Midtown
Cool Hunting (Official Site)

After the jump, a few more of our favorite items:

WEEKEND PLANS II: The Pop-Up Flea Returns On Friday

Got enough places to shop this weekend? There's Lanvin's H&M collaboration this Saturday, and Housing Works' Fashion For Action event from Friday to Sunday, but if your tastes run more to the curated rather than discounted or mega-hyped, then you'll be happy to hear that The Pop-Up Flea is making a return appearance at the Openhouse Gallery on Mulberry Street. The folks behind the widely admired style blog A Continuous Lean make their version of the best men's store in the city for just a weekend, and the vendor list including companies like L.L.Bean Signature, Billykirk, and Levi’s Vintage Clothing among many others, perfectly reflects their classic-heritage-conscious sensibility.

The event runs from Friday afternoon to Sunday, so pick out your best flannel shirt, pull on some weathered Red Wing Boots and clomp on down to Mulberry Street.

The Pop Up Flea Friday November 19^th: 3 - 9 PM, Saturday the 20^th: 11 AM - 7 PM, Sunday the 21^st: 11 AM - 6 PM at the Openhouse Gallery 201 Mulberry Street between Spring and Kenmare Streets, NoLita
Vendors to include:
Oak Street Bootmakers, J.W Hulme, Levi’s Vintage Clothing, L.L. Bean Signature, Smith + Butler, Tellason, Billykirk, Aether, Tanner Goods, Scout Original, Wooden Sleepers, Riviera Club, Alexander Olch, Gant, Oliver Spencer, The Hill-Side / Hickoree’s Hard Goods, Grown & Sewn, Stanley & Sons, J.Crew, Gitman Brothers Vintage, Schott NYC, Digby & Iona, Alexander West, Leather Head / Lemon Ball + a few other surprises.

PRODUCE PACKAGE: Harry & David's Holiday House

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the immense temple of authentic artisanal Italian cuisine that is Eataly, know that just a few blocks away, there is now a humble respite, at least for a few months. Old favorite Harry & David, whose motto is, "Happiness Delivered" has opened, at least for now, a branch of its Orchard stores right on Fifth Avenue between 21st & 22nd Streets. After traipsing through the counters of precious italian delicacies whisked over here from the hills of Tuscany or wherever, there is something improbably charming about strolling a block or so away to tuck into a giant tin of Moose Munch. Yes folks, that's all sorts of combinations of popcorn, nuts, caramel chocolate etc. Screw the Prosciutto di Parma.

Of course, there are also the fruit boxes that made Harry & David famous and that nearly everyone has found delivered to the doorstep at one time or another. And in case you need a last minute Hostess gift or office presents, there are all manner of baskets ready for presentation. What may put you over is the abundance of sampling, which would be fully expected in a food shop such as this, but is woefully missing from the self important food hall up the street. After all, how are you going to know how much you boss will enjoy that tin of Moose Munch if there's no cheery staffer offering a taste.

Is it a little bit hokey to have your picture taken as a giant pear? Well, okay, we'll give you that, but then a big box of luscious pears refreshingly straightforward and free of international significance somehow makes all the hokeyness O.K.

Harry & David Orchard 155 Fifth Avenue between 21st & 22nd Streets, Flatiron District

TASTE TESTS: A Pop-Tarts Gourmet Review

The bloggers of Serious Eats did what The Shophound hasn't the stomach to attempt: taste the specially concocted Pop-Tart dishes at the Pop-Tarts World pop-up shop in Times Square. As you might expect, the critiques ranged from "Please, please don't eat this," "All kinds of wrong," and "Nearly made me gag," to "If you've got the sugar tolerance, you might even like it," the faintest of praise. Ranked on an edibility scale of 1 to 10, only one item made it over a 5 —hard to ruin Trail Mix with bits of Pop Tart mixed in made it to a 7. The "sushi" pictured above rated a 0 as in " I physically could not bring myself to swallow."

This all probably comes as a surprise to nobody, but we suggest clicking through to their slide show for a stunning parade of crimes against the palate which will also save you the trouble of actually visiting the shop yourself just to satisfy your curiosity. At the very least, it's worth a look at their journey through the menu for the some of the most unappetizing food pictures we have ever seen.

Bon appetit!

We Ate at Pop-Tarts World in Times Square (Serious Eats)

TODAY IN NUTRITION: Pop Tarts Pop-Up To Serve Times Square

Is it not enough that there is already a huge store devoted to M&M's in Times Square? Starting tomorrow, Kellogg's will open a 3,200 square foot store devoted to Pop Tarts, possibly one of the American food industry's greatest empty calorie delivery systems (which are, admittedly, sometimes really yummy).

The New York Times tells us this morning that the shop will not just dispense the nutritionally questionable toaster pastries, it will serve 30 snacks and desserts made from Pop Tarts that sound so cloying that we have a sugar headache just reading about them.

The menu includes the Fluffer Butter, marshmallow spread sandwiched between two Pop-Tarts frosted fudge pastries; the Sticky Cinna Munchies, cinnamon rolls topped with cream-cheese icing and chunks of Pop-Tarts cinnamon-roll variety; and Ants on a Log?, which is celery, peanut butter and chunks of the Wild Grape version.

And then there’s the Pop-Tarts Sushi, three kinds of Pop-Tarts minced and then wrapped in a fruit roll-up. “We did an internal tasting here at the building, and it was the winner,” said Etienne Patout, senior director at the Pop-Tarts brand, part of the Kellogg Company.

Visitors can also build their own Pop-Tarts, starting with a basic pastry and asking servers to add frosting, toppings (coconut, sprinkles) and drizzle (caramel, raspberry). They can take their pastries frozen, toasted, microwaved or uncooked, but there will be no self-serve.

Imagine that —desserts made out of something that is basically already dessert masquerading as breakfast (would you like some sugar with your sugar?). It's so wonderful to see companies advancing New York City's tradition of culinary innovation, isn't it? The shop's lease runs through January at which point Kellogg's has the option to make the store permanent.

A Times Square Aura for Pop-Tarts (NYTimes)

BLINK AND YOU'LL MISS IT: Target Promises A One Night Stand For Zac Posen Next Week

Are they trying to make these things harder for everyone?

After last month's sellout Liberty of London pop-up which had to close a days early because they ran out of goods, Target will be holding a one-night pop-up store for its upcoming collaboration collection with Zac Posen at Eighth Avenue and 34^th Street opening on Thursday, April 15^th at 11 PM and closing a scant 24 hours later on Friday Night.

Though the location is convenient, the timing does add an extra sense of urgency. Apparently, the folks at Target have a soft spot for crowd frenzy issues, and what could be more fun than having all that going right about when you'd love to be in bed?! You don't have to answer that. Billed as a "Shopping Party", already weary shoppers are promised DJ sets as well as at a performance from the all-girl-band The Like. Well, at least musicians are used to staying up all night, right?

Having the shop located conveniently near Penn Station will make it extra accessible to commuters. Of course, if you are a commuter, you probably have a great big Target store nearby in whatever suburb you come from, so you don't need to be bothered with these Pop-Up stores that we Target-starved Manhattanites rely on. You can probably wait until April 25^th and shop in relative comfort when the line is released chain-wide. Unfortunately, Manhattan's first Target in East Harlem, which was projected to have been open by this month, has pushed its opening back a bit (to June?), so this shop will be the main destination for folks here looking for the complete Posen for Target collection. Don't forget to bring a few NoDoz.

Zac Posen for Target 24-hour Shopping Party opens April 15^th at 11 PM, 481 Eighth Avenue at 34^th Street, Midtown
Previously:
Pop-Up Du Jour: Target X Liberty of London Takes Midtown By Storm
Early Departures: Target X Liberty Pop-Up Shuts Down Early!

POP-UP UPDATE: Target X Liberty Gets Picked Clean

The Liberty of London for Target Pop-Up shop at 42^nd Street and Sixth Avenue may have sold out of half its stock already, but we still think it's worth a look if only to admire the clever temporary store design installed until the shop closes on March 13^th. Target's designers festooned the raw space with Liberty's floral prints in every possible way from clouds hanging from the ceiling to patterned mugs sprouting daffodils.
There's still lots of women's and children's apparel left as well as some accessories, wellies, ceramic kitchen canisters and piggy banks, but the men's items, umbrellas and dinnerware are pretty much gone with little chance of much restocking. Oh yeah, you can probably still pick up a flowered bicycle. Of course, none of this merchandise has even hit the regular Target stores or website yet, so if you feel you have missed out, there still should be plenty available through the usual channels starting this Sunday.

POP-UP DU JOUR: Target X Liberty of London Takes Midtown By Storm

Ordinarily, we would have thought that Target would be more likely to arrange a pop-up store for its recently released Jean-Paul Gaultier collaboration line than for the Liberty of London exclusive collection that is about to be launched, but apparently they know a few things that The Shophound doesn't, because the line to enter the Target x Liberty Pop-up that opened this morning at 42^nd Street and Sixth Avenue has been growing all day long according to our friends at Racked. Who knew that those dainty floral prints would continue to exert such a pull on the shopping public?
Apparently, as of mid-day, the line had wrapped around the block, and the good stuff is going fast. Liberty fans can expect a minimum half-hour wait, and the line to pay is almost as long as the line to get in.
Lineblogging: Shoppers Queue Up for Liberty x Target Pop-Up with updates here and here (Racked)

Pop-Up Alert:Here, NAU, But Not Forever

There are barely a couple of weeks left for the NAU pop-up store on Mercer Street in SoHo, and considering the tundra-like weather that has been forecast for the next few days, this would be a god time to stop by (also because they have put a bunch of stuff on sale).
For those unfamiliar with the brand, Nau is a Portland, Oregon based company dedicated to making sustainable outdoor and performance apparel. If this sounds dry and humorless to you, that's understandable, but you probably haven't seen the product, which is modern, stylish and thoughtfully designed. At its best, it's kind of like a happy meeting of Patagonia and Jil Sander, and while the goods are as eco-conscious as you could ask for, nobody is beating you over the head with social responsibility. The first thing that strikes us about their products is good design, which may be the very best way to make customers environmentally conscious. In addition, Nau donates 2% of every sale to humanitarian and environmental Partners for Change and offers a $10,000 grant every year to an individual or small team working for positive change.
In addition to its own label, the shop rounds out its stock with a few items from like-minded brands like Timberland Boot Company, Loomstate and Edun, but it won't be there forever. After New Year's Eve, Nau will pack its tent and move back home, though if they decided to stay a while longer, it would be a welcome addition.
Here NAU NYC Pop-Up store 69 Mercer Street between Spring & Broome Streets, SoHo

Pop-Up Report: Under Armour Gets Aggressive On West 57th Street

Okay, we're just going to ask, What exactly does Under Armour mean by their commanding "Protect This House" slogan? It is plastered all over the athleticwear company's Holiday pop-up shop at 3 West 57^th Street, and while it certainly sounds strong and powerful, it leaves us wondering, protect what house? -From what? -With what? Stretchy workout tops?
When we visited the store a few days ago, we were immediately greeted by an imposing, burly gentleman who swiftly asked us if we were shopping for anything in particular, or needed gift ideas. He was polite, but just a tad intimidating in a shirt that seemed fitted for a superhero. No, we, meekly replied that we were just looking, and slunk off to the racks of training gear. Under Armour, we have heard, has been growing like wildfire in popularity since it began in Baltimore less than 15 years ago. It is, we are told, technically advanced to enhance athletic performance, designed to regulate heat and perspiration to keep athletes generally comfortable so they can run faster, jump higher and score more touchdowns.
Since The Shophound does none of those things, and Under Armour has not yet developed a garment that will cut through crowds at the Barneys Warehouse Sale or get us past security at a Proenza Schouler show, we felt just a bit out of our element, or perhaps Under Armour was a bit out of its element right next door to Bergdorf Goodman. (Besides, as it is the Holiday season of Hannukah Donuts, we are not going anywhere in a stretchy top, no matter how much perspiration it wicks away.)
At any rate, our frame of reference for judging this particular store is admittedly flawed beyond reporting that it is crammed with lots of athletic clothing and shoes for Men, Women and Children, some stretchy, some marginally less so. If that is your cup of tea (or rather, bottle of electrolyte enhancing, energy boosting sports drink) then, by all means, head on over to 57^th and Fifth where you will see official uniforms for the U.S. Olympic Freestyle Ski and Bobsled Teams.
Under Armour Pop-Up Store open through January 24^th at 3 West 57^th Street at Fifth Avenue, Midtown