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The British sportswear company has opened its first ever pop-up store which captures the spirit of the 80s more than a Deely-Boppered roller skater sporting a Rara skirt and a batwing top.

Called Reebok Flash, the store is located in a 3,000 square-foot gallery space on the Bowery in New York. It features limited edition sneakers and exclusive apparel collections. The range includes the distinctive and colourful work of Rolland Berry, as well as input from design guru John Maeda.

Experiential agency Formavision developed the  store that takes its inspiration from Vorticsim, an English arts movement from the early twentieth century noted for its dynamic interpretation of Cubist and Futurist principles. www.formavision.info

Pop-up shops have been used by a range of brands, often by those which already have a strong retail presence. The Gap Concept Store is a pop-up shop opposite one Gap’s flagship NY store on Fifth Avenue at 54th Street in Manhattan. As it wasn’t an orthodox Gap store, the apparel goliath partnered Collette in September, enabling the French designer lifestyle boutique to make its US debut. The cleaning brand method also used a pop up store in SoHo, New York, in May-June 2008 to swap traditional, chemical-based cleaning products for more colourful, sweeter smelling method ones. www.methodhome.com

If you happen to be in Soho in London anytime over the next few weeks, check out the Barnardo’s pop up shop on Broadwick Street. Selling vintage shoes donated by the likes of model Twiggy and actress Dame Helen Mirren, the shop’s proceeds go directly to the children’s charity. Find it at 69 Broadwick Street, London until 5 January 2009. www.barnardos.org.uk/shop/shoe_boutique.htm

And the tiny Marylebone-based pop-up shop for Monocle, a brand extension of the ‘global briefing’ magazine, is now selling high-end clothes and accessories, CDs and stationery. Find out more at www.monocle.com.
via www.contagiousmagazine.com

Chocolate shops have been popping up all over the world and this Chocolate Café in Vancouver offers a little more experience than even great chocolate itself. A full espresso and fondue bar along with a line of over 30 different handmade chocolate bars graces the space filling the Café with fabulous aromas and textures.

Each beautifully-packaged bar is made in Vancouver and uses local, organic ingredients whenever possible. Because there are no added preservatives to extend shelf-life, you’ll have to eat them soon after purchase. But with quirky names and irresistible flavors like “Open in Case of Emergency” (fresh mint and Kentucky bourbon) and “Ginger or Maryanne” (candied ginger), no amount of willpower will allow them to sit around for long anyway!

Marc Liebermann (owner)

Mink Chocolate Café
863 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, British Columbia BC V6C map
tel. +1 604 633 6451