Rockefeller Center stands as a storied fixture in New York City history, with cultural institutions including Radio City Music Hall and its famous Rockettes within its confines. A new popup from clothing brand SKIMS, a retail venture from Kim Kardashian and Jens Grede, has taken up temporary residence just outside of the entertainment complex. The retail space draws on the brand’s own offerings while also pulling from aspects of the New York City cityscape.
The popup is a new iteration of SKIMS’s prior retail forms and a continuation of the brand’s longstanding creative relationship with Willo Perron of Perron-Roettinger. Perron again realized a sleek volume with a plastic-like finish, this time in a shade of milky, iridescent blue that coats the entire exterior as well as the walls, shelving, and tables within.
The store is situated between the existing flower beds of The Channel Gardens. It emulates the stepped back nature of iconic New York skyscrapers and forms a cross within the confines of the plaza. Situated directly in front of the 30 Rock building, the pop up almost presents as a scale model of the icon behind, with a dramatic, rectangular entry arch to boot. A large diving board protruding from the entrance nods to the SKIMS Swim collection and speaks to the plaza’s existing water feature.
“We are thrilled to be opening our most spectacular retail activation to date at Rockefeller Plaza with an amplified structure that includes a large diving board and water feature,” said Grede, CEO and cofounder of SKIMS, in a press release. “Our activations have gone viral in the past and we expect demand for this one to be high. To ensure everyone has the opportunity to be part of it we’ve introduced expedited checkout via QR codes and are offering appointments you can make in advance. Our goal is for our customers to have the best experience possible.”
The shop will carry SKIMS’s most popular items, including swimwear, t-shirts, and undergarments. Customers who stop by can also enjoy a sweet treat, courtesy of Morgenstern’s Ice Cream.
The popup was heralded in by Rockettes modeling SKIMS products and is open for business through May 29.