It has become an integral part of the retail canon for most New Zealand designers and labels to open a pop-up store in addition to their existing long-lease retail experience. This offers different opportunities for both the brand and the buyer - as many of you will know; succinct collections on offer, lower overheads/lower prices, diffusion lines, end of line stock, etcetera. Iconic NZ menswear brand Barkers have taken the pop up concept one step further and invited a selection of friends along to their temporary store at 154 Ponsonby Road (between S.P.Q.R and Video Ezy) for the next 8 weeks. As a company Barkers has become increasingly collaborative with perfectly-fitting partnerships like 93-year-old Auckland company Parisien and the legendary Flying Nun Records reflecting the considered development of the brand overall, in recent times. Both of these colabs will appear alongside exclusive ranges from Timex, Converse and German notebook maker Leuchturm amidst a curated selection of Barkers and Little Brother of course. To give the outlet the appropriate Barkers vibe nearby Flotsam & Jetsam have helped with the fit out, in-store tunes will waft around on classic audio equipment from Retrotronics and next door neighbours Julep will provide a punch on Friday nights. So pop on down to the pop up and meet store manager Jake, pick up a copy of the Barkers/Lawrence Arabia colab, stumble across hidden surprises - a Nice Block (or Epic Beer if of age) - and enjoy the Barkers (and friends) experience.
