Designers’ collective moving to popups
CHANGES are afoot at Dunedinbased designers’ collective Guild.
Notforprofit entity Dunedin Designed Incorporated (DDI) has run the Moray Pl store since 2015. The designers involved shared the rent and staffed the shop themselves.
A series of popup retail events will replace the fixed space, which will remain open until Christmas.
The new model would allow a wider range of designers to be part of Guild events and extend the geographical reach of Dunedin design, DDI chairwoman Emily Cooper said.
DDI would manage Guild popup retail events in locations outside Dunedin and during key periods in the city, including iD Fashion Week and at Christmas.
The pilot project for the new format was the Guild popup shop in Oamaru which opened last month.
It had ‘‘exceeded all expectations’’, reaching the projected sales target for the four weeks within its opening week.
Guild was the first major project for DDI and the society was very proud of what it had achieved for its designers, Ms Cooper said in a statement.
It had generated $450,000 in sales since opening and 90% of that money went to the designers.
‘‘Our model means retail prices can be kept low for shoppers and designers are able to choose the stock they offer for sale. Often these are oneoff designs.
‘‘It’s all about not restricting creativity due to the usual commercial pressures that makers face, and making Dunedin design accessible to shoppers,’’ she said.
Since its launch, Guild had also highlighted the work of more than 120 resident and guest designers in the store, including many design students from Otago Polytechnic.