Lone Design Club partners with Westfield London for interactive pop-up shopping experience

Westfield London, Europe's largest retail destination, is to launch a pop-up retail experience with Lone Design Club, showcasing an array of ethical fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands.

The pop-up experience, opening 24 June, has been designed to empower independent and sustainable designers to engage directly with a new audience, highlighting to consumers the exceptional talent of a new generation of artisans and makers pushing the boundaries of sustainability.

The experience will also feature exclusive in-store pieces one of the UK’s most exciting LGBTQ+ designers, Dylan Joel, who challenges and redefines the boundaries of Menswear and Womenswear with contemporary androgynous garments.

The store will also introduce a new range of sustainable accessories from Amadeus and Stephanie Grace Jewellery, along with one-off upcycled outerwear from the London-based brand Hoh Pabissi.

Lone Design Club, CEO Rebecca Morter, commented: “The future of shopping IRL is discovery, not distribution. Go online for convenience buying sure - but to be inspired, to have a truly new and unforgettable experience - get out on the high street.

At LDC, we believe experience starts with people; we position our independent and sustainable designers, these incredible storytellers and makers - right at the forefront of the sales process - why? Because not only do you get the best experience possible, but you are speaking to the person who created it, and we should all know where the products we buy genuinely come from, who made them and the story behind them.”

Recently, Westfield's "How We Shop" Report revealed consumers are keen to get back to the shops and are looking for more from their shopping experiences.

The report found that 52% of UK consumers are shopping more locally than last year, 49% are now buying more locally sourced or locally made products and 89% of London shoppers are interested in in-store shopping technology.

LDC's pop-up intends to respond to the report, infusing the best elements from the digital and physical spheres with a live stream shopping studio, live editorial shoots, an interactive Instagram room, and beauty pampering treatments on tap.

The pop-up will feature an in-store swap shop from SWAPCHAIN, allowing customers to exchange clothes with the tap of an app.

Continuing their support for a more sustainable industry, LDC will host the "Sustainability Post Pandemic: Meet the Mindful Makers" panel discussion in collaboration with Westfield. The panel aims to engage the community, spread the word around sustainability, conscious consumerism, going trendless, and supporting small designers, especially in the current economy.

Harita Shah, Marketing Director UK and Creative, Media, Events, & Brand, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, commented: “We are pleased to offer continued support to Lone Design Club, winners of the Westfield and Fashion District Retail Futures Innovation Prize in 2020.

“With people craving real-life experiences more than ever before, we’re thrilled to partner with Lone Design Club, which not only offers an immersive retail experience to shoppers but also has a strong focus on sustainability which we know is a strong focus for our visitors.”

The pop-up launch will be the first of many for LDC in 2021, with Lone Design Club expanding its experience-led physical pop-ups stores across the UK and Europe, doubling down on its core values of ethics, sustainability, and social impact.