He’s not exactly a stranger to retail and window installations, but very recently artist Yinka Ilori has launched his very own pop-up store in London‘s buzzing Shoreditch neighbourhood. Interestingly, this pop-up venture addresses the current creative state of retail as the sector continues to face many challenges. The British-Nigerian artist and designer explores how stores can encourage consumers to connect, experience and discover in a continuation of design work that is inspired by his heritage and storytelling. Recalling the houses and mosques found in Burkina Faso, Ilori has created a new typology and design language, translating vernacular architectural forms into colourful display units. The store setting is infused with bright colours, featuring blues, greens, pinks and violets used to create a sense of hope and optimism. So, what’s on the shelves? The offerings are diverse, ranging from stationery and games, to homeware and play items, each piece has its own backstory and has been designed in Ilori’s trademark colourful patterns and prints (open though Jan 3). The following next in-store events are coming up: a basketball signing session with Yinka Ilori himself on Thu – Dec 8, in addition to a palm wine shop and chat session on Tue – Dec 20 where shoppers are invited to enjoy a drink and have a chat. Mind you, the latter is a tradition at gatherings in Nigeria.
Yinka Ilori
9 Club Row (Shoreditch)
London E1 6JX
Mon-Sat 11am-7pm
Sun 12pm-6pm
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
