Pride pop-up store to open in Seven Dials in partnership with Mary Portas

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Jun 5, 2019

A pop-up shop celebrating Pride in June will demonstrate how retail stores are evolving into community spaces.

Curated by Mary Portas’ creative agency Portas in partnership with Pride in London, the Seven Dials store will be designed to mark the 50th anniversary of Stonewall Uprising, when members of the LGBT+ community rose up against continued oppression in a move that triggered a global movement.

Posters and archive footage have been used as inspiration for the look and feel of the store, and whilst the venue itself will act as a traditional shop, it will also provide a space for the LGBT+ community to connect.

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A series of one-off events will be hosted at the space, which is also selling official Pride in London merchandise such as clothing, lifestyle products, and Pride Gin. Additionally, a range of Pride themed products from Asos will be available for purchase.

Mary Portas, known for her retail-related TV shows and founder of Portas agency, explained: “Shops aren’t just places for people to buy things anymore, they’re spaces where they come together to connect. Yes, you can buy a bit of Pride merchandise from our shop, but really, it's about having a little space that Pride in London owns to connect with our community this summer. This year the Pride in London pop-up is the embodiment of Pride. It’s inclusive, it’s relevant and a bit bloody camp.”

Kieron Yates, head of retail and merchandising at Pride in London, added: “We’re really excited to have such a fantastic space for our pop-up once again, and of course we’re looking forward to helping kit everyone out for Pride this year - with a great range of clothing, flags, badges and more, for every community. The store also serves as an incredibly important space for community groups, and we’re working on a fantastic programme of events curated by a wide variety of organisations, meaning there will be something for everyone.”

The street party themed space, donated by Shaftesbury, will launch on 12 June ahead of Pride Parade, which is taking over Central London on 6 July.