NYFW POP-UP
About a year and a half into developing my brand, WDSC, I hadn’t fully defined what I wanted it to become. I just knew I wanted to aim big, so I decided to launch an exclusive WDSC New York Fashion Week pop-up, hoping it would catch some attention. My brother Adrian, who had started his own brand around the same time as I did, was already preparing his second NYC show, set for NYFW—NYC, here we come! I’d only visited the city once before, in November 2022, for his first brand event, so I was clueless about its neighborhoods, layout, or who to contact for support. I reached out to some LA brands and individuals for NYC event connections, but got no response. With my 1.9k Instagram followers, I put out a desperate call: “Does anyone know a low-key spot for a pop-up?” One connection came through—a link to a legitimate NYFW event space. The downside? It cost $5,000 for Saturday alone. Amusing, considering WDSC was my sole income at the time and my budget was nonexistent. No-go.
Not wanting to overextend myself financially, I asked a friend in NYC about unique coffee shops where I could set up and sell my clothes. My high school best friend, Stephan came through with a solid lead. He connected me with Thayer, a small shop near his apartment. After a brief conversation with the owner, Matt, we aligned our schedules, finalized the details as NYFW drew near, and locked it in. I dove into preparations: texting friends, sending out Partiful invites, coordinating with Adrian to tie his show in as the “afterparty,” and brainstorming ways to attract a crowd. My small following was incredibly loyal back then. When I announced my first NYC event, my NYC followers went wild—floods of messages, a decent number of sign-ups. The momentum felt tangible. Still, Partiful is unpredictable; maybe half the RSVPs would actually show. With my inventory running low, I had to order new merchandise regardless. I designed some NYC-exclusive tees and hats, teased them online, stoked the excitement, and placed the order.
Three weeks later, just a week before the event, 75 pounds of tees, hoodies, and slightly mangled hats arrived. Adrian suggested shipping it all, but with time running out and no firm destination, that wasn’t an option. Plus, I was so strapped for cash that shipping costs were out of the question. Instead, I grabbed some vacuum-seal bags—the kind you deflate with a vacuum—compressed the entire haul, and stuffed it into an army surplus duffel I’d picked up that morning. It barely closed, weighed a ton, and I still had to pack my personal clothes in a separate bag. Miraculously, I made it onto the flight.
We touched down in NYC at 10 p.m.—Adrian and I dragging these oversized bags from baggage claim like exhausted packhorses. Our close friend Pat, who I adore, had flown out to join us for NYFW. He’d been with us during that chaotic first NYC trip in ‘22, so convincing him to return was effortless. We met up, hauled our gear to Stephan’s place, and collapsed for the night. The next morning, we transferred everything to the hotel, dropped it off, and headed to Thayer around 10 a.m. to meet Matt and assess the setup. So far, everything was falling into place.
I had a day or two before the pop-up launched on Friday, September 8. I still needed a clothing rack and hangers, but first, we took a moment to decompress. Thursday night, we picked up some beers the local corner store, explored the city, and let loose a little (maybe too much). Friday morning hit hard—I felt like hell—but with coffee in hand, we roamed anyway. NYFW was alive with energy, stunning people everywhere, and despite the hangover, I was stoked dude.
Yet, a few tasks lingered. I needed a rack, hangers, and something to organize the hats. A quick search on Facebook Marketplace turned up a $4 clothing rack—surprisingly decent. I picked it up from a kind woman outside her apartment and carried it through NYC in 95-degree heat for an hour, drenched in sweat from somewhere near Greenwich Village to the East Village. After dropping it at Stephan’s, I stopped by The Container Store for wooden hangers—I still use them—and a hat rack. I spent a hundred or two, which stung, but returned to gather everything and prepare to haul it to Thayer for the first night. Stephan, Jack, Pat, Adrian, and I lugged it all over, set up the space, and it looked impressive. I handed out some free merch to the staff, sent out text reminders, posted on Stories, and we were set to begin.
By 4 or 5 p.m., the pop-up was open. Did a crowd line up outside? Were people rushing in to grab the gear? Did it live up to the hype? Not at all. We started to near silence. An hour in, perhaps one or two people stopped by. I was genuinely puzzled—hundreds had shown enthusiasm online. After two hours, a few groups of friends arrived, including some LA folks in town, which was a highlight. Night one wrapped with maybe 20 attendees, which was disappointing, to be honest. Over the weekend, though, I’d estimate total attendance hit around 60 people. All in all, it was a solid weekend—I met some great folks and had a good time. Eventually, I moved past the sting of the low turnout; it is what it is. Looking back, I think several factors contributed to the outcome: 1) It was a three-day event, so there was no urgency. 2) The East Village location wasn’t close to subways or the Lower East Side, where the energy was. 3) The weather was brutal—hot and rainy. If I had to pinpoint the biggest issue, it was the three-day span. A single Saturday afternoon slot would have been the smarter choice.
As for what I’d do differently next time, from a step-by-step standpoint, that’s under wraps for now. But here’s the takeaway: experiment with new ideas and don’t shy away from potential missteps. I wouldn’t even call this a failure—it was entirely a learning experience. Plus, I broke even in the end, so we were fine.
Just go for it.
