Online clothing retailer Everlane, which emphasizes a highly transparent production process, is hosting a denim pop-up shop at 1259 Wisconsin Ave. from Oct. 17 to Oct. 27.
Instagram-based brand Everlane chose to solely feature its jeans, which typically cost about $70, for purchase at the pop-up shop. The first floor showcases a variety of designs and cuts, with styles for both men and women available. The second floor serves as a small event space which featured local style bloggers Sarah Phillips, Sylvia Colella and Rebecca Gallop earlier in the week, according to Washingtonian.
Everlane is a primarily direct-to-consumer online brand, although it has four brick-and-mortar stores across the country. After launching online-only in 2010, it gained traction with a streamlined aesthetic and marketing that prioritizes openness of its factory costs and ethics.
Everlane partnered with Verb, a marketing and event planning company, to design and create the small pop-up shop and staff the event. The two-story storefront was refurbished and highlighted by bright interior design for the store’s short run.
The pop-up shop’s marketing design serves both Georgetown’s market and Everlane’s goals, according to Verb Coordinator Lou Becker, who is supervising the Georgetown pop-up.
“A lot of our customers are used to online shopping. So, this gives them an opportunity to try things on, feel the fabric, see what sizes and cuts they are, which can be difficult when you only do online shopping,” Becker said in an interview with The Hoya. “The benefit of coming in with a pop-up like this is that people can get a little more comfortable with our products.”
This event is not Everlane’s first pop-up in Georgetown, as the company hosted a cashmere pop-up last fall, Becker said.
This is not the first event that the company has hosted, Becker added, pointing out a similar cashmere pop-up store that the company hosted last fall.
“They’re becoming more common as we have more companies that are based online. Everlane started online, and then became brick-and-mortar,” Becker said. “Everlane has been here a couple times, once with a cashmere truck, this is a denim truck, so they’re always kind of focused on one aspect of the line.”
The pop-up helps online retailers like Everlane market themselves to students who may not otherwise know who they are, according to Lauren Oliveri (COL ’22).
“I rarely order clothes online, except those stores I know well, because you can never really tell how the item will look until you get it and try it on. I think a pop-up shop makes a lot of sense with the way the world is moving online because it’s a lot cheaper than a permanent storefront for some lesser-known companies,” Oliveri said. “I had never heard of Everlane before a friend invited me to come but I’ll probably look at it online in the future.”
Pop-up shops have become a popular marketing tool in D.C. and other major cities. They are typically publicized online in advance to build excitement and publicity. Brick-and-mortar locations help drive business to online retailers, according to CNBC.
Other companies have experimented with distinct brick-and-mortar concepts in Georgetown recently. Capital One opened a coffee shop-bank concept that doubles as a communal workspace on Wisconsin Avenue in September.
The Wisconsin Avenue location, which is blocks away from the university and in the heart of the Georgetown shopping district, has drawn a range of customers, Becker said.
“The price point is definitely attractive to a lot of people because they’re super affordable and they’re really high quality,” Becker said. “It’s a great spot for us. We’ve had a great response so far.”
