Abstract

This paper reports the motivations and outcomes of the pop-up store of the fashion design BA and MA students of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon as an entrepreneurial learning experience. The initiative was motivated by: 1) the interest to show the collections, 2) building a reputation for the school outside its walls, 3) the opportunity to provide a practical experience for the students/emerging designers to test their products and gather feedback among potential customers, and 4) the chance to return the investment made in the collections. To involve not just one store but a whole neighborhood and bring the university to it while celebrating and promoting this initiative, we identified twenty-one shops in the neighboring streets and designed their window displays and interiors with the DEMO’15 branding identity and imagery. This served three purposes: involving the store owners of the area, promoting the pop-up store, and making window viewers and tourists aware of a special place to visit. Through an interventive approach in the urban landscape, we were also able to make a statement and leave a trace of this happening. The initiative proved itself pertinent and beneficial for all the parties involved, especially for the students, who were able to get a strong preparation for the upcoming challenges of the industry they are entering.