It’s no secret that attention spans everywhere are shrinking faster than stomped-on Bubble Wrap. Which may be one reason why pop-ups are so seductive to the modern shopper: Here for a short time only, these retail and restaurant outlets feed our collective lust for shiny newness.
And, then, poof! They’re gone! (Blink and you’d miss Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop boutique, which launched last June during the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen then departed briskly before fall.)
Surely, pop-ups are plentiful in Aspen this winter. First-timers include Rimowa luggage (601 E. Hyman Ave., rimowa.com), Rossignol (521 E. Hyman Ave., rossignol.com), The Westside (422 E. Cooper Ave., thewestsideshop.com) and Everafter (430 E. Cooper Ave., everaftershop.com) from Intermix founder Sari Sloane, Bottega Veneta (535 E. Hyman Ave., bottegaveneta.com) and Eleven Madison Park’s Winter House Aspen (315 E. Dean St., empwinterhouse.com). SoulCycle (535 E. Hyman, Ste. 003, soul-cycle.com) returned in December for a third year, expanding from 12 days in 2016 and two weeks in 2017 to three months this season, through March 31. Even Jimmy’s Bodega invited Hao House (307 S. Mill St., haoaspen.com), brainchild of Jimmy Yeager, within its walls temporarily until spring—hearty Asian fare is more sustainable in cold weather than seafood, apparently.
Outsider luxury pop-ups, of course, aim to capitalize on Aspen’s cachet. Rimowa’s 1,425-square-foot store, for one, is the company’s first outlet dedicated strictly to winter travel and culture.
“The Rimowa traveler seeks meaningful adventures and is discerning with his or her passions,” explains Chief Brand Officer Hector Muelas. “Aspen attracts that same spirit and people who embody that energy, so it was a natural next location for Rimowa to pop up.”
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