By Amanda Moses
Enjoy every moment “As if it’s your last,” is both K-Pop sensation BLACKPINK’s motto and hit song, which was why many fans said they waited hours online for the opening of a pop-up shop dedicated to the historic girl group.
On August 9th, hundreds of Blinks, the moniker for the South Korean band, lined up in Chelsea for an opportunity to shop inside of the BLACKPINK’s Born Pink Pop-Up Experience at 541 W. 25th Street.
BLACKPINK has taken the world by storm since their debut seven years ago. These four remarkable young women (Lisa, Jennie, Jisoo and Rosé) have broken through numerous barriers, earning the number one spot as the most subscribed artists channel on YouTube, the first K-Pop group to headline and perform at Coachella, and their historic Born Pink world tour has surpassed the Spice Girls record, earning over $78 million.
The interactive experience, designed by Japanese graphic artist VERDY and presented by American Express, was only open for four days, August 9th to August 12th, which was just in time for their world tour Born Pink Encore at MetLife Stadium (August 11th and August 12th).
Upon entering the shop, fans were greeted with a large, pink cashier station where all of the coveted band merchandise was on full display, including limited edition: baseball caps, handkerchiefs, t-shirts, hoodies, jackets and even a $3,500 bike. American Express card members received early access to the shop, along with one guest. In addition to the items to purchase, fans were able to pose with a gigantic plush Blink Bear and enormous heart with the words Born Pink emblazoned on it, a photo booth celebrating the group’s seven-year anniversary and other photo opportunities.
Clutching onto a catalogue sheet with a list of merchandise and their prices, Angela Zhu, 17, gushed over how much she enjoys the band’s inclusive songs and energetic personas. Zhu saw BLACKPINK last year and also attended both August 11th and August 12th encore tour performances.
“I love their energy and their songs, and their welcomeness,” Zhu said. “I would love to buy the bike and get the t-shirts and keychain.”
Sixteen-year-old Aylin Garcia arrived over five hours before the pop-up shop opened just so she could be among the first to snag the limited-edition swag to wear at the August 12th concert.
“I’m just really interested in BLACKPINK, this is my first time ever coming to a pop-up store,” Garcia said. “I love their new album. I’m still new to this. It’s all so expensive, but I’m looking forward to buying something.”
Photos by Amanda Moses
