Hey Love Design was commissioned by Clarks and High Road Communications to create a store design for Clarks Shoes, who was opening a four month long pop up shop in the heart of Yorkville in Toronto. They wanted to create brand awareness and expose more customers to their new products, with a spotlight on their carefully curated “Edit” collection.

Hey Love Design worked on developing a strong brand identity by focusing on the companies 190 year history and gave the shop a heritage feel with an industrial touch. We then topped it all off with some luxe finishes to make it more on trend and modern.

Since we were setting up shop in an old Porsche store, which was quite cold and stark when we first saw the space, it was essential that our pop up felt warm and inviting.

We concentrated on introducing supple tufted leathers found in the long bench, wing back chair and chesterfield sofa, custom warm wood tables throughout, and we installed a temporary wall with panel moulding at the back of the store to add architectural interest and make our three gallery walls really pop. A custom marble topped cash bar and a plush floor to ceiling velvet curtain were luxurious additions that elevated the design.

We also installed custom brass light fixtures to really accentuates the hunter green that we used as our backdrop. We then chose to pick up on the brass in other elements found in the store, giving the shop a truly cohesive look.

Finishing touches included layering in vintage and special elements, like sheepskin rugs to add texture, cloches to house some of our more unique items (such as old rulers and sock molds), shoe lasts displayed in brass shadow boxes, stone rises to highlight our hero products, union jack pillows that reference the brand’s British identity, and, our favorite, a fox skull situated next to the brands iconic desert boots, greeting customers as soon as they walk in the door.

We also painted out empty big box store book boxes and used them as shoe risers throughout the store. This helped add a dose of brightness and afforded us a perfect spot to showcase our products.  

Finally, vintage crates were stacked at the back of the shop, increasing our display space and adding extra height to an otherwise empty corner of the room.