Twenty years ago we were all trying to lease the most prominent commercial real estate on Fifth Avenue. But at one point, we started looking elsewhere. Since then, retail has undergone a transformation; from a place to shop to a place to think, a place to encounter something new, a place to meet and a place to exchange. Of course also still a place to shop. 

Pioneers of the Destination Store aimed to represent the essence of a company or brand without any filters; large, raw spaces in secondary or tertiary commercial zones. Perhaps this movement was driven by an inability to afford the spaces on Fifth Avenue or the sought-after mall corners, or maybe there was just something culturally and intellectually lacking along these main drags. It’s likely the case that it was a mixture of the two. 

The destination store eventually transformed into the marketing initiative that is known as guerrilla and temporary retail. What interests me about the guerrilla store is the freedom to experiment where it’s least expected. The tension between what

one can afford and what one wants to show almost always produces the most interesting outcomes. It’s about being creative with the limited resources that are available to you; asking what could spark the curiosity of others and at the same time, remaining excited about the outcome.

-Maurizio

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