Step Inside Kylie Jenner’s Pop-Up Shop
The music from inside was blaring, and a line of people wrapped around outside. Upfront, someone was handing out wristbands. The location wasn’t a hot new club but rather 19-year-old Kylie Jenner’s pop-up shop.
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The store, located in California in the Westfield Topanga mall near where Kylie grew up, is the reality star’s first. She usually sells Kylie Cosmetics exclusively online, where her signature Kylie Lip Kits have been known to sell out in minutes. Her temporary retail store opened on Dec. 9, and the website said it would remain open through Dec. 24 or as long as supplies last. When hundreds of fans swarmed the store and stood in line for hours at the launch, it looked like Kylie might be closing up shop soon.
Fortunately, when I visited Kylie’s store on a Friday afternoon, a week after the grand opening, there was still plenty of merchandise. And people were still clamoring for a chance to go inside and spend some of their hard-earned cash on a pair of Kylie socks from the Arthur George collection ($15), a limited-edition Kylie stocking ($40), or a Kylie calendar photographed by Terry Richardson ($22).
The line was about 30 people deep, mostly young women — school was just letting out — but also a few men, one with an airbrushed picture of Kylie on the back of his sweatshirt. Employees with “Kylie” T-shirts walked up and down the line carrying tablets showing photos of the coveted merchandise available for purchase inside, which was helpful since doors to the store were closed. They also laid out the rules: Patrons could spend only 15 to 20 minutes inside, were limited to purchasing three of a single item, and only one signature “Kylie” bag would be given out per customer. (Somehow, I doubt this had much to do with the environment.)
After about 30 minutes, I had finally made my way to the front of the line. A bouncer, er, an employee slapped a wristband on me, and then I was in. That’s when things really got weird. There was a Christmas tree in one corner, a DJ in another, merchandise lining the walls, and another line for the register. The rule about buying only three of any one item was clearly not deterring people from spending! Neon was everywhere — “Kylie” was spelled out in neon on one wall — and the place was packed. Everyone was reaching over one another to snap up makeup or gawk at the surroundings, which included a replica of Kylie’s bed. Monitors above it flashed racy videos of Kylie sitting on the lap of her boyfriend, Tyga. Stranger yet was the fact that young girls were busy posing for photos in the bed. Let’s hope store employees change those sheets daily…
I nabbed a holiday-edition Kylie Lip Kit — thought it could be in demand at a family gift exchange — and a pair of socks, which resulted in my shelling out a grand total of $49.06. As I exited the store, I was exhausted and noticed the lines had grown even longer, and there was now a third section of ropes to wait behind.
Related: The 2016 Holiday Gift Guide for Ridiculous and Overpriced Celebrity Products
The New York Times estimated when the pop-up shop opened that Kylie had already earned $10 million from her cosmetics empire in the previous 13 months. Her latest venture should net her a fat holiday bonus. The rest of us will have less cash, but we’ll also have a good story to tell — and some fabulous-looking lips to tell it with.
