Pangaia is kicking off its first physical retail experience, with the help of U.K. department store Selfridges.
Beginning this week and running through May 2, the sustainability-focused materials science and apparel company will occupy a temporary installation at Selfridges Corner Shop, a designated spot in the landmark London department store for brand collaborations and exclusives.
Pangaia’s ethos—“high-tech naturalism”—will be on full display, allowing shoppers to discover more about the brand’s inventive suite of eco-friendly materials and products.
The shop-in-shop will focus on “de-mystifying” the company’s signature material innovations, which it develops alongside global research institutions and labs. Made with natural substances found in agricultural waste and other abundant sources, Pangaia seeks to create solutions that utilize scraps and refuse more effectively.
The Selfridges display will include C-Fiber, a eucalyptus pulp and seaweed powder fusion that acts as an alternative to cotton; Flwrdwn, a cruelty-free alternative to synthetic and animal down derived from dried wildflowers; and Pprmnt, a trademarked tech that sheaths each fabric fiber in natural peppermint oil to help keep clothes smelling fresh for longer, saving water and energy. The brand will also showcase “grape leather,” a wine marc-based alternative to cattle hide that curbs the environmental effects of tanning, as well as its TIPA packaging, a bio-based polymer alternative that is designed to biodegrade in a consumer’s home compost bin, alongside their food waste, within 24 weeks.
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The experience, which fuses education with exploration, is set up within a heptagon-shaped structure in store. As shoppers walk through the complex, moving in a circular route around its seven inner chambers—which represent the colors of the rainbow—they will experience a colorful presentation of Pangaia’s science and products. The space will be updated through an infusion of new products weekly, including novelties like branded chocolate, notebooks and more, the company said.
The elements of the installation were created with versatility in mind for future brand use, it said. “Designed to be reusable, and built from recyclable materials, these freestanding structures are able to come and then go, flat packing down for easy shipping and storage,” Pangaia added. The set components, including graphics, were created to be fully reusable, employing Forest Stewardship Certified timber along with recycled, reusable and sustainable materials. The company banned all single-use plastics from the set, including packaging for these elements.
The partnership coincides with Selfridges’ year-long creative theme, “Good Nature,” which examines the overlap between nature and culture. According to the retailer, prospective shoppers can “visit” the installation virtually this week by making online appointments to explore, and beginning April 12, they will have the opportunity to experience the popup in person.
With each sale, Pangaia has committed to donating 1 percent of proceeds to the Bee the Change Fund, which works to preserve vulnerable and endangered bee species across the globe, and Selfridges will donate 1 percent of each sale to Woodlands Trust, which endeavors to protect native trees and engages in reforestation efforts throughout the U.K.