SDD24/50_03: This holiday season, Kate Spade New York transformed a traditional London pub into 'The Kate Spade Arms', an immersive experience that blended festive cheer with the brand’s signature style. Located in the heart of Exmouth Market, the two-day activation celebrated community, creativity, and connection through a reimagined pub setting. Visitors were treated to unique touches like bespoke Kate Spade signage, branded pub games, a curated menu featuring specialty cocktails and crisps, and live music from an all-female brass band. The interiors were adorned with vibrant wall art by local artists and interactive features like an in-pub photobooth and a fruit machine with Kate Spade-themed prizes, all designed to foster joy and shareable moments.
The activation also included a series of hands-on workshops that showcased local creators and small businesses, such as deadstock scrunchie-making with Good Squish, crumble crafting with Humble Crumble, and candle-making with OHROS Candles. By bringing together elements of British pub culture with unexpected design twists, Kate Spade created a festive community hub that resonated deeply with guests. As Matteo De Bortoli Albricci, SVP and General Manager for EMEAI at Tapestry, shared, the goal was to craft meaningful connections through interactive experiences while staying true to the brand’s playful and celebratory ethos. This activation is a standout example of how retail design can redefine the customer experience, blending tradition with innovation to leave a lasting impression.
Pictures courtesy of Rebecca Best and Eleanor Morris via LinkedIn.
