Pop Mart Opens Fashion-Led Store on Brick Lane, Marking Strategic Shift Into Lifestyle Retail

Global designer collectibles brand Pop Mart has announced the opening of a new London retail space at 6 Dray Walk, introducing a fashion-focused concept that signals a significant expansion of the brand’s direction. The store is the company’s 15th UK location and its first dedicated primarily to fashion and lifestyle accessories.

Located in the heart of East London’s creative district, the Brick Lane site places the brand within one of the capital’s most recognised centres for vintage fashion, street culture and independent design. The opening reflects a deliberate strategy to extend Pop Mart’s intellectual properties beyond collectables and into contemporary personal style.

While widely associated with the global success of characters such as Hirono, Skullpanda and Crybaby, the company is positioning fashion as a core growth area rather than a supplementary line. The Brick Lane store showcases how its characters can move from display pieces into wearable statements, reinforcing the brand’s ambition to merge art, storytelling and design with everyday fashion.

At the centre of this move is Hirono, created by artist Lang. Known for its introspective tone and emotional themes, the character now appears across apparel and accessories, translating its sculptural identity into wearable form intended to express individuality and subtle emotional narratives.

To support the launch, Pop Mart has partnered with British streetwear figure Leo Mandella and stylist Yung Aly on a digital fashion campaign designed to amplify the opening across social platforms. The collaboration aims to position the store as a cultural activation point where fashion, art and digital storytelling intersect.

The store design has been shaped to reflect its surroundings, retaining existing brickwork and drawing on materials and objects sourced from local markets. The approach mirrors Brick Lane’s layered architectural and cultural history, allowing the space to integrate with the area rather than compete with it visually.

Pop Mart’s growing presence in fashion is also supported by recent collaborations with luxury trunk-maker Moynat, as well as global partnerships with Uniqlo and Beams. Its characters have increasingly appeared as fashion accessories, worn or carried by international figures including Lisa, Dua Lipa, and Rihanna.

Commenting on the launch, Hirono’s creator Lang said the move into fashion allows the character to function as “wearable storytelling”, giving people new ways to express personal emotion and identity.

Peter Shipman, Head of Europe and Managing Director at Pop Mart, described the store as a major step in the company’s evolution. He said the concept demonstrates that the brand is expanding beyond collectibles into a broader cultural and creative platform, while continuing to build community through its retail spaces.

The Brick Lane opening represents Pop Mart’s latest effort to position itself at the intersection of art, fashion and popular culture, reinforcing its ambition to grow as a lifestyle brand as well as a collectibles leader.