In early 2020 I saved a screenshot to my phone.
It was of an art gallery with one bench in the middle of a large room with digital art all around it. Inspo for a store which felt like a pipe dream. While SET was picking up momentum, the pandemic made us shift the energy we were dedicating to cultivating a community from in-person to online. We pivoted, put our heads down, and worked.
This year we were presented with an opportunity to open a yearlong flagship pop-up. It was on Melrose Place – not only is it an iconic location, it’s the exact street I used to visit daily to spend hours at a coffee shop and brainstorm the inception of SET. It’s where I did everything from network to sit with friends for support when person after person told me I was dreaming too big.
Full transparency: we went back and forth with our construction team so many times that they told us “we really don’t normally do this many rounds.” That’s when I remembered the screenshot. I loved the intersection of really elevated minimal design and an inclusive space for a community to connect. It’s everything I always envisioned SET to be.
We spend so much time online these days that we’ve lost touch of what it feels like to connect with others in person over things we love. I, of course, wanted the store to be a place for our community to experience SET, but I also wanted it to be a space for people to take their online relationships and connect IRL – which is why we designed the front of the store to be a place to connect, free from merchandise.
Long story short, we pivoted. Again. When I say every single person on our team has worked tirelessly to bring this to life, it’s a serious understatement. I’d tell you more about it, but it’s hard to put into words. I hope you’ll come visit us to see for yourself.
xx
Lindsey, Founder & CEO