Kiosk we can: Rent-free design store pops up

London – With an abundance of lower rents and empty shop units around town, now seems the perfect time to open a temporary store space. Designers Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway, founders of Red or Dead footwear, are doing just that with KiosKiosK, their new pop-up shop that will function as a rent-free space in which creative talents may sell their products.

The idea was inspired by the couple’s initial foray into selling their own goods many years ago, when it was financially possible to hire a small shop space in a prime location. The designers believe that it has now become increasingly difficult for creative start-ups to find affordable retail space.

‘It was our formative experience, and the opportunities provided by places such as [60s and 70s retail haven] Kensington Market, that led us to the KiosKiosK idea,’ Wayne Hemingway says. ‘Many of our towns’ and cities’ streetscapes would benefit from well-designed kiosks that provide beacons of creativity.’

KiosKiosk will pop up outside City Hall between July and September, and will also be part of the Design Museum’s ‘Super Contemporary’ exhibition.