Okay, so it might not quite be the same as a pearl necklace. But shoppers can see inflatable kayak manufacturer Innova Kayak used as a fashion accoutrement now in select Nordstrom outlets across the country.
Noted fashion designer Olivia Kim chose an Innova kayak for Nordstrom’s Gift&Go Pop In Shop over the holiday season, debuting at eight Nordstrom stores across the U.S. The campaign is an ongoing series of themed pop-up shops that transition every five weeks to offer a new shopping experience and batch of exclusive merchandise.
“The paddling industry is a fun world, but it is its own world,” says Innova president Tim Rosenhan. “How often do hard goods outdoor products get exposure in wider merchandizing? Not much. And how about the image of stiletto heels and inflatable boats in the same shop?
“So getting an Innova inflatable kayak selected by a top trending designer for Nordstrom for a Holiday promotion flabbergasted me. I’d like to think that all of paddlesports benefits from wider exposure with anybody’s boat on the Nordstrom sales floor.”
Pop-In@Nordstrom is the brainchild of Olivia Kim, Nordstrom’s director of creative projects, who hand-picks merchandise spanning the high/low price range to match each new theme. With gifts ranging from a stylish handbag to a $26,000 Rolex, for this installment she chose the Innova Swing I inflatable kayak as a special holiday gift for the Pop In Shop campaign. The Innova is the only outdoor product featured in the promotion.
Partnering with Rafael de Cárdenas/Architecture at Large, Olivia Kim designs each booth to reflect the monthly theme. The Innova one is designed to look like a giant opened gift box, with wrapping paper and bows strewn about and the kayak displayed prominently above. Past items featured have included home and gift items from Paris retailer Merci, a custom black-on-black Rolex, rapper Drake’s OVO label, and a Bob Hurley surfboard with painted graphics.
Look for the Innova at the following Nordstrom locations: Seattle, WA; Bellevue Square, WA; NorthPark Center, TX; San Francisco Centre, CA; Tysons Corner Center, VA; Oakbrook, IL; Garden State Plaza, NJ; and King of Prussia, PA.