Dr. Martens By Campaign

Photos Hufton Crow.

Gypframe shelving, industrial PVC curtains, construction-site lighting, metal-grid lockers, shrink-wrap and stencilled signage all belong to the warehouse vernacular in this Dr Martens pop-up store in London.

The interior of the first Dr. Martens pop-up store resembles that of a warehouse, a building type that's been used for temporary retail spaces before (see, for example Underground By Louis Vuitton). In this case, however, it refers to Doc Martens' brand identity, says Philip Handford, creative director of design firm Campaign.

Tell us about the brief you got from Dr. Martens.
The design had to express part of the Covent Garden store vernacular, be replicable in any location worldwide, be easy to assemble and source, be unique to Dr. Martens and be very low-cost.

Why did you choose a warehouse look?
The warehouse look and feel were inspired by Dr. Martens' heritage, which Martin Roach described perfectly when he wrote that the boot 'catapulted from a working-class essential to a countercultural icon...
The postmen, factory workers and transport unions who had initially bought the boot by the thousand, were joined by rejects, outcasts and rebels from the fringes of society.'

How much time did you have?
The design process took approximately three months from conception to completion. Construction was realized in six days.