I have attended four fashion pop up store 'happenings' this year so far. I call them happenings as they seem to be some kind of derivative of theatre that nods firmly at a retail store but also embraces an art exhibition aesthetic.

Throw in a handful of club nights, stir in a soupcon of fashion show, and there you have a recipe for the latest fashion experience to come to South Africa.

Known around the world originally as 'guerrilla stores', now more widely known as pop up stores, this new style of retail space has some very specific criteria that define it. Firstly, it must be a temporary experience, lasting anything from a day through to a couple of months.

Going underground

The second criterion is that the promotion and awareness of these happenings tends to be somewhat underground.

Utilizing the latest tools in social networking, the marketing is almost always done online, through word of mouth and inside the very environments of the people that the experience is trying to attract.

The third and final criterion is that the event needs to embrace the edgier side of fashion. Around the world these stores celebrate the young, the emerging and the innovative. The rising stars that do participate in these events are generally the ones with great vision and enthusiasm for their own development and future.

So where did all this cutting edge hoopla come from and why does it seem that South Africa is a bit slow on the uptake?

Rooted in trunk shows

It is thought that the origins of the pop up store are in the original trunk shows of the 19th century.

A Trunk Show is part of the fashion buying process, still around today, that makes a selection of a designer's goods available directly to a specially chosen clientele, in a venue convenient for the clients rather than at the designer's studio or store.

The designer is often available to discuss the designs and answer any questions.

More recently, in Europe, guerrilla stores were set up to capitalise on empty warehouse or retail space in high footfall areas.

The store would sweep in, set up, intrigue the buying public as they passed by with innovative store fronts and music and light shows, and then, just as quickly, disappear.

Comme des Garçon has used this method very effectively in Berlin and London, at Dover Street Market, in the past few years to increase awareness of their brand.

Dover Street Market has also been the initiator in moving the concept of the guerrilla store on.

In the space that they occupy in the heart of expensive Mayfair, DSM has run several pop-up happenings over the past 18 months. Invited to occupy a, quite literal, pop up space inside the store, edgy Japanese labels and more mainstream labels like YSL and Chanel, have popped up and made DSM even more of a destination store.

Moving the concept to South Africa

And it is in this environment that the pop up store has moved to South Africa in 2008. This arrival is somewhat behind the international fashion curve, a reflection of a still very risk-averse retail environment.

However, does this time lag mean a super-hungry audience? And does this concept work here like it does around the globe?

Let me share with you my experiences of these events, right here in South Africa.

In March, I attended a four-day sale of Frock clothing and Crayon shoes, in a tiny disused warehouse space in Caledon Street in a rough part of Cape Town City.

Rudimentary is the key word for this happening, which was brought to people's attention by word of mouth alone. Trading off a well established local reputation, the attraction of the event was great discounts on the merchandise.

This drew people away from their day to day lives, out of their way, to this grubby little spot in their droves. While I was there a queuing system was in place, and I had to wait quite some time for people to emerge in order to go in.

Excellent merchandise, great prices, and a feeling of catching it while I can (and being lucky enough to know about it) far outweighed the inconvenience of location and lack of finesse in the ambiance. Sales and footfall were extremely high, but no media covered the event and both labels are now 'resting'.

In August I attended two pop up store happenings. The first was The Baileys Fashion Weekend which was timed to coincide with the weekend of Virgin Mobile Cape Town Fashion Week.

The location was a fashion venue in Woodstock, The Runway, and the space was successfully converted into a no-frills, slick and professional retail space. Designers were mostly young and emerging fashion brands and the event used online and word of mouth to spread the word.

Success or failure?

It lasted two days and just under 400 people attended — a good total for the two days. Almost all the designers made sales, but there was a lingering feeling that this was a missed opportunity for the fashionistas of Cape Town as there was plenty of space for more people. Off the beaten path and on a sunny weekend, the crowds just didn't bother.

Later in that week, I attended an international brands sale in Cape Town city centre, just after work. The venue was a tiny café next to a jewellery store and was supposed to last two days.

Within two hours of opening the stock was pretty much sold out. With brands from Primark, Topshop and H&M, the viral email used to promote the event had tapped into the exact market they needed. Pushing and shoving, communal changing in a grimy kitchen space and pretty stiff prices did nothing deter the crowds.

And finally, I attended the most beautifully designed space in Johannesburg this past weekend. The Baileys Trunk Show was opened in an art gallery in Craighall for one day only.

Promotion and advance media coverage was huge, with a strong Facebook group and an upsurge in media interest in pop up stores evident. Most of the trendy and well known South African designers who were participating were present at the event and this was an outstanding brand building success for them.

And yet, only 150 people turned up on the day — a vastly wasted opportunity for Jozi residents. The tills chimed to the tune of around R30 000 — not bad during the credit crunch — but was this enough to mark the event as a success?

It seems that salubrious surrounds and good marketing are not the key success criteria for these events in South Africa. Giving people something reasonably convenient and interesting is fine, but for us, massive discounts or international labels seem to be the essential tipping points to draw in the crowds — who, it appears, need extra motivation to go out of their way on a weekend.

Lazy and just a bit spoiled

But I believe that this is wrong and says something a bit embarrassing about us as a country. We have become lazy and just a bit spoiled. A nation of mall rats, we seldom seek out the interesting and innovative if we have to make much of an effort.

In a time when the economy is perilous, fashion folks are going the extra mile to make exposure to their goods as interesting and exciting an experience for us as possible. We continue to spend our money on clothes, but veer to the convenient or overt label. Or expect incredible craftsmanship and style for very little money. Shame on us.

I strongly hope that the industry continues to build on the pop up store concept. I think it is essential as a way to challenge the retail environment and bring exciting designers and merchandise to our attention. But we, consumers, need to play a role too. Let's collectively get off our sofas and get out there to support our local fashion industry as it seeks to entertain us while we shop. It's such a pleasure when we do.

For more information on Robyn and her personal styling services, go to: www.robyncooke-styleguide.co.za