Catherine Saks and Barbara Potts give us a glimpse into their new shoppable closet in Copenhagen
In the centre of Copenhagen, in a space that once held a royal pharmacy, one finds Saks Potts’ latest pop-up shop, which opens its doors for the first time today. Consecrated by King Frederick V in 1759, the pharmacy was connected to Royal Frederiks Hospital – the very first hospital in all of Denmark. Talk about history. “The space still has the original interior and exterior which is beyond beautiful,” Catherine Saks and Barbara Potts tell me. “A huge Saks Potts closet has been built with respect for the historical interior of the space – it fits beautifully with our collections.”
The designers have had their eye on the location for quite some time now; their headquarters is just upstairs. “It was truly a dream come true for us to have our office and shop in the same building,” Saks and Potts tell me, noting that their SS23 show was held just down the street at Kongens Nytorv. “It feels very authentic and right to open a store in this exact location.”
Similar in concept to the brand’s previous pop-up, held in the back of it-restaurant Atelier September, this iteration offers a so-called “dream closet” on a larger scale. Starchy striped shirts and boxes line the walls – an apothecary of covetable clothing. On one display table sits claw clips, a vintage tea pot and a green bouquet in a glass vase. Resting against the wall are rolls of fabric: Thomas Mason cotton poplin and Harris Tweed wool. Sparsely hung wooden built-ins house the covetable jackets and frocks. The space is as much a shop as it is a Saks Potts moodboard sprung to life.
In addition to housing the FW22 collection – “cuddly warm knits”, “super soft workwear-inspired suede pieces”, “delicate silk dresses for festive occasions” – the shop will also stock a limited Christmas capsule, fashioned from leftover fabrics and leathers. Archive footwear from longtime Saks Potts collaborator Manolo Blahnik are available to complete the looks.
I ask the girls what their favourite detail of the space is. They find it hard to point out just one thing – the rich wooden accents perhaps, or the large rounded window. Finally they land on a smaller feature that encapsulates the history of the space: “Our favourite detail is probably a small hidden door in the entrance of the space that was originally used to pick up your medicine.”
The Saks Potts pop-up shop is located at Bredgade 73 and is open 10.00 - 18.00 Monday - Friday and 10.00 - 16.00 on Saturday
