SoHo Pink Dreams: A look inside Nana Jacqueline's debut NYC pop-up store

Walking down West Broadway in SoHo, New York City, is always a feast for all senses - especially this time of year, when all the stores have their holiday lights and displays out in full force. With many retailers vying for the attention of tourists and locals, one storefront in particular succeeds in catching your eye immediately.

The debut New York City pop-up store of Los Angeles-based luxury womenswear brand Nana Jacqueline, the ornate blush pink window display features heavy vintage draping, with a giant box containing a mannequin - not unlike a Barbie Doll - wearing one of the brand's signature evening gowns. On the other side of the display is an elegant description of the brand's history, encouraging all those who pass by to step in and discover the romantic and whimsical world of Nana Jacqueline. 

Nana Jacqueline launches debut New York City pop-up in SoHo

Originally co-founded by best friends Shiyun, aka Jacqueline Zhang and Nana Li, in 2013, the brand has grown rapidly in recent years from its early beginnings as a loungewear brand into a full-fledged womenswear brand. "We launched our brand with a customized collection of pajamas and robes for Valentine's Day," explained Jacqueline Zhang, co-founder and Creative Director of Nana Jacqueline, to FashionUnited. "From there, we decided to shift to ready-to-wear because we saw that there was not sufficient occasion wear available. We felt that young, independent women needed more beautiful dresses to get dressed up." Firmly believing in the concept that any occasion is enough reason to get dressed up and feel your most confident self, it is clear why the brand has become such a big hit with celebrities, a-listers, locals, and tourists alike. 

Stepping into the pop-up in SoHo feels like you're being transported into Nana Jacqueline's realm of chic, sexy, and retro-inspired designs. Featuring a wide assortment of the brand's latest Holiday Edit alongside its bestselling ready-to-wear styles, as well as footwear, jewelry, and accessories, Nana Jacqueline's distinctly feminine designs carefully toe the line between vintage and modern, mixing silhouettes with luxurious fabrics and a well-thought-out color palette. With singers such as Ariana Grande, BlackPink members Rosé, Jennie and Lisa, and Kacey Musgraves favoring the brand, Nana Jacqueline's brand recognition has only strengthened as it gears up for a year of growth in 2025. 

"Offering head-to-toe looks, including jewelry, accessories, shoes, and monthly collections, I feel like our brand is the perfect match for celebrities and everyday women seeking unique occasion wear," - Jacqueline Zhang, co-founder and creative director of Nana Jacqueline.

"When we first started our brand, our whole design and concept, was unique. To us, it seemed like the perfect fit for occasion wear," explained Zhang. "I love the recognition that has come with more and more celebrities wearing our brands - especially on shows. For example, Lily-Rose Depp wore one of our pieces on 'The Idol,' and Lexi Howard on 'Euphoria' also wore one of our mini-dresses, which was really cool. Since then, more and more TV shows and celebrities have worn our designs, like Jenna Ortega in Sabrina Carpenter's music video 'Taste', boosting the brand's visibility even more." 

Attracting loyal followers from across the US, the UK, Australia, Singapore, China, and Canada, it comes as little surprise that there was a massive line outside the SoHo pop-up store before its opening on November 9. "The pop-up opening was crazy - the first day when we opened, people thought it was a museum," notes Zhang, who flew in from Los Angeles to oversee the opening in person. "We wanted to draw people into the brand and get them curious about us so they could come in and learn more about Nana Jacqueline." Since the opening, the brand has seen a steady stream of customers, a mix of locals and tourists, said Zhang, which was precisely the clientele they hoped to attract. "We've had people from Vancouver, Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and the UK, as well as locals, come to visit our store in NYC, which is really exciting." 

How Nana Jacqueline has grown from loungewear to occasion wear to hosting global pop-up stores

Set to run until January 14, 2025, the SoHo pop-up opening comes on the heels of Nana Jacqueline's successful pop-up in Los Angeles and Shanghai, China. While some may wonder why a West Coast brand with a strong international following decided to open a temporary store in New York City rather than abroad, the decision was logical for Zhang. "New York is our number one best-selling location, according to our data, followed by Los Angeles," explained Zhang. "So our decision to host a pop-up here is based on data. I also feel like New Yorkers enjoy exploring and engaging with our brand's ultra-feminine offering in person. Many pieces in our Holiday Edit are outerwear, jackets, coats, and blazers, which are very applicable to New Yorkers. We wanted our main customer base to experience the brand in person, touch all the pieces and feel our fabrics, dress up head to toe in Nana Jacqueline, and then head out to a party in true New York fashion."

The SoHo neighborhood was also an obvious choice for Zhang to open a temporary store, as its appeal sits in line with Nana Jacqueline's target audience of young independent millennials and Generation Z. "I feel like New York is a place that has a lot of tourists and locals alike mingling on the streets. And people here love to explore new things - especially in SoHo. Things here are constantly changing. I love coming to SoHo, exploring the neighborhood for two or three days, and seeing what's new. It is definitely a busy and happening spot."

Designing the SoHo pop-up experience to have a vintage-inspired aesthetic

Orchestrating the entire pop-up store design with her team, Zhang wanted to ensure that the SoHo pop-up reflected the brand's unique sense of femininity and independence while staying true to the brand's vintage-inspired aesthetic. Together with the team, they created a welcoming and warm atmosphere by hanging blush pink - Nana Jacqueline's signature color - draped curtains all across the store. "It is the same design we used for our showroom in Shanghai as well," said Zhang.

Together with the team, she sourced ornate vintage chairs, lights, side tables, and rugs to build a space where customers can relax while shopping, all of which reflect a retro Parisian look. At the back of the store are three fitting rooms with massive mirrors and a traditional cash register desk, complete with a beautiful lamp, the brand's accessories, and a display cabinet behind it. "When you pay, it's almost like you are checking into a boutique hotel."

Customers can pick up Nana Jacqueline's Holiday Editorial Guide for inspiration or browse through the rest of the store displays, which include custom store fixtures and glass cabinets. "We display our ready-to-wear collection by color and collection styles," notes Zhang. "We hung our leather pieces with the faux fur items, outerwear with outerwear, evening gowns with mini dresses, and then pink and white together and red and black together, which feels very festive."

Nana Jacqueline looks ahead to a strong year of growth in 2025

With Nana Jacqueline's annual Holiday Edit remaining the brand's strongest collection, both in terms of sales and popularity, the SoHo pop-up opening is well-timed for the upcoming festive season. "We launch different collections throughout the year," notes Zhang, "Holiday, Spring, Summer, and we're actually launching a Ski collection later this year," she revealed. "It is going to be really fun." With plans well underway to shoot the campaign over the next month, the brand aims to unveil the debut Ski collection to the public by the end of December. Expanding into a new product category and opening more pop-up stores further signals Nana Jacqueline's aspirations for expansion. With new retail partnerships set to launch on Amazon and Rent the Runway later this year, the future seems brightly pink for the brand. 

"We have a few exciting collaborations in the pipeline, but I can't share more details on that yet," added Zhang with a smile. She does point out that the brand's team is always looking to expand its pop-up experience to other locations and that there are talks underway about launching a pop-up in London sometime in the future. "I definitely want to open a pop-up in London, but we have to make sure it is in the right space and time." Until then, Nana Jacqueline will most likely continue to expand its global customer base, one pink dress at a time.