I’m gonna keep it real with y’all, I did not realize that the UGG brand was popular enough to open a standalone retail store in Williamsburg. Yet here they are, on 25 Kent Avenue, ready to open on Friday.
But on these mean streets of Williamsburg, a regular retail experience just won’t cut it. According to a press release, this store, labeled as a “Feel House” will be “a multi-sensory community space dedicated to making self-expression comfortable for all.” Which is all just PR jargon for “we’re not like other brands.”
The Feel House is only a temporary pop-up running until January 2023. The Brooklyn location will be the first of a number of locations soon to open, including stores in Chengdu, China; Seoul, Korea, and the Metaverse. Yes, Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse.
UGG partnered with the critic and author Kimberly Drew (who is actually very cool) to curate a collection of art from Shawna X, Grace Miceli, and Alicia Mersy.
An excerpt from the press release:
“Consumers can now enter the Feel House through a sensory tunnel and enter the world of UGG®. Inside the pop-up, a sanctuary space delivers on the necessity of refuge, by giving consumers a cozy and calming space to reset and recharge. Special audio and lighting installations allow for visitors Zen-like mindfulness and meditation, a true escape from the outside world. A custom scent was created in partnership with New York-based Olfactory NYC and references the UGG® brand’s signature suede through bold notes of dry leather, apricot, and salt, with a light, refreshing sea breeze, as a nod to its origin story, born on the beaches of Southern California. There is also an interactive wall, where consumers can contribute to the space by sharing their feelings through art and words.”
If you find yourself compelled to share your innermost thoughts and desires with randos at the UGG Feel House, maybe that’s your sign to start therapy, babe. To their credit, UGG announced they will donate $50,000 each to the nonprofits PFLAG and Sad Girls Club this holiday season.
UGG kicked off the opening last weekend with a coterie of fame-adjacent millennials, including Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Leon, Gossip Girl actor Evan Mock, and a person I once saw in Greenpoint, Second Daughter herself Ella Emhoff.
You can stop by the Feel House Monday through Saturday from 11:00 am – 8:00 pm, and Sunday from 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm E.T.