Hands On: Getting Creative in Retail

Getting creative in retail is an essential part of staying relevant in today’s attention based economy. In an increasingly competitive retail landscape, it is more important than ever to make the most of every opportunity to capture a potential customer’s imagination in person. Retail experiences must do more than just look good; they should interrupt routine, spark curiosity, and invite connection. MNK Studio Art’s team of artists take pride in transforming spaces into opportunities for artistic innovation and customer engagement.

A Window Display for the LA Phil Store inspired by music and sound transformed for holiday.

View of MNK’s display at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Window Displays

MNK Studio Art started out creating bespoke window displays and it remains one of our company’s core services today. In 2006, our co-founder Katie, entered the world of a lifestyle brand as the Display Coordinator for a new Anthropologie store. While most stores in the mall favored uniformity, Anthropologie introduced a new retail model of individuality and local expression. Each Anthropologie store had their own local touches, utilizing repurposed architecture and selling products that work for the local demographic. Most of all they encouraged their display artists to put their own creative spin on the window and interior displays that followed the season’s concepts. 

Window Displays by Katie at Anthropologie Rockefeller Center in NYC.

Variation on the main Anthro Window Display in a secondary space.

The best window displays create moments of discovery that feel intentional, elevated, and memorable.

A compelling window display tells the story of a brand before a customer steps inside a store. They begin the narrative that will then lead them through the visuals and experiential activations within the retail space. Window displays are an essential part of any marketing strategy; think of them as billboards that work day and night to reflect your brand’s identity. 

MNK Studio’s unique take on creating window displays comes from the fact that we are first and foremost artists. We think critically, build intentionally, and always refine every detail. By applying our formal art training and years of hands on fabrication experience, we create something elevated and one of a kind. 

Pop Ups

Since the pandemic, pop ups have become an essential part of the retail landscape. MNK Studio Art has developed cost conscious, one night only experiences; highly refined installations for longer term engagement; and fun projects that live somewhere in between. The one thing that all pop ups have in common is that they prioritize customer experience! 

Pop ups can be integrated into existing events and trade shows, or created in collaboration with existing retail spaces. They offer brands a platform to test ideas, build recognition, and foster community. These spaces can host workshops, showcase partnerships, provide food and beverage experiences, or incorporate live performances—all contributing to a deeper sense of brand world-building.

In 2025, MNK Studio Art designed and fabricated a retail pop-up store for Summaeverythang Community Center at the international art fair Frieze Los Angeles. It was a joint effort between many different minds and hands, all working together to build awareness for the non profit. MNK Studio Art created and merchandised custom modular fixture systems for the limited edition collaboration between Nike and Bephie’s Beauty Supply. The primary goal of the booth for Summaeverythang’s founder, Lauren Halsey, and their collaborator, Bestor Architecture, was exposure for the organization and fundraising to build this wonderful community center in Los Angeles.

SUMMAEVERYTHANG Nonprofit Pop Up for FRIEZE LA | Collaborators on this project include Bephie’s Beauty Supply and Nike with founder Lauren Halsey and Bestor Architecture to fundraise for the Summaeverythang Community Center.  

Pop-ups are built to respond to inventory, to audience, and to the moment. Modular fixtures and backdrops make this possible, allowing a space to shift as products move or to be entirely reimagined for the next iteration. What begins as a temporary installation can become a system—one that evolves rather than expires. When developed within an existing architecture, this flexibility opens up new possibilities.

At Westfield Topanga, vacant stores became an opportunity for cross merchandising. Instead of remaining empty, the storefronts were activated with seasonal displays designed as interchangeable backdrops. Each window held the potential to shift, supporting different brands and products while maintaining a sense of cohesion for the mall’s own branding.

Westfield Topanga | Spring Window Displays for multiple brands.

Interventions included vinyl wraps and false walls to hide empty stores.

Custom fixtures, experiential activations, and brand moments are all essential parts of a great pop up shop. MNK Studio’s approach is guided by creative direction and strategy, balancing artistic expression with a brand’s commercial intention. Take a look at some of our past projects in Window Displays and Visual Merchandising!