Grammy award winner Shawn “Jay Z” Carter is also an entrepreneur. In addition to recording several hits and co-founding a couple of record labels, Carter co-owns a pro basketball team and an upscale sports bar. He also has his own urban clothing line, Rocawear. To promote that brand’s new premium line during a recent concert tour, Carter teamed with D-ASH Design (Long Island City, N.Y.) to create a pop-up shop housed in a 50-foot-long truck trailer.

“Jay Z wanted the shop to embody his urban aesthetic,” says David Ashen, D-ASH’s principal and creative director. “The basic idea is to transport the customer into the Jay Z and Rocawear lifestyle.”

To that end, the mobile store – dubbed the RocPopShop – features apparel merchandized in large custom travel trunks covered in stamped patent leather and lined in suede. In addition, the 1000-square-foot space is outfitted with mohair sofas, suede walls, custom zebra wood cabinetry, a 46-inch flatscreen TV and stereo system, and a gaming zone.

Project Participants

Client
Rocawear, a division of Iconix Brand Group Inc., New York: Jameel Spencer, chief marketing officer, Iconix; Ber-Tia Barron, senior marketing manager, Iconix

Design
D-ASH Design Inc., Long Island City, N.Y.: David Ashen, principal, creative director; Evelyn Sherwood, design director; Cecilia Valdez, design director/ project manager; Jaithan Kochar and Vasiliki Zanettis, interior designers

Outside Design Consultants
Zenda Snyder, New York (design)                                                                                             Terri Hamilton, New York (visual merchandising/project coordinator)

Audio/Visual
Sophist Productions LLC, New York

General Contractor, Ceilings, Flooring
Mobility Resource Associates Inc., Taylor, Mich.

Fixtures
Diffused Productions Inc., Yonkers, N.Y. 
Exquisite Glass and Stone Inc., Long Island City, N.Y.
GW Mfg. Ridgewood, N.Y.
Morgik Metal Designs, New York
The Picture Frame Co., Saline, Mich.

Furniture
Martin-Albert Interiors Inc., New York

Lighting
Mobility Resource Associates Inc., Taylor, Mich.
D-ASH Design Inc., Long Island City, N.Y.

POS/Training
IUG Business Solutions, New York

Props and Decoratives/Signage and Graphics
Rocawear, a division of Iconix Brand Group Inc., New York