Photograph by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella
Less than 24 hours after Kanye West posted the list of pop-up stores selling merchandise promoting the tour for his seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo, lines extended at least 100 deep at Lenox Square. This weekend, the rapper is hosting 21 surprise pop-up stores across the world, from Vegas to Amsterdam to Sydney to, yes, Atlanta.
Photograph by Feifei Sun
The Atlanta shop is located across from Zara on the fourth floor of Lenox Square, but the line is queued nearby on a second-floor parking deck and manned by mall security guards who dole out plastic entry cards 10 at a time. Though the shop didn’t open until 10 this morning, fans were already waiting in line by 9 a.m. according to one guard. One shopper said he’d been in line since 9:30 a.m. only to finally get admitted around 12:30 p.m.
So what’s the fuss about? The Atlanta pop-up itself is roughly the size of a living room—and lacks the flash West is usually known for, with white walls and just a couple racks of clothing. (Unfortunately, they would not allow us to take photographs inside the shop.) But fans are snatching up the white and gold tees ($55) and sweatshirts ($105) emblazoned with “Atlanta” and phrases from the Pablo album in gothic lettering, as well a military green jacket and black satin bomber ($325). If Kanye builds it, they will come. And they will wait.
Photograph by Feifei Sun
“The Life of Pablo” pop-up shop is open today from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 20 from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 21 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. The concert tour itself lands in Atlanta on September 12 at Philips Arena.
