Since their inception, the fashion and design industries have been synonymous with exclusivity. For newer brands especially, breaking into mainstream markets can feel like a Herculean feat. From getting pieces in front of audiences to connecting with fellow creatives, the barriers to entry that emerging labels face can read like a laundry list.

In spite of the industries’ exclusionary ways, London-based online marketplace APOC has taken a new approach, namely one that prioritises community and innovation. The marketplace, which has over the years become a key destination for scoring pieces from if-you-know-you artists and designers, recently made its US debut with a two-week, two-part event series on New York City’s Canal Street. The second part of their public pop-up opened yesterday and runs throughout the weekend with a new APOC curation.

Part one of APOC’s New York initial entry, which ran from September 18 to 21, was a thoughtful exhibition that included fashion pieces curated by APOC, along with furniture and objects curated by Adorno, a Copenhagen-founded online design platform. Each designer chosen by APOC was prompted to invite a new designer into the mix, creating a trickle effect of collaboration. “Every designer at APOC is part of a chain of connection – bringing someone new into the community ensures the platform grows as a living network, not just a store,” APOC co-founder Ying Suen said in a statement.

The material focus of the exhibition was metal and transparency, design features that were inspired by the Ear (3) headphones recently released by London-founded tech company Nothing, another collaborator of the event. 

Nothing’s Ear (3), made with recycled anodised aluminium, served as a design focus from which APOC and Adorno drew from; APOC’s curation focused on jewellery artists and fashion designers who use metal and hardware in their practice, while Adorno’s curation included collectable design and furniture pieces that each had a metallic focus. This theme was also integrated into the scenography of the space, which included metallic sculptural installations by New York-based artist John Black.

Part two of APOC’s New York programming, which runs until September 28, is just as innovative. The marketplace’s pop-up will feature an entirely new group of designers who have had no prior knowledge of the Chinatown space. With only 48 hours to prepare, the designers will reinvent the venue, using only what they have to hand; from there, they’ll eventually take turns selling each other’s work, furthering the uniquely egalitarian retail experience. While the American shopping market has long been marked by mass consumption and microtrends, APOC’s New York stint is breathing new life into the US’s fashion capital. 

APOC’s public pop-up is open now, from September 25 to 28, daily from 1 to 8pm at 255 Canal Street, Floor 3, New York.