Belief: Experience is the strongest form of brand memory.
Turning a Store Opening Into a Cultural Destination
122
Creators attended
19.4M+
Impressions generated
450
Total posts
72
Organic feed posts
Overview
SKIMS LA Flagship Opening Event
As SKIMS prepared to open its Los Angeles flagship, the opportunity extended beyond driving awareness of a new retail location. The challenge was to transform a store opening into a cultural moment—one that generated immediate engagement while creating momentum beyond opening night.
Through an influencer-led shopping experience and a branded takeover of the neighboring Mel's Diner, SKIMS expanded the launch beyond retail and into a broader community experience.
Role: Influencer strategy & Experience planning
Objective: Drive awareness, social buzz, and retail traffic around the opening of SKIMS first Los Angeles flagship.
Insight
Most retail openings generate attention for one night. The opportunity was to create an experience that lived beyond the opening and invited broader participation from both influencers and the public.
Strategy
Rather than concentrating the launch entirely within the flagship store, the experience expanded into a second environment through a branded takeover of the neighboring Mel's Diner.
By introducing a distinct second environment and encouraging guests to move between spaces, the experience offered multiple points of participation and extended the lifespan of the launch beyond a single evening. The event evolved into a broader cultural experience rather than a traditional retail opening. Creators acted as cultural amplifiers, while the week-long public activation invited broader audiences to participate in the experience firsthand.
My Role
Influencer Strategy & Creator
Relations
Curated invitation strategy across 232 creators, balancing audience mix, cultural relevance, and brand alignment
Partnered on attendee approvals and talent prioritization
Served as an onsite brand representative & host, cultivating relationships with creators throughout the event experience
Guided talent through the flagship and diner activation, ensuring a seamless and engaging guest journey
Facilitated real-time creator engagement, helping strengthen brand affinity and deepen relationships beyond the event itself
Experience Design & Partnerships
Collaborated with production, merchandising, retail, and creative agency partners to bring the flagship opening experience to life
Helped shape the guest experience across both retail and dining environments
Participated in menu development, space walkthroughs, and experiential flow planning
Supported guest journey planning to balance traffic flow, exclusivity, and overall event experience
Merchandise & Gifting
Managed onsite gifting operations and fulfillment to ensure a seamless creator experience
Developed gifting strategy for attending creators based on in-store inventory availability, audience relevance, and brand priorities
Partnered with merchandising teams on exclusive flagship merchandise created for the opening
Oversaw onsite gifting operations and fulfillment
Used gifting as a relationship-building touchpoint within the broader creator experience
Challenge
With guests arriving in waves throughout the evening, the experience needed to balance exclusivity and energy while preventing overcrowding within the retail environment. Maintaining a seamless flow between the flagship and diner activation was critical to preserving the guest experience and ensuring each space felt intentional rather than transactional. The success of the activation depended not only on attendance, but on creating a journey guests wanted to move through and share organically.
Impact
Cultural Impact
First creator event in company history
Established a blueprint for future experiential launches
Extended launch visibility beyond opening night
Generated sustained conversation through a week-long public activation
Business Impact
122 creator attendees
72 organic feed posts
450 total social posts
19.4M impressions
Key Takeaway
This work reinforced my belief that experience is the strongest form of brand memory. What began as a flagship opening evolved into a shared experience that extended far beyond the store itself. By creating opportunities for both creators and the public to participate, the activation transformed a retail milestone into a cultural moment that lived on through conversation, content, and community.
The most successful brand experiences don’t end when the event is over. By expanding the launch beyond a single evening and creating multiple points of participation, the flagship opening generated both immediate impact and lasting relevance. This project demonstrated how experience can build memory, deepen community, and extend a brand's cultural impact far beyond a single moment.