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Bitagcol Opens New Pop-Up Store in Powerplant Mall
Bitagcol, the eponymous fashion brand of designer Jo Ann Bitagcol, opened a new pop-up concept store in Powerplant Mall. Named re-start, the store features her iconic prints applied to a collection of shirts, scarves, dresses, and skirts, as well as potential new offerings that could pique the interest of fashion-conscious Filipinos everywhere.
Open from November 2024 to January 2025, it gives shoppers and fashion aficionados the opportunity to get the latest works from the brand—for themselves, and potentially as gifts to loved ones for Christmas. Bitagcol herself said that she sees the pop-up as a natural progression to share her creations to a broader audience.
“I believe that our brand is doing something good,” she said. “[What] I mean [is that] this is our way of honoring the roots, our heritage, our culture. I guess it’s something that needs to be celebrated, and I’m happy to be part of [it]. I want to share that happiness [with] everyone.”
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Artwork and New Concepts Galore
The pop-up store was named re-start due to its function as an introduction to the Bitagcol brand to the broader public. The store features the iconic shirts and scarves the brand is well-known for, as well as more of the dresses and other garments that their steady customers request.
“Since this would be the first pop up, I wanted to share with our new audience the prints and bestsellers that put our brand on the map,” Bitagcol said in a press statement. “We will still carry the signature shirts, of course. But we are adding long dresses into the mix along other pieces that utilize lace.”
The most interesting part of re-start, however, is some of the new products on display. Different home accessories make their public debut such as notecards, place mats, serving trays, and coasters. These accessories contain the prints by Bitagcol that grace her clothing collection as well.
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Bitagcol said that these new products “reimagine” the works for home use, and highlights the heritage aspect that appears in her clothing line and her work in general. These have been heavily requested by customers, she said, since she started the brand.
“It was very inspiring to hear that patrons of the brand want our heritage to be present everywhere. A part of an entire lifestyle,” she said in a press statement.
Accessibility to the People
The choice of Powerplant Mall came about due to its proximity to Bitagcol’s showroom in Poblacion and its general accessibility to the public. More than that, she sees a kinship to the community regulars that come to the mall.
“[It’s] such an honor and a prestige to be here,” she said. “I feel at home here. I mean, this is my neighborhood. This is the most [viable] location-wise, and also the vibe and the community that I like personally? This is it. So, I want to be part of it. That’s why I chose [Powerplant].”
The Bitagcol brand worked to ensure that re-start utilizes the comforting vibe that their own showroom also contains. A relaxed design pervades the whole space, from the transparent glass signage on the table to how the designer’s signature embroidery prints surround the space.
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“We wanted the pop up space to feel like home. We sought to build an ideal platform to introduce home accessories to our collection. The pop up may be a new location, but it will remain homey and welcoming as the studio,” the press statement said.
re-start, the brand’s pop-up store, will be open from November 8, 2024 to January 2025. It is located on the second floor of Powerplant Mall, close to Bench/Edited, halohalo, and the Rajo Store.
Photos by Elle Yap.
Related reading: Bitagcol Celebrates Fifth Anniversary with New Showroom in Makati
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