“A lot of people right now are focusing on how retail might be dying,” Curry says. “Maybe retail as we know it might be going away. But doing projects like Felix and Dover Street Market is a great way to bring our community into something that feels fresh.”

By the Roosevelt pool on Friday, Morán says that, at first, seasoned patrons thought the DSM pop-up was just another part of the exhibition. They stood back and looked at the Tuazon sculpture as just that: a sculpture. It took a good 20 minutes for viewers to begin touching the clothing, trying it on. This, he says, is a sign that the three – Felix, DSM and Tuazon – did indeed achieve something new; something unfamiliar.

Does a niche art fair have broad enough appeal to kick-start a new retail format?

The Dover Street Market hype speaks for itself (notably, Felix tickets weren’t needed to shop the pop-up). But by placing the already innovative retailer’s pop-up at the fair and offering exclusive, art- and artist-centred items, it brings a fresh feel, says Airei’s Curry. In essence, it gave the branded projects multiple co-signs: DSM, Felix and, in Airei’s case, Asics. “That’s really what creates even more buzz around the project,” he says. “It was really Dover Street Market that was able to boost the presence for this.”

Exactly who the collaborations are reaching isn’t front of mind for Morán and Gilchrist. But Morán does operate with the philosophy that if you build it well, they will come.

“You’re basically trying to impress the six people closest to you,” Morán says. “And if these six people really like what you’re doing, there’s a tendency for 6,000 to follow, you know?”

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