From slapstick to lipstick, good gags and even better bags, practical jokes and impractical fashions, Selfridges explores the surreal, the silly, the odd and the absurd this season.
This spring, Selfridges is aiming to make customers’ days brighter with laughter and mischief-making front of mind and store.
Laughter is a proven remedy and Selfridges intends to raise a smile with a tongue-in-chic curation of art, products, ideas and entertainment kicking off a season of silly across the Corner Shop, Oxford Street windows and the Duke Street Art Block.
Open until 1st April, The Corner Shop has been transformed into The Joke Shop: a shoppable comedy store, complete with classic joke-shop tricks and curated products from Selfridges funniest designer friends including Adam Jones, Corrina Goutas, Judith Leiber, Puppets and Puppets, Aaron Esh, Anya Hindmarch and Cowboys of Habit. It has been conceived to appeal to the whole family and be accessible to all, with price points working for a pocket money purchase starting at 99p and extending to special pieces that life-long pranksters will find hard not to fall for.
Limited edition Selfridges merch is available at The Joke Shop; Canned Air From Selfridges and I went to Selfridges and all I got was this Lousy T-shirt, alongside products in custom-made Joke Shop packaging.
In The Joke Shop, nothing is quite as it seems, and customers can expect surprises and pranks as they explore the space. At weekends, a Joke Shop Manager dressed in a custom-made uniform by artist Max Allen will entertain visitors at various times, and an immersive Manager’s Office with giant jumping beans will be accessible to Selfridges Unlocked Keyholders.
To accompany The Joke Shop, on 7th March Selfridges will unveil window displays by multi-disciplinary artist Max Seidentopf and new work by British visual artist Mel Brimfield. The Oxford Street run of windows will celebrate some of Britain’s oldest jokes such as Custard Pie, Knock Knock, Whoopee Cushion and Rubber Chicken.
Atop the Art Block at the Duke Street entrance Brimfield’s ‘Slapstick Generator’ sculpture draws on the physical comedy of cartoons, vaudeville cinema, and rickety contraptions derivative of the work of eccentric 20th Century illustrator W. Heath Robinson. A staged moment of imminent peril sees a giant boulder at the centre of this sculpture that appears to be poised to flatten the Selfridges Concierge desk.
Laura Weir, Selfridges Executive Creative Director, says: “Creativity and fun are part of our brand DNA, brought to life through destinations and experiences that make the world brighter. The Joke Shop at Selfridges draws inspiration from local joke shops across the country, as well as the tongue in cheek aesthetics we’ve seen and loved this season. We’re transforming our Corner Shop into a shoppable comedy store, with windows celebrating the best British jokes and larger than life art commissions. We want to raise a smile and make mischief in a way that can be enjoyed by everyone who visits us.”
For The Joke Shop, Selfridges has drawn inspiration from the unique creativity of the British Joke Shop. It will platform independent joke shops Dinsdale’s Famous Joke and Trick Shop (Hull), The Scarborough Joke and Magic Shop, Joke Shop (Cardiff), Tam Shepherds Trick Shop (Glasgow) and Joke Shop (Southport), sharing their stories across Selfridges social channels.
Notes to Editors:
Selfridges Unlocked
Customers can access the very best of Selfridges through Selfridges Unlocked. Open to everyone, Selfridges Unlocked gives Keyholders exclusive perks including first look launches, events, prize draws, free shipping, regular donations and more. Unlocked Keyholders visiting The Joke Shop will be able to access the Manager’s Office.
