From the aptly named Special Creative Projects team (an in-house agency at Nordstrom) came, among many other things, highly collaborative pop-up shops, each of which entailed a uniquely branded and newly built out site and shop experience.

Fast-paced and ever-evolving, we were a niche team tasked with breaking walls, developing multiple shops at any given moment, experimenting with new UI experiences, and making stuff happen with speed, precision, and really high standards. These massive campaigns focused on growing and evolving the brand, serving more people, and partnering with new-to-Nordstrom and emerging brands.

Camp / glamp / or whatever time. We assembled some of the finest purveyors of outdoor gear—think Filson, Snow Peak, Cotopaxi, and more—and made a few custom provisions to help you live your dreamiest post-summer-solstice life.  

I was the sole writer on this project (that moved at breakneck speed) as well as campaign photographer/AD, which meant scouting cool photoshoot locations in addition to the usual content development and writing bonanza. I brought this experience to life with extensive and exclusive imagery and content (including an interactive map, packing list, and field guide, interviews with creative directors and CEOs) for a full-scale site, store build, strategic internal and external ads, email program, and weekly blog content (aw, remember blogs?).

2019 EDITOR’S NOTE: Re-reading the Cotopaxi interview years after writing it, I’m able to see how much I sacrificed truth and precision for the sake of comfort. Through no fault of the interviewee, I turned this into a weird white-savior-y narrative riddled with euphemisms and imprecision (e.g., “impoverished” vs. “exploited”). At the time, it was how I wrote for a friendly legacy brand with an inoffensive, palatable voice. TBH, I remember feeling a little excited to say any of this at all, to squeeze in words like “privilege” and get it published on a mainstream fashion site. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my time at Nordstrom, and this is not an indictment of the company nor the fine folks there. This piece is on me. I could banish this from the internet with a single click—a luxury we don’t usually get with most of our digital missteps—but this is a great example of how not to write about exploited and marginalized people and places. So up it stays.