Online fashion brand PrettyLittleThing brought its pink store on wheels to the University of Maryland Thursday for its “U.S. East Coast Pop-Up Tour.”
The event — sponsored by Student Entertainment Events — invited eager students to browse their collection outside Memorial Chapel.
Founded in 2012, PrettyLittleThing describes itself as “the brand taking over your social media feeds with our killer looks and next-level aesthetic.”
With showrooms across the globe and even a campaign launch featuring supermodel Naomi Campbell, it’s no wonder PrettyLittleThing has maintained a strong fanbase, including senior government and politics major Rhiley Jones.
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“I feel like girls, like, we love PrettyLittleThing. So we’re gonna come no matter what,” Jones said.
Students queued outside the bus that took pretty in pink to the next level. The inside featured pink shelves, a pink closet, a pink bookcase and a large mirror to resemble a compact boutique.
A representative for the company said the pop-up aimed to engage students on the East Coast and meet their core demographics.
The event was a hit-or-miss for some students. Many seemed to love the pink aesthetic, freebies and a chance to meet surprise guest TV personality and actress La La Anthony. Anthony, a PrettyLittleThing brand ambassador since 2023, stunned students with hugs and selfies when she popped out of the bus.
But others were dissatisfied that the clothes displayed on the bus were not available for purchase.
“I just wanted to see what they have, like experience the aesthetics,” Christina Fatusin, a freshman biology major, said. “The bus I thought was cute, but I was sad that we couldn’t buy anything.”
Organizers told students that they could purchase items online, as it would be cheaper. What they could take from the pop-up included freebies such as PrettyLittleThing cups, hoodies or phone charms.
Camille Dickerson, a senior criminology and criminal justice major, managed to get a cup when she stopped by the pop-up earlier in the day, but the pop-up ran out of items when she returned later . She said she was also disappointed that the clothes were only for display.
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Nonetheless, Dickerson said she still enjoyed the pop-up. She and Jones attended the event together and said that they’ve liked PrettyLittleThing since late middle and high school.
They also expressed their excitement about La La Anthony. Especially Dickerson, who missed meeting Anthony, but said the actress is in one of her favorite shows, a crime drama called “BMF.”
“I love La La … She’s such a powerhouse, and I love that show so much,” Dickerson said. “I’m really sad I didn’t get to meet her. I wish she was here longer.”
