(Taking) Forever

I’m currently seated on a 2-foot tall circular pedestal that's supporting myself, 6 mannequins and fellow customers (or companions, friends, relatives, lovers w/ no cash/credit/inclination to shop with/for) at the Forever21 Shop in SM Megamall. I’m guessing on normal shopping days we’d be asked not to sit on the pedestal and block the view of the shoes that are also on display. But this was only their 3rd day of being Officially Open, so I guess there’s some leeway.

Lola talked into coming here, and obviously I didn’t know what I was getting myself talked into. The current amount of activity in here reminded me of the Las Vegas Comicon, only the comics are replaced by clothes, and geeks in costume by costumed fiberglass statues.

The shopping women outnumber the clueless men (self included) maybe 6:1. Guys would either dutifully follow their ladyfriends one step behind, looking bored or offering rhetorical shopping advice; otherwise they’re like me, opting to wait at one spot inside the store, write then wait to be approached by said ladyfriend for solicited shopping advice. Or perhaps just wait, cellphones or Nintendo DS at hand.

This “event” has been shaped to look like a Big Deal. Our first faux pas upon arriving to the store was following the “LINE FOR FOREVER21 STARTS HERE” sign in the wrong direction. When we got to the end of the non-existent queue we were greeted by a closed entrance and window-view of inside the store, which showed lots of shoppers (natch’) and, to my surprise, big security guys. Not the rent-a-cop kind, but the kind you see in “hot” nightclubs: big bodied w/ SECURITY printed in all-caps yellow in from of their black t-shirts, and sporting either sunglasses or a headset.

Jeez, was the size of the crowd, or the threat of shoplifting expected to be that rampant? It couldn't be the former, as the number of people inside wasn’t enough to merit elbow-rubbing capacity. Can’t be the latter; these are just rtw clothes, for crying out loud. Perhaps they were limiting the numbers of shoppers to X number of people at a time for crowd control? While on the surface it makes the experience sound exclusive, it would probably be illegal.

When we got inside seeing Jane Kingsu (formerly of Chalk magazine) seated by a makeshift booth preparing P100 gift vouchers, it started to make sense. I asked her if she was responsible for the presence of the security guys. She said yes, as she was in charge of marketing and those guys were mostly for show.

The store is ridiculously huge for a boutique shop, almost like the entire floor of the regular SM Department Store clothing section. Getting lost inside is easy, like in a casino (no wall clocks or easily discernable exit. I have to admit I’ve never seen/been to a clothing sale made to appear like a society event. At least they didn’t stamp our wrists and ask for ID. Worse, you can’t pick up chicks here. No booze. Maybe if you offered to buy them a blouse that’d get the ball rolling.