Amidst the many designer shops and holiday pop-ups scattered across Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood is a newcomer no one predicted. PornHub, the web’s largest and most widely recognized porn site, has opened a limited-run, experiential pop-up shop in the area. The site teamed up with the Museum of Sex to sell various items from its gift shop, including sex games and, surprisingly, apothecary goods.
The store, of course, focuses on toys and a wide range of branded merch, like PornHub logo tees, thongs, water bottles, and a cleverly designed leather jacket modeled after a concert tee, listing PornHub video categories in place of tour dates. A collection in collaboration with porn star Christy Mack takes on a charitable effort, as well—all proceeds will go to a domestic violence prevention organization. So if you wanted to get your hands on some sexy new gear and give to charity, the pop-up is just for you. Talk about a double whammy.
Inside the store, an entire wall doubles as a screen which shows the kind of footage you'd see on PornHub, soundtracked by a playlist of sounds from PornHub videos mixed by the Brooklyn-based artist collective Enstantine.
Naturally, the team had to get creative in order to face the logistical challenges of bringing pornography to the brick-and-mortar world. For instance, there's a strict 18+ age requirement for entry—just like real porn websites. Beyond that, the biggest obstacle—and coincidentally the store's main goal—is for the pop-up to eliminate the stigma around sex.
So, if you're looking for a less expensive, non-designer way to release all your inhibitions, here you go. The pop-up sits at 70 Wooster Street and is open now through December 20.
