How to Win the Kylie Jenner Pop-Up in NYC

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The countdown has begun again. On Monday, February 13th at 10 a.m. Eastern, the doors open; on Tuesday, February 14th at 3 p.m. Pacific, the merch drops online. Kylie Jenner has designed another set of clothes, hats, and pins, and she’s making them available to New York City a day before the rest of the country gets a shot with an exclusive Soho pop-up launch, much like the one that nearly incited a small-scale riot at an LA mall in December.

I spent most of its opening trying to get into that store and ultimately failing — but I learned plenty along the way. Here are some tips and tricks for anyone determined to get their hands on a THICK! sports bra, a TALENT shirt, or a pink-and-white version of that ripped-up “I’m the Kylie, You’re the Kendall” tee:

Show up early. No, earlier. Yeah, probably an hour or two before that. People in LA started waiting at 1 a.m. for a 10 a.m. launch; by the time I arrived at the mall at 9 a.m., the line itself was closed. New York in February — and having to wait out on the street — may be a little less hospitable to overnight campouts, but don’t underestimate the zeal of the Kylie fanatic. The pop-up opens at 10 a.m. at 27 Mercer Street in Soho; it’s up to you how many fingers and toes you’re willing to sacrifice to be among the first inside.

Educate yourself before you show up. A preview of everything that will be available is up at the Kylie Jenner Shop’s Instagram and at Kylie Cosmetics’ website; time inside the store will likely be limited to 20-minute windows, as in LA, so make sure you know what you’re looking to grab!

But don’t bother trying to budget. Items don’t have prices listed online, and they most likely won’t be tagged in the store, either. If the last line is any indication, though, tees will run $35-45 and accessories $10-25; sweatshirts were around $70, with the lips logo bomber jackets — which will be available in silver and red as well as the classic black — topping out at just over $200.

If you’re not in New York, don’t (necessarily) despair. I had promised some friends that I would pick them up LIKE, REALIZING STUFF tees from the first collection while I was at the opening in Topanga; I felt so bad about my failure that I woke up early the next morning to try to catch the online launch, and was able to buy the shirts with no problem. In fact, when I checked in a few hours later, they were still available on the website. Everything sold out eventually, but there have since been restocks; either demand is waning, or Kylie’s team is getting better at keeping up with it, but either way, if the last round is any indication, these items may not actually be all that impossible to get.

That said, if you’re a die-hard fan, it’s probably still worth going. Kylie talked up how much merch had been produced in advance of the LA opening, but she hasn’t said the same about NYC; she’s also said that she won’t be restocking her sold-out Valentine’s makeup collection, Be Mine, on her website, but that it will be available in the store.

It looks like she’s back at the very-limited-edition game, and the pop-up is open “while supplies last,” so if a Kylie’s Diary Kyshadow & Blush palette is what your heart desires, well, maybe tell your Valentine that what you really want this year is for them to put on a coat and hold your place in line.