Retail Rage Room Reflects Sociopolitical Anger
Published 31 July 2024
Aiming to tap into the anger felt by many Americans at the state of the nation’s politics and wider social injustices – 55% say they’re often or mostly angry about these issues (Pew, 2024), women-owned British-Spanish footwear brand Miista created a “rage room” at its new Lower East Side flagship in New York City, its first brand space outside Europe.
The brand collected discarded office supplies from around the city to mock up the “world’s most depressing office” before staging The Rage Room, A Miista Performance, in which models smashed the equipment with golf clubs and hurled it across the room. Following filming, it invited brand fans to destroy what was left, aiming to provide a cathartic emotional outlet. Miista then released both the short film and subsequent consumer-featuring footage on Instagram.
An accompanying quote read: “US politics is a mess right now, which is understandably having an effect on our community over there – and while we can’t lead a protest movement or run for President, what we can do is open up our space and invite people in to blow off some steam […] We recreated a typical depressing office – because there’s a lot to be mad about when it comes to the workplace.”
Extending the concept, the store will house an ongoing “community rage wall”, intended to capture New York’s pulse, especially in the lead-up to November’s national elections. Visitors are encouraged to write about their anger at either political or personal situations on post-it notes, which will then be displayed on the wall.
