Just in time for Christmas, Instagram Shopping is coming to the UK with an exclusive pop-up, The Instagram Edit @TheOfficialSelfridges, at Selfridges London. The shoppable space is running from December 5-15 in The Designer Studio on level 3 and features a curated edit of fashion, jewellery, beauty and homeware brands built on Instagram, bringing them to the UK shop floor for the first time.

One brand featured is Hopscotch, a design-led London studio whose collection of hand-poured candles and natural beauty products shuns mass production. Founder Sophie Kemp tells us why Instagram is the perfect showcase for her signature simplicity.

I make small batch scented soy candles and all-natural, vegan skincare products from my studio in East London. I used to work as a graphic designer, and my aesthetic is unfussy but elegant. All of my products have minimal branding and packaging—my graphic design background really helps with the “look” of my brand.

I launched Hopscotch in 2014 to share the minimally designed products I love. I’d been looking for the perfect candle to stock but when I realised it just wasn’t out there, I decided to make my own. We don’t do any mass production—our eco-friendly soy candles are hand-poured right here in the studio by hand. Soy is a renewable resource, and our candles burn cleanly but more slowly than ordinary paraffin wax ones. From there, my signature range has expanded to include several candle styles and a terrific range of natural scents, as well as an all-natural skincare range, none of which is ever tested on animals.

Instagram is a great way to launch products, and I often use promoted posts to showcase new lines. The shopping feature is really useful, as it gives customers a direct link to products on their feed and in Stories to make the shopping experience so much smoother. Instagram is also a fantastic way to show our customers the making process of products—after all, we are all about simplicity and hand-production and Instagram lets them see that in action.

Stories and direct messages are a great way to engage with customers. I often post a story and get followers asking me questions or showing interest through direct messages—and I can respond instantly. It really builds a connection that’s so important in developing not just the brand, but in humanising your link to your customers.

My followers like to see behind-the-scenes content, and group shots of finished products. That kind of content also strengthens our aesthetic across the board.

Definitely both. I use the feed to post more polished photos that are a powerful and immediate way to present our full range, in all its minimalist glory! I use Stories to document the making process, or to update customers of events in real time, such as pop-ups or sales, or limited editions of our candles, say, which they might not see straightaway on their feeds.

Visit @hopscotchlondon and more small brands from our community at The Instagram Edit, in-store at Selfridges London from December 5-15 2019.