94 Baker Street (former site of Apple boutique), London

Now, this was the Beatles’ first bold leap into the world of retail therapy—Apple-style. As Paul McCartney so dreamily put it, the idea was to create “a beautiful place where beautiful people can buy beautiful things.” What could possibly go wrong?

Well, for starters: everything. Back in September 1967, the Fab Four handed a cool £100,000 to a psychedelic Dutch design collective known as The Fool—which in hindsight feels... a little on the nose. Their mission was to design and stock the new Apple Boutique. Naturally, the team responded with a massive technicolor mural plastered across the building's façade—rainbows, swirls, pure hippie euphoria. Local shopkeepers, however, were less than groovy about it. Cue complaints, and soon the mural was whitewashed into oblivion—though some say it still lurks beneath the paint like a ghost of fashion’s past.

The boutique opened in December 1967 with a star-studded bash. John and George showed up, wives in tow, joined by the likes of Eric Clapton, Cilla Black, and Kenneth Tynan. The drinks menu was strictly apple juice, because... no booze license. Which somehow made it feel even more surreal.

Inside, the racks were packed with psychedelic garments and trippy accessories, all aimed at London’s fashion-forward youth. Unfortunately, the boutique had one major design flaw: absolutely no one was paying. Shoplifting ran rampant—by both customers and staff. Yes, even the helpers helped themselves.

Just eight months later, the Beatles were done playing shop. Tired of the chaos, they shut it all down—but not without a final flourish. On July 30, 1968, they opened the doors one last time and let the public raid the place for free. That’s right: one of the most exclusive boutiques in London ended its run with a clearance sale where everything was 100% off.

In the end, the Apple Boutique became less “beautiful dream” and more “free-for-all fashion meltdown.” But hey—it was the ‘60s.