Tuesday 30 June 2015

Dior, London


This is one of the better windows that we have seen at Dior in a long time.  Its looks even better when you see it in the 'flesh' of course.  With its large digital screen which shows a background although we're not sure of what?  The colour looks just right for the vibe in the city however.  


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Monday 29 June 2015

Mathew Williamson, London


Gosh, we haven't looked at this brand in a very long time.  Well, hands up we are struggling to find something interesting to look at right now as literally everyone is in Sale.  The weather is strangely hot here in the centre of the world and while most of us are probably enjoying this freakishly warm weather (unless of course you happen to be travelling on the tube which currently is like wearing clothes in a sauna - we're not talking from personal experience of course). If we ruled London then Transport for London would be hiring some buff boys wearing only a hand towel (obvs..!) at every station to issue passengers with cool towels, and some soothing drinks, possibly drunk from a coconut with an obligatory umbrella? We are so not beach body ready but who cares if you arent either, be proud of your fidoobiders, flash your welcome mats and hairy backs but don't travel in the same carriage as us - please.  This brand is sporting a collaboration with Mehta Bell Projects and presenting an installation by Tsai and Yoshikawa.   


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Sunday 28 June 2015

Scotch & Soda, London


While Sale time is we guess a necessary evil part of the retail process, it does annoyingly disrupt our rhythm in keeping you up to date with the latest schemes.  However, we came across this one at Scotch & Soda which we were rather drawn towards amongst the sea of Red.  Offering us a kind of market / holiday vibe the colours of the deckchairs and fabrics do look quite delicious and while the presentation is perhaps the kind of thing Anthropologie would do we appreciate the warmth of the tones projected by this scheme.  Oh but that annoying Sale graphic on the fenestration.  


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Saturday 27 June 2015

Mulberry, London


We haven't been here in ages.  Well, we have been passed by of course but not actually stopped and captured this brands windows.  Sadly, with security so tight here in the centre of it all the windows do have a hideous security grille and jeez, how brutal is it..!  This is the kind of thing only men do..!  But that aside we do like the subtlety of this presentation with the use of the, are they sculptors' stools?  Well, anyway, the subtlety is in referencing the artisan quality of the product here which of course is so desired the world over.  To be honest we actually don't know if they product is hand made or whether there is a little factory in deepest China churning out this stuff.  Either way we know so many of you like to visit your favorite handbag so we wouldn't want to kill the dream.


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Friday 26 June 2015

J Crew, London


Oh we do try to like this brand but it really is so bland (and over priced).  The scheme is great fun though and we do love the repetition of these lollipops which form the background although this store is the equivalent of listening to one of those instructional videos on YouTube; Gawd they are boring and flat (and yes we sometimes have to listen to those types of videos and they really do drive us to distraction).  Cu'mon guys, get some Glocalism and a smidgen of personality?  You are in the centre of culture and in an Uber cool vibe and this just looks like a whole lot of corporate blandness and we're just not buying into it.


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Thursday 25 June 2015

Proportion>London, Stake In The Ground Time, London

Visual merchandising design company proportion>london, has put a stake in the ground to protect its creative credibility by taking legal action against Far Eastern copyists. It’s a determined move by its new owners to show they intend to protect the business’s valuable heritage and creative expertise.

Frustrated with their creative work being directly copied by Far East sources, Tanya Reynolds and Antonia D’Marco, new owners of proportion>london, put a stake in the ground during 2014 by successfully suing Chinese mannequin copyist Qingdao Deliya – trading as Global Mannequins – for breach of copyright laws.

A tough task, but one the determined owners will not shy away from, going forward. Sales Director Antonia D’Marco states ‘We will take future action against anyone who copies our designs. We have a team of creative artists at proportion>london whose work we must protect.’

It’s a problem that’s seeing the best quality producers – usually a more competitive bunch - band together to share information and legal teams to help protect the industry from copyists. In 2014, Italian designer Bonaveri successfully stopped Shanghai Chaunfa Mannequins, from copying and unlawfully selling its Schlappi mannequin designs. When it won its case, Bonaveri mailed the heads of every quality mannequin company in Europe and the US offering its help and legal connections to anyone who needed it.

To uphold its creative credibility, proportion>london employs 60 experienced artisan workers: designers, sculptors, technicians, upholsterers, tailors, and skilled craftspeople to create its beautifully nuanced forms. Extensive research goes into developing new concepts and shapes that follow retail trends and hit the market exactly when required.

Creative Director, Tanya Reynolds, states that due to the company’s Clerkenwell base being at the heart of London’s creative hub, it’s able to tap into embryonic trends before they go global, resulting in a product that is at the front end of the design curve for the VM industry.

For Reynolds and D’Marco, the need to protect the artisanal heart of the company is embedded in their creative DNA. The pair aim to put the authenticity of mannequins at the top of the agenda for both the luxury and value end of the industry. Reynolds continues ‘We’ve seen our work copied and we’ve even been asked to copy other makers work, it’s theft, and why would brands want to endanger the reputation of their product by getting involved in fraudulent behavior in mannequin supply?’

In a world where supply chain transparency is increasingly on the consumer’s agenda, particularly in fashion, it’s a valid point to consider.

D’Marco hopes VM clients will help share the responsibility when they consider where to buy their mannequins. The timing is pertinent, as heritage and authenticity are key purchase drivers for consumers. Might ‘who made your mannequins?’ be the next question asked by consumers of a brand, as clearer transparency is demanded out of supply chains?

All very well if you have the budget, you might be thinking, but D’Marco is keen to point out that proportion>london is market-level sensitive, with an ability to value cost-engineer product to suit every purse. ‘We can be creatively exciting on anyone’s budget, without compromising on ethics.”

Reynolds increasingly sees proportion>london’s strong creative heritage being used to support a brand’s story. ‘Our own company history and rich creative environment is something brands should tap into to support their own stories. We’re very proud of our company heritage, original designs and talented artisan workforce and the incredible work it does.’

In another fashion life, ‘fast and cheap’ was the accepted norm for both garments and the accompanying mannequin and VM support. But today’s consumers have changed; retailers who compromise on business values because of budget are likely to be viewed adversely by consumers who hold authenticity and honestly as key purchase benchmarks.

Reynolds and D’Marco are confidant retailers will take the issue of illegal copyists seriously.



Debenhams, London


Wow, we are mightily impressed by this scheme at Debenhams here in the centre of it all.  For a brand which is a little middle of the road, this is a very bold and welcomed statement and highlights that when the confidence in the team is in place they produce excellent Visual Merchandising.  In fact we have seen some real corkers at their Oxford Street store and this is up there with the best of them.  This 'White' scheme with highlighted product looks superb.  Please keep them coming guys and we'll keep including what you are doing.


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Wednesday 24 June 2015

Coach, London


We've recently shown you the latest scheme from this brand in Madrid and the application of a bit of Glocalism and Totemisim - key trends right now. Here in London, while Sale dominates much of the high street (as it does here) the brand have linked their scheme to, well we're not sure.  We often use this brand as an example of joined up thinking from their website to the store although a cursory glance at their website and we are still not entirely sure which campaign this relates too?  This isn't to say of course that the scheme isn't very effective but beyond advertising the 'Mans shop' and of course all men are either hairy-Neanderthal-beasts or camp-as-ya-like we just cant make the link.  A great fun scheme otherwise and brilliant props.


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Tuesday 23 June 2015

Jigsaw, London


You know those moments when you wish you had thought of a scheme before someone else did it, well this is one of those times.  The Argyl street Jigsaw store doesn't necessarily have the best version of this concept as we fleetingly passed their larger Kings Road store which looks mightily impressive.  If you cant make out what this is, essentially this is a version of sand painting although of course on a larger scale than those you may find on your holidays to exotic or just far away places.  Thankfully no camels are included in this design but the shade of Blue is quite delicious.


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Monday 22 June 2015

Dover st. Market, London


What better way to start the week than with an entry from Dover st. Market.  We popped in recently to have a look around the store and of course as usual it oozes the super coolness of luxury in all our favourite ways.  We just wish we had the finances to actually shop here although being philosophical we guess its free to look.  This installation, we guess by Craig Green (as it has his name on the window but no explanation) is a series of rectangular angled planes in Black with a hint of Red.  With everyone else in sale right now this is a welcomed relief.


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Sunday 21 June 2015

Oasis, London

Images Courtesy and Copyright C Colour Ltd

Working collaboratively is one of the biggest trends that we have seen internationally for some time.  In conjunction with the Victoria and Albert museum, Oasis have handpicked some of the amazing prints from the archives of this amazing institution and in conjunction with C Colour Ltd., produced this fantastically fun scheme.  Where else in the world would you find mannequins in Rose Gold shower cubicles tiled with prints from the collection complete with shower caps and bespoke towels?  Brilliant. 


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Saturday 20 June 2015

Satchel Company,

Images Courtesy and Copyright Elemental Design
If you happen to be in Covent Garden then do drop by the Satchel Company store there. This is a notorious tourist destination which we tend to avoid but what better excuse to venture into the throng than a visit to this store.  At the front of the store is a brightly coloured 'front room' with the kind of residential quality which we adore.  Filled with wonderful object d'arts this is one of our favourite aesthetics and the bonus is that this is not just a  great space, the product is superb too.  Go and check them out.




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Friday 19 June 2015

Hoss, Madrid


We're kind of looking for the Totemism trend here at Hoss in Madrid.  We seem to remember that this brand doesn't look very good back in London but in this city its clearly rocking the high street.  Well, OK, not really rocking it but it does actually look really good although we feel that everyone else in the city may be missing just how good it actually looks?  Are we wrong Madrid?  With its fantastic mannequins, backdrop and wool covered structures, this is as innovative as it gets in this city.  But, lets celebrate it and encourage it as these guys have made such an enormous effort.


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Thursday 18 June 2015

Hermes, Madrid


We do love a great Hermes scheme and to find a store from this brand here in Madrid is quite a treat.  This is possibly not the strongest installation we have found from this brand.  Actually it looks quite messy really and could have done with a bit of editing.  Still with its references, possibly to holidays, markets or something similar and of course a bit of Glocalism thrown in, we do love the colours but only really quite like the presentation.


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Wednesday 17 June 2015

Coach, Madrid


This is an interesting version of a similar scheme to this one here in Madrid at their store in London which we included recently.  We've also starting seeing the Totemism trend beginning to emerge at brands such as Louis Vuitton which no doubt will pop up across a whole range of brands on the high street.  We didnt have time to go out on our usual nightly walks of the city but hopefully you can see this scheme beyond the reflections. 


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Tuesday 16 June 2015

Max Mara, Madrid


Great to see some 'Glocalism' happening in Madrid, particularly from a global brand.  We really are big fans of this brands presentation and the simple use of Black and textured White looks superb.  We see they are also using the latest Bonaveri figures too.  What we aren't so sure about is the use of the White Cockatoo's but hey, a bit of exotica in Summer time has been on trend in London so we 'get'  it, it works very well. although the poor birds do appear to be clinging on for dear life in a wind tunnel or perhaps cunningly synchronizing the suddenly shocked look rather than appearing relaxed and perfectly poised as we would have anticipated. 


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Monday 15 June 2015

Agatha Ruiz De La Prada, Madrid


We're in Madrid this week to see whats going on and of course to launch the Spanish version of our book, Moda Y Visual Merchandising (Fashion Visual Merchandising).  We have had a hunt around for the most interesting bits that we can find and through pure serendipity came across the Agatha Ruiz De la Prada store.  If you do a search for this designer you can actually find some interesting information and the store here does look really great.  We're not fans of motifs ourselves but we guess if Moschino can do it then there is a market for this kind of stuff and people seem to love it.  Anyway, if you happen to be in the city then do go and have a look at this store.


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Sunday 14 June 2015

Valentino,London


While this is beautiful merchandise which has been so superbly produced, there isn't a scheme to mention.  OK, well we have repetition of Mannequins all perfectly placed but beyond that there's not much else to say?


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