Guess, London

We often pass the windows at this brand although as we are not big fans of large format graphics we usually just keep on walking.  We were in search of some amazing Christmas schemes and we guess (no pun intended) that this is theirs?  Hollywood Dreams wasn't the first thing on our minds for this season although we guess (oh there we go again) it means something to someone out there?

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Guess, London

We're not huge fans of these generic multiples ourselves although they have made an effort with their Visual Merchandising so it is worth noting what they have done.  Currently rocking their "Desert Dreams" scheme complete with Cacti and interestingly enough we have spotted the same trend across one or two of the luxury brands which we will show you shortly.

Check out our fantastic sponsors below for incredible Visual Merchandising solutions or click on the banners on the side of the main page at www.retailstorewindows.com

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Guess, London

It's been a long while since we included this brand here although they don't really tend to do very much of interest for us to talk about.  However, right now, although there is a slight whiff of Benetton about their product and of course the window scheme is rather emoji overload, seeing this scheme in the flesh, so-to-speak, it does actually look quite dynamic.  The mannequins do look a bit like a Police line-up rather than a photo shoot-style however it did draw us in so job well done we guess.

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Guess, London

While London sizzles, or actually sweats in the unusually hot temperatures right now, Guess get it just right with their beach scene complete with tropical flowers and cocktail bar at their store along Regent street right now.

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Guess, London

Well this is a surprising little scheme from this brand.  We often wonder with brands like this that if we removed the brand name from their fascia and stores either side of this store, would anyone actually be able to tell the difference between them?  However this scheme is looking actually very good; OK well its probably a global roll-out but nonetheless it actually isn't too bad and certainly not offensive, even if it is rather inexpensive.

Guess, London

Globalisation and mass brands are not exactly our favourite things to look at, particularly when so little skill is involved in implementing schemes such as this.  The layers of graphics of course work very well suspended in a 'gravity' fomat but the images themselves are of the usual hideous lifestyle that make our you-know-whats clench.  Still, there is a market for this kind of malarkey and some people clearly love this stuff; just not us.

Guess, London

Further along the Olympic road less travelled we have the current scheme from Guess.  Actually, we're not entirely sure why we are surprised, but this scheme actually works quite well.  OK, well it is a little 'blingy' but it is actually quite well done.  In the meantime, the various events for the Olympics are beginning to heat up and there is tonnes of stuff all around town announcing its imminent arrival.  Is it too late to give it to Paris?

Guess, London

We had no idea that 'Guess' were 30 years old already.  We're not massive believers in global branding ourselves (in case you hadn't 'Guess'ed') and so are not this brands' No.1 fan, nor fans of brands like it.  Large format graphics prevail, mediocre merchandise presented badly and VM teams who just don't understand how to group mannequins who incidently are in Rootstein's Body Gossip Collection stance (unless these are very clever references to the pending Olympics - or Miss. World, but we doubt it); but then how could one from a manual sent from a far away place?  Need we suffer bad retail much longer or will brands like this become part of our now quite extensive archives of the ways we used to shop?  Discuss....

Guess, London

We have been quite moved by the headline from the BBC here in London that "Two women have admitted leaving the corpse of a dead grandmother unburied at their home for up to six months while one of them kept her benefits".  "The body of Olive Maddock, 95, was left in a bedroom at the house in Wirral by daughter Olive Hazel Maddock, known as Hazel, and granddaughter Jasmine, 35...... Mrs Maddock's remains were found at the home she then shared with her daughter and granddaughter on Saltburn Road in Wallasey, Wirral".   To us, and we are sure the majority of you reading this, to ever even momentarily consider doing something like this is beyond being despicable and certainly just incomprehensible?  How desperate could these women have been to do this to a 95 year old woman and what kind of monstrous people could they possibly be?  Certainly detached, definitely uncaring and as reported in the UK 'popular' press..."scroungers".  If you are translating this, as we know a lot of you do, the dictionary definition of scrounger is   "To seek to obtain something by begging or borrowing with no intention of reparation". 

These seriously documented situations keep us awake at night time.

Can you ever imagine being faced with this kind of situation other than in a press report?  We do often try to make links between the everyday/zeitgeist and what is happening in presentation on the high street as this kind of information is so difficult to find, as are the connections, therefore we do feel that if we don't write it, who will? That said in a strange twisted course of fate we are also haunted by, without intent to lighten the situation, the scheme here at 'Guess' along Regent St.  We did mention the use of these large crates a while ago when they were used at French Connection (and various other retailers) and how coffin-like they are.  Death is a taboo subject in window display, as are religious and political connotations and links.  If you are going to do it, then be prepared to stand up and defend it.  We mentioned a similar-type scheme at G-Star Raw last week and their hanging corpse-like bust forms.  Just don't do it.  Or, at least do it and have a bloody good reason for it because everyone will jump on it and want to know why?  And it will, no doubt backfire on you.  'Guess' can attempt to be subtle, but this scheme screams Boxing Helena (1993) to us and therefore just down right creepy.  Think these things through guys.  We know you read this site so just check back and see the French Connection article we wrote months ago.  This scheme may be right from your office thousands of miles away from London but its just not right for London.  Either get it right from your offices far away or localise your creativity that can react to whats happening in each city or at least country.   We just cant understand why you always get it so wrong?  (actually we do)

Guess, London

We are trying so hard to like what this brand does but we find ourselves really struggling.  The concept of their "Travelling Fair" sounds exciting and the video on the Guess website is beautifully produced and viewing it from a cold and wet London, looks so incredibly exotic and desirable.  The mood board also on their website looks considered, but with one image of an old fashioned Gypsy caravan and the words Arts and Crafts placed amongst scattered secondary fashion shots, one can only wonder where the joined up thinking is here?  Ultimately, how the concept has been translated into a scheme here is, well, just rather flat, non?  We understand the use of the stripes, lights and well, straw, but sadly this scheme at least for us is like looking through a holiday brochure full of wonderfully exciting places to see, only to find on arrival that it is still a construction site.  Why, also are nearly all the mannequins used here facing one direction?  Come on guys, lets get them facing the customer flow. In the meantime, whats with the question mark?  Maybe to keep us Guess-ing?  P.S. there is also one lamp blown out on the bottom right hand corner of the 'dot' on the question mark.

Guess, London

Its very difficult to be positive about brands like this and I am sighing in despair at this installation. Having shown some incredible places and sites to seek inspiration this week, I just cannot comprehend how such an enormous company can allow this to happen? I do however fully comprehend why this is happening. So, why therefore are these brands still using the old format of 'headquarters' in a completely different country and culture dictating what happens in another? This is how it works right? The Saturday / part-time person receives the manual that was probably sent by e-mail, the store manager who downloaded it and printed it and thought to themselves 'who shall I get to to this job?' So there's the manual with the images of the mock up produced somewhere 'out there' and the formula is followed to get the look. Bonkers. Truly bonkers. But hey, how much money did that save? And sadly this is what this is all about. While I understand this brands positioning, perhaps they need to realise how much they are actually undermining themselves? In the meantime the usual old format of coloured angled fluorescent's have been used (contrary to my advice re. 10 commandments for 2010 launched in January), with the usual large format monochromatic graphic and mannequins positioned incorrectly on their bases correctly. I shudder.

Guess, London

When I come across these types of schemes on my travels I do tend to struggle to sometimes even describe them. Perhaps, this is because there simply is so little personality to these generic schemes, or perhaps my anti-globalisation hormones just kick in and simply prevent me from even wanting too, I just don't know. Anyway, as with so many of these 'types' of stores, while they provide a product for a certain and clearly defined target audience (and clearly not me) I do find myself sighing with boredom. Young figures dressed in as much product as possible placed in front of old style record sleeves and stood or sat on old style record cases with 'Holiday with Guess' written along the sides.

Now, Big Brother once again does inform me that the Guess team around the world have been checking me out so I shouldn't be too harsh. However, as I mentioned in another blog recently, all this stuff-out-of-the-manual is so incredibly flat and I am so bored with seeing it. Please can someone inject a bit of creativity into these schemes and give us something to be excited about. In the meantime, with regard to Holidaying with Guess.......I know where I will be....and .....well, I'm on my way to Anthropologie to be inspired and cleansed of the visual pollution on this High street.