Nicole Farhi, London

We love the latest scheme at Nicole Farhi right now.  Unfortunately this store usually switches their lights off at night time so its always difficult to capture their windows most of the time.  But anyway, thankfully British daylight saving time has allowed a window of opportunity to capture their latest offer for Christmas.  We love these animals surrounding the mannequin and product.  So simple yet perfect for these window spaces which are not very forgiving usually.

Nicole Farhi, London

Images Copyright Melvyn Vincent

 

Since this brand moved to their site along Conduit street we've always thought how difficult it was to work with these windows.  However, the team here always seem to get it so right.  This collection of mannequins are also quite difficult to handle and yet always look so good.  We're wondering what spectacular scheme we will see for Christmas?

 

Nicole Farhi, London

Wow, have you been down to see the Nicole Farhi scheme on Conduit street?  Sadly the lovely Jamie Shouli has now left the brand, however, he has returned to create their latest installation, which of course has his wonderful handwriting all over it.  This is quite a difficult brand to work with visually and since the brand moved from the gorgeous Bond street site, the windows are very hard to work with also, we think?  However, with these wonderfully suspended natural forms supporting the beautifully made product, we cant help but wish the cold weather away.  We've been following Jamie's work for some time now and loved every scheme (we've covered most of the schemes here).  Anyway, the very good news is that Jamie hasn't left the country and you can tap into his knowledge and skills by contacting him at  jamesshouli@me.com 

Nicole Farhi, London

If you haven't seen the latest scheme at Nicole Farhi, do pop down to Conduit st. and take a look.  Besides their incredible fairly new site and only the third scheme in these windows, which quite honestly are incredibly difficult to work with, the guys here really have made this space their own.   We've been following them for a while now and they just get better and better.

Nicole Farhi, London

Recent graduates from the Fda Fashion Retail Branding and Visual Merchandising course at the London College of Fashion have been working with the ever talented Jamie Shouli at Nicole Farhi on a launch scheme for London Fashion week at their brand new gorgeous store here along Conduit st.  This scheme designed by Daniel Purnell who has just graduated from his Foundation degree is just one of  the many of the coolest talents coming out of this incredible hot house of the freshest and newest young designers entering into the visual merchandising industry.  We've showcased some of these talented guys here previously and this is certainly one of the places to watch as these movers and shakers launch into the industry all around the world. 

Nicole Farhi, London

We always enjoy seeing what the guys at Nicole Farhi are up to and as usual their innovation always shines through.  What is particularly interesting about the schemes here are their wonderful collaborations and benevolent attitude to other companies.  Here, the creative team under the sharp eye of Jamie Shouli, have collaborated with the Future Mapping Company to bring this great scheme.  Incidentally, if you check out the Future Mapping website, there are some really interesting surprises in store for you.  We may just have to go out and purchase one ourselves as they really do look superb.  Anyway, in the meantime, do swing by Bond st. as even the trunks and cases in this scheme are painted in these gorgeous colours - we are still sending out the vibes and willing them into our office once this scheme comes out.

Nicole Farhi, London

Have you seen the latest scheme at Nicole Farhi?  This is one of our favourite quality brands right now particularly as they always do some many wonderfully creative things.  The structure here flows from these tiny windows threading its way through the interior of this commercial space drawing one from the outside in and beyond. We always enjoy the sculptural perspective that these guys employ which appear to be their USP.  Their particular strength is the informed process that they go through to create their outcomes.  Using Shlappi Mannequins too really is an art in itself which these guys just always get so right. 

Nicole Farhi, London Fashion week

We had the incredible pleasure of attending the Nicole Farhi London Fashion week show at the Royal Opera House this afternoon.  What a stunning show.  Of course the usual fashionista were in attendance as well as the Grand Dames of Fashion which just helps to make these occasions ever more fun and interesting too.  If you didn't have an invitation, here are some images of the show for you to enjoy.

Nicole Farhi, London

Nicole Farhi have consistently produced the most incredible schemes throughout 2010 and we will leave this year on an even higher note with their collaboration with the Artist and Art Director Su Blackwell.  Su Blackwell "works within the realms of fairytale and folklore.......making a series of book-sculpture, cutting out images from old books to create three-dimensional diorama's and displaying them inside wooden boxes."  [She] "leans towards young-girl characters, placing them in haunting, fragile settings, expressing the vulnerability of childhood while also conveying a sense of childhood, while also conveying a sense of childhood anxiety and wonder".

I am so pleased to see the consistent collaborations of Artists and Designers at this brand throughout the year which has really enriched the whole commercial experience and entertained us along the way.  If you haven't seen these windows in the flesh, do go and have a look along Bond st. and marvel at their installation.  Beautifully executed with a sense of depth informed through an educated process and clear understanding of the business while providing a quality scheme worthy of commendation.  Thank you to the creative team at Nicole Farhi for your contribution to the Visual Merchandising Industry throughout 2010.  

Nicole Farhi, London

I've been following this store's schemes for over a year  now and they never fail to surprise me.  The creative team here have been leading the way over the past year with their use of various artists and designers to work with their vision and create some very cutting edge schemes.  The latest scheme launched recently is based on the work of the French artist Bernar Venet.  "Venet's work explores many media, materials and forms of expression". "From the early sixties, Venet's use of industrial drawings and mathematical diagrams in painting has been a major contribution to Conceptual Art". "Venet has lived in New York for many years, and practices as an artist around the world."

"For Venet, being an artist means not only painting or sculpting, but also to speculate--in art, science, philosophy, mathematics, geometry, and music". "He is an internationally recognized painter, sculptor, and composer of concrete music (technologically manipulated sound), and his main interest in art is to raise questions, to push his work further and further, and to search for new approaches."

What is so refreshing about the schemes at Nicole Farhi is being able to understand their intentions and how in turn this is communicated to us.  Often we as customers are presented with such meaningless 'stuff' that is sometimes overwhelming although more often than not, (with reference to the multiple brands) quite underwhelming, however the creative team here seems to get it all just so right.

Nicole Farhi, London Fashion Week

After and exhausting day of shows for London Fashion week, here are just some of my highlights. The Nicole Farhi show at the Royal Opera House here in London was jammed to the rafters (quite literally) with paparazzi, fashionista and just about every glossy magazine globally. From my vantage point I was able to view the viewers veiwing the specatacle which was met with gasps and salivating wows. I must admit it was a very stunning show and with the prescence of the alpha editors Anna Wintour, Susie Menkes and Hilary Alexander of course added to the whole experience too.

Nicole Farhi, London

If I didn't live in a house that is 110 years old (at least) then I would certainly live in a loft apartment, particularly one of those old factory conversions (as long as I had a wonderful terrace with incredible views of course). Nicole Farhi, along Bond St. here in London have managed to capture my desire within their scheme in a wonderfully simple statement that captures that feeling of an artists studio in some very cool part of town. I love the paint brush stokes in vinyl on the fenestration and the series of artists canvasses strategically placed within the scheme. The figures as always are impeccably dressed in a way that only this team seem to know how. I have been following this brand for quite some time and this year they certainly are leading the way while the multiple brands seem to be struggling their way through the seasonal calender. Anyway, thanks to the ever talented team here we are continually being entertained, provoked and enticed into their stores (I was even drawn in myself to have a look around)

Nicole Farhi, London

As the world is gripped by World Cup fever (although I am managing to escape the hysteria myself), surprisingly only a few stores are seeing this as a windows scheme opportunity. I cant bring myself to read the news headlines or even turn on the television for fear of being tainted by this stuff, but I guess an enormous amount of people love it and follow it just as much as I record these schemes for this site, so I can appreciate their passion. It doesn't however float my boat. However, as I mentioned, very few retailers, surprisingly are seeing this as an opportunity to engage the wider public, and interestingly, a lot of these seasonal events which traditionally were always so marked in store windows seem to be slipping by unnoticed these days - clearly a sign of the times and tighter budgets. Nicole Farhi, as ever are again leading us through this year, not only with their current wire mesh animals but also with their World Cup window. While I am not a World Cup fan, thank goodness for this pioneering brand.

Nicole Farhi, London

I do like to follow this teams windows schemes and have done for now for quite some time. After the launch of the Nicole Farhi 2010 spring window partnership with illustrator Esther Coombs earlier this year (you can see images of them on this site), featuring iconic London monuments as over sized graphics; with the BT Tower and Big Ben framed in neon Perspex and the houses of parliament directly onto the glass. May sees Benedetta Mori-Ubaldini's magical animals enter their stores. The Milanese sculptor is well known for her innovative and extraordinarily realistic wire work. Each piece starts life as flat ‘chicken wire’ which is gradually manipulated by hand, the pieces are twisted and joined together to give a seamless appearance with no internal structure. We are seeing more and more of these collaborations happening in London this year and this is certainly a leap forward. Thankfully, the team at Nicole Farhi are pioneering the way and this really is making a huge contribution to the visual industry.

Nicole Farhi, London

One of the Brands here in London that I am excited about at the moment is Nicole Farhi. I have been tracking this brand for quite some time and as I mentioned in a previous entry the use of 'local' artists and designers in the development of schemes with creative teams is a refreshing and interesting sign perhaps of things to come this year. We have seen it here at Nicole Farhi and at Topshop recently. Anyway, the ever talented Jamie Shouli has just implemented the latest scheme for this brand. A series of strong, dynamic abstract / Architectural geometric planes create voluminous spaces in which the figures and product are semi-contained. The warm vibrant and in some places, sorbet tones give at least to me the feeling of looking over roof tops at sunset. Simple and elegant, this schemes works well with the fantastic product that this company produces.

Nicole Farhi, London

Have you seen Nicole Farhi this week? Walking along Bond St. here in London the other evening I came across their new London Fashion week launch scheme. The scheme is based on around 15 famous London landmarks, the Gherkin, St. Pauls Cathedral, the Post Office Tower and so on which have been produced in a vinyl applied to the fenestration and within the store itself. These incredible drawings have been produced by Esther Coombs, a graduate in Illustration spotted at 'Tent'. Esther has been working with the ever talented Jamie Shouli who I believe produces the schemes at Nicole Farhi. After months of Christmas bling, Sale windows and Valentines motifs it is a refreshing move by retailers that they are tapping into otherwise potentially unused talent. Is this the sign of a trend and wonderful things to come in 2010? Who knows? However, I do hope that more collaborations with young Designers do occur this year and support our fresh talent. In the meantime, do check out Esthers work at http://www.esthercoombs.com/ - stunning drawings and a must have for your list of contacts.

Nicole Farhi, London

I do like land of the Giants 'stuff' in window schemes that dwarfs everything around it. I thought these rather outsized but perfectly formed snowballs here at Nicole Farhi along Bond street in London work very well indeed. The windows to this store are really quite small and therefore it is always quite surptising the type of schemes that the team here creates. There is very little to say about this scheme other than it contains outsized snowballs. However, its a simple concept, which allows the viewer to focus on the product and yet set a context in which the product is placed without fighting with it. Its fun, simple, and worth a view if you happen to be this part of town any time before the dreaded sale windows kick in.

Tatler 300th Year Anniversary

Following on from my recent images that are promoting the 300Th Anniversary of Tatler magazine, I felt compelled to include this superbly produced window at Nicole Farhi. The style of this Union Jack piece is of course produced in the style we have seen from Dolce & Gabbana recently on the catwalks. I am so pleased that we are claiming back the Union Jack symbol after years of it being used as propaganda for an unsavoury political party. I also managed to capture the latest installation from Moschino (below). Parts of this I actually think work very well, particularly the figure/magazine pieces, although I am not quite sure about the magazines in skirts / dresses?