Royal Wedding, London 2011

Just in case you weren't able to be part of the photo call at Buckingham Palace yesterday, there are a few photo booths around town where you can be either William or Catherine.  Hmmmmm.....unconvincing cheap fun, but ah well who cares eh?

Accessorize, London

"You can never have enough hats, gloves and shoes" according the character Patsy, played by the ever lovely Joanna Lumley in Absolutely Fabulous (1992).  At Accessorize, "you can never have enough stuff, stuff and stuff"  http://www.retailstorewindows.com/ (2011)  Of course, we're poking fun a little at the brand, who incidentally we actually rather like.  OK, well they stack everything to the rafters and do cram just about everything into their relatively tiny windows, however they do make an effort and this is commendable.  Naturally, just like any other mainstream brand, they are cashing in on the pending big event on Friday, and who can blame them?  Although if one stands back from this scheme a little it does have rather Pink overtones in between the Union Flag merchandise. 

Purely coincidentally, the activist Peter Tatchell, (we quickly read on-the-hoof in the press on our way to the office -  so please don't quote us on the accuracy of this), has personally delivered to Buckingham Palace, a rather large Pink Message to William and Kate, requesting that they come out (obviously not literally) in support of same sex marriages, in the light of their own high profile marriage.  We have to hand it to Peter Tatchell, that the guy works tirelessly for equality and of course has our full support.  While there is undoubtedly absolutely no connection between the scheme here and Peter's Pink Envelope, it does offer an opportunity to reflect on where we are at, and why people such as Tatchell are still having to fight for a cause that was already won?  Anyway, we're sure Friday will be a day fully Accessorize'd.

Liberty, London

This is the first entry of a weeks' worth of Royal Wedding celebratory window schemes.  Strangely, not many stores have taken the plunge and included a scheme in their windows.  We say strangely, as it seems that the ones that have included schemes are getting the publicity.  The saddest words in retail are always "a missed opportunity", so retailers either get your schemes in or you're missing the boat.  Anyway, here at Liberty, with their ever clever tongue-in-cheek sense of humour have amused us yet again with an installation based around that iconic vehicle, the Mini and of course the Royal Wedding.  Surrounded with the Union flag in its various forms, perfectly saleable product, and stickers placed on the rear glass declaring 'Granny knows best', Wave your flags in the air like you just don't care' and 'My Big Fat Royal Wedding', couldn't help but raise a smile in us.  We love the plastic Queen on top of the wedding cake waving back complete with handbag, but in particular that this is not a waspish poking fun at the event - wonderfully intelligent and drawing together the strands of thought surrounding what we understand and tweaking it ever so cleverly.  We're dying to see what Barneys in New York will do however.  In the mean time great fun as usual guys.

L.K. Bennett, London

We're beginning to see more and more schemes around town right now in celebration of the pending Royal Wedding - finally.  It is almost as if everyone was waiting for someone else to take the lead on this and produce a benchmark scheme so that they knew where to pitch their next one.  Here at L.K.Bennet, the team have implemented a cut out cartoon-like scheme surrounding the product with scenes from around Buckingham Palace, including the Palace itself.  Great fun, clean and does what it does.

Daks, London

We were forced to stop and view the latest installation from Daks this week while on our travels.  Large panels covered in (probably a few thousand) pearl-like buttons form two crowns as the backdrop to the product. We're always interested in whats happening out there on the high street, and particularly trying to understand how the 'visual' can be interpreted and the meanings behind how the 'visual' can possibly be read as having.  OK, well one could argue that good old W&C are not King and Queen just yet and and the images do have a bit of the 'Cor-blimey-Guv'nor-knees-up-mother-Brown' about it, particularly as pearl buttons have been used.   However, we do strangely really like it (if that actually means anything), its been beautifully produced, we screeched to a halt to record it and it captures the emotion of the pending occasion quite beautifully.  We don't always appreciate what this brand produce visually, but this time, hands up, job well done we think.

Regent Street, London

Its all hotting up here in the City of London right now that one cant help feeling that there must be a pending Royal Wedding?  Even with our own cynical minds we felt a strange odd pang of pride to be British while walking along an albeit 2011 version of a street scene reminiscent of post-war (1945) Regent street (only in glorious colour, less the techni).  These images are the kind of ones we will reflect on and maybe think "Oh yes, I remember the wedding,.....ohhh... and all those flags on Regent St".  Strangely, these images already look incredibly dated and poor Mrs. Middleton must have been sewing from the Berkshire pad, literally for England and for months.  Photoshop-ing out the cabs and the people, one might feel that one has just stepped onto a film set or did World War II just end?  If you are British and reading this, wouldn't it (strangely) be wonderful to see these kinds of sights more often?  We have finally reclaimed the Union flag back from the less than savoury political wings that paraded it (it seems particularly from the Thatcher years onwards) with such dubious pride and for so long?  We loved this sense of British pride on seeing this view in the heart of retail-land, however we just wish we could see this or these kinds of things  more often?  Sadly, these buildings/street rarely do anything interesting, so just don't get us started on who actually owns them?  Think old lady, big crown, lives in a council house and goes by the name of Liz.