Daks, London

Daks, London, Rescued.

Daks, London

Who is shopping at Daks these days? If I'm honest with you, I have absolutely no idea. I have seen some incredible schemes from this brand over the years and at this store in particular. They have gone through some interesting concepts and they are obviously a wealthy brand if they can maintain a presence along Bond St. here in London but who on earth is shopping here right now? Clearly the product is incredible and beautifully produced, however, this really must be one of the dullest presentations I have seen of 2010. Big words, I know, I appreciate that these things are easy to say when one doesn't have to come up with a solution (however, I am available to work with you to come up with a solution) although if we say nothing then these 'things' are accepted as 'OK' and yet are they? From a potential customer point of view, this is a great space to shop in and a great opportunity to make this brand so wonderful, but I do feel looking at this brand that it lacks anything that would entice me in. Come on Daks, we know you can do it, so please lets see something a little more desirable than a dull large format graphic from a studio somewhere anonymous behind the product and can we see it change a little more often too?

Prada, London

If there is a brand out there who are doing some great (albeit simple) presentations then is must be Prada. The brand have used these very simple elongated rectangular forms (a bit like a Manhattan skyline) in a repetition format with their signature figures (at least for this store). I seem to remember them having used these before although in a different colour way, (although a bit of recycling never hurt anyone of course). Unfortunately my camera hasn't picked up the richness of these tones which from across the street are absolutely delicious. Anyway, do go and check them out and maybe let me know whats happening with this brand visually near you?

Hermes, London

OK, I want to love it, but, its just alright. I was really looking forward to the new scheme from Hermes and, well, I do feel a little disappointed with this one. The creative's have previously produced some very interesting schemes (although they are not changed that often) and with this one I do feel that I have seen it all before. Actually I have seen this all before. Here we have in places a large format newspaper print which forms the background, the product is placed in front of this carried by their usual headless figures. The product of course is beautiful and very desirable. The context, well, I am trying to enjoy the spectacle but to be honest, if, for example you have a look at the installation around Victoria station here in London that has been in place for as long as I can remember, the below image is almost an exact replica. I don't really understand why the Fashion being presented which is clearly beautifully designed by someone who has an awareness of what is going on in the world, it has been promoted by someone or group who knows what is going on in the world and yet presented by someone or group who clearly have no idea what is going on within visual presentation. Yes, it is beautifully produced but is no one within this brand ever looking beyond this brand? If I don't tell it like it is who will?

Levi's London

Levi's along Regent St. here in London have gone from an OK brand which I quite liked now and again to one of the hottest multiples in the city which I love to view. This store in particular with its exhibition / event space, before you even reach any product has got be a winner right now. OK, Nike town did this kind of thing over 10 years ago (and possibly longer) but this is far more innovative. Nike just seemed to have a space before one reach any product, however Levis are really utilising it with such interesting projects, whether it be incredible Art installations or as right now with its Craft of Music sessions with (as its large format graphic says) "singer song writer legends to piano virtuosos, from beat box maestros and live dub step pioneers to true masters of indie rock.....the Craft of Music will give you the chance to experience and engage musics most exciting artists as close as you can possibly get". This is such an exciting move, and I will definitely keep checking back.....I just cant help but love the whole concept. Brilliant.

Esprit, London

I'm not quite sure how to interpret this scheme from Esprit here along Regent st. On the one hand this brand have recently produced some quite interesting schemes, although this one is rather 'Germanic' for me. If any of you have travelled to Euroshop which happens every few years in Dusseldorf in Germany, you'll know what I mean. I feel that the jeans placed as if submerged within tanks in a repetition format and within their overall scheme (this is not pictured here) actually works very well........but....mannequins in flippers and covered in fish net...hhmmm......very Dusseldorf I think. I am cringing a little as I write this and I simply cannot clench my buttocks any tighter however this scheme is just not right. This is a very 'male' thing to do what this brand have produced and I must apologise to the world on behalf of the male population for such a dreadful scheme.

Zara, London

For some strange reason, I keep missing Zara here in London. There is no particular reason for this other than there just are equally a whole range of fun schemes to view and this brand just became side lined for a few months while I looked at other brands. Anyway, the Regent st. scheme here in the heart of the city have recently installed this incredible scheme. Full figured White mannequins have been used in a pyramidal / repetition format with the obligatory background structure which has probably gone across the whole brand. What has drawn me in here and probably why this is so interesting is the bandaged Mohican head styling and their superb dressing. I do like what this particular store do and that again a 'multiple' has shown the way to other equally 'multiple' brands how to do 'it'. I feel cleansed again and maybe their is hope for the high street after all.

Alexander McQueen, London

Since the sad death of Alexander McQueen a few months ago, I had felt that this store's presentation had rather dulled a little. Yes, it was in place, but the edge had gone. However, whoever is managing this presentation is clearly finding their feet and we are starting to see some really very interesting schemes again - looking from the outside in of course. This is the first, of what I am sure will be ever more exciting and sophisticated concepts. The lighting here is exquisite, the patterns, delicious, the scheme in its simplicity is superb. Of course this is a confident brand, although it clearly has taken a severe knock and I am really looking forward to the next instalment as it dusts itself down and continues to move onwards and ever upwards and maintains its place as the most cutting edge brand globally.

Diesel, London

"If you've never done anything stupid, you've done nothing at all" I love this campaign from Diesel. The photography campaign is great fun and I particularly enjoyed the scenarios of how to be stupid. This is probably the best campaign I have seen from this brand and they are an excellent example of how a "multiple" brand can be extraordinarily creative. How the marketing campaign has been translated into a window scheme however is another thing. I am not sure that the humour of the campaign has translated that well - but this is not to say that the scheme is in any way wrong of course, I know that its impossible to place mannequins in the positions that the models are in within the original images on their site. I do like the over the over the shoulder strapped 'shields' that the mannequins have been dressed in and the various other props such as spray cans, although the fun is rather lost? Anyway, maybe check out their website and see what I mean?

Banana Republic, London

Its always quite amusing when one views "multiples" echoing the cooler brands while it is simultaneously a little buttock clenching too. I do however quite like what Banana Republic have produced with their new Fit Chinos. OK, this scenario does remind me a little of those glass cases that display dessicated corpses where ghoulish passing tourists are often seen in Italian churches and crypts and perhaps with this knowledge they could perhaps have been presented in a rather more precious or far more austere way? However, on a positive note this is at least a little creative and I am thankful that a "multiple" has produced this.

Pretty Green, London

This site along Carnaby street here in London has seen a multitude of pop up stores recently which have been quite fun to view. I'm not entirely enthused by this new installation by Pretty Green by yet another celebrity who "apparently" have a new design out there, although the merchandise actually looks great. I do have a resistance against psuedo creatives simply trading on their name and obnoxious "pop" stars and their new collections, afterall, who on earth wants to be like this one? but then thats just me I guess.

Kurt Geiger, London

While dodging the rain, shading from the Sun and avoiding the tourists, just by chance I came across the new scheme at Kurt Geiger. I had almost given up on this brand based on the past few schemes, which as you know from my previous entries were less than complimentary (I'll give you a minute to read them again if you'd like) Anyway, I really do like this scheme. Its witty, its fun, its intelligent and very well produced. Although I don't own this many shoes, I know a lot of female friends who do and they all do exactly this - adhering a Polaroid to their multiple shoe boxes. You gotta love a Polaroid. Having worked for a "multiple" shoe retailer one Summer holiday I do relate to this scheme. Working with shoes is really hard work although I wont bore you with the details of my experience, suffice to say that I hope that female in Glasgow who I got that pair of shoes for in 1991, for which I received an enormously humiliating telling off because it cost the company £5.00 in postage really appreciated the trouble I went to. Retailers and the way they treat their employees for helping customers hey...! In the meantime the narrative here is fun, the execution well produced and I really do hope this brand continue with this quality. I'll keep looking anyway and let you know what they are up to.

Gant, London

I find myself exhaling a huge sigh of boredom looking at some of these "multiple" brands. I know there is strength in this brand and I know that this brand have a core customer group and I know that this brand are sticking to their core brand values and so on, but would the presentation of their brand really alienate customers or make them veer away from this brand even though it wasn't dull visually? Now, I do appreciate that this kind of presentation may be cutting edge in their native Sweden but do we really have to see the same old stuff being re-presented time and time again here in London? At the end of the 1980's as a poor student I worked at the Burtons menswear flagship store along Oxford st. (now Tesco) peddling some very uncool leather trimmed knitwear (yes, well it was the 80's). I remember one of the schemes implemented at the store was a huge mound of bales of hay on which mannequins were placed on, stood next too and so on. Not that long ago (looking through my archives), Harvey Nichols produced coloured bales of hay for one of their concepts, followed by Mulberry earlier this year. Why no-one at this brand seems to know this is a mystery to me. Does no one ever look at what other brands are doing or have done? The merchandise is clearly good quality and you'll pay for what you get. However, on a positive note, if I ever feel the need or the desire to be part of the bland tribe, I know where to come shopping. Thankfully, I don't, so I wont.