Gucci, London

We love the colours of this installation at Gucci right now.  The latest scheme featured in the best parts of town is oozing luxury across the high street.  The window schemes here have become giant postcards from 1930's Firenze with their vinyl franked stamps, address labels and serrated edges placed on the fenestration and the postcard images forming the backdrop.  Of course we have the usual incredible merchandise from this brand - to the left stacked luggage with associated product and a group of two mannequins in their usual Gucci headless signature.  Our only criticism - the two females below have possibly been moved since installation of this scheme and not placed close enough, also the arm/hand are not in the correct position for this pose.   

Pucci, London

If you happen to be in Knightsbridge soon do go and check out the new scheme at Pucci.  Text inscribed and patterned plates in Blue and White cover the mirrored walls of this stores' windows in a repetition format of radiating forms.  A plaster bust form is placed behind the Silver finished mannequins and ancient European urns placed in front with the usual delicious merchandise from this brand.  A considered installation from a quality brand with we felt compelled to share with you.

Hermes, London

We just cant understand what is happening with this brand?  It seems that they are localising creativity, which of course we absolutely embrace but surely there are some quality assurance indicators in place with these luxury brands and that someone somewhere is looking at this stuff before implementation?  We don't really understand how this scheme got to this stage?  Ultimately, of course the responsibility is not ours so what does it matter, we hear you say?  However, as viewers on the high street and flaneurs, and  from the outside looking in, this is possibly one of the worst schemes we have seen this year.  Worst, not in the quality, as this clearly is a quality scheme, however absolutely worst in lack of concept and subsequent implementation.  We receive a lot of e-mails here at www.retailstorewindows.com towers from a lot of companies, VM crew and so on which we always welcome,  although we are wondering if anyone will own up to producing this little gem?  Probably not?

Longmire, London

Three words rocketed into our minds when we saw this scheme at Longmire - WTF?  Who did this?  We don't know much about this brand at all as it seems to have sprung up behind the hoarding of one of the jewellers clearly having a security vault botoxed - you know the one that was raided about 18 months ago and usually has big beefy men in very,very tight suits perched outside and with wires coming out of their ears?  Now, if that's not a deterrent to come inside to have a look at the merchandise, what is?  Just don't turn up on a motorbike with a baseball bat and latex make-up if you are expecting to get through the doors there.  Anyway, we came across these luminous Tulips the other day as they glowed across Bond st. like a scene from E.T. or Close Encounters......  In a way, this is not a bad thing at all, however, we just feel that the pieces themselves could have been an awful lot better.  It never ceases to amaze us how some luxury brands seem to churn out such hideous motifs in their windows.  There really is a knack to this, although thankfully, it is one knack which we have no desire to learn.  

Tiffany, London

There are so many interesting layers contained within the latest offering from Tiffany.  On the one hand we have a kind of biblical perspective of Adam tempting Eve (albeit with this gorgeous bit of jewellery) and on the other a kind of Surreal approach, possibly Ce n'est pas un collier?  Who knows?  We also have references to La Scala in Milan, however ultimately,  'Celui que vous preferez, nous sommes surs que vous apprecierez le spectacle.'  This really is a stunning scheme, although we're still rather concerned about the interior of this site along Bond St. as its probably as old as some of the references in this text. 

John Smedley, London

Tucked away and working quite quietly, John Smedley never ceases to amuse us and often impresses us.  Their tiny store in central London have this equally tiny window where they always seem to manage to implement such interesting and/or fun schemes.  Here the brand have installed a variety  of spools of thread in a horizontal repetition format in delicious tones set against a White background.  The vinyl placed on the fenestration announces the arrival of Spring 2011.  We love the colour also, but could someone do something about the weather too, to match it?  

Gant, London

We were really quite impressed with this latest scheme at Gant in London.  Prior offerings have been perhaps a little to out-of-the-manual and clearly global-type schemes.  However this latest campaign and collection from Michael Bastian really is very cool.  The films and collection on their website are so beautifully produced and have been translated into a window scheme so brilliantly, that we are beginning to have a certain amount of faith in globalisation of the high street window schemes.  We're not wholly convinced and definitely not converts however. We seem to have been going in the same direction for the best part of twenty years, although this is an interested direction delivered here.  Michael Bastion's "At the Hotel" is presented almost as a Jacques Tati film set - possibly "Playtime", as the colours are so perfectly placed in monochrome with hints of coloured tones.  We'll keep a distant eye on what these guys are doing and hopefully we'll see even more interesting concepts being blasted at us on the high street.

Hackett, London

Have you seen the latest scheme at Hackett that has been installed recently around town?  With references to the master of painting himself,  Van Gogh. Empty picture frames and countless suspended paint brushes painstakingly, deftly crafted and creatively produced (ya' know like a certain Duchesses embarrassing excuses) although this scheme is rather a whole lot more honest, has far more depth and is the latest offering from the incredible creative team at Hackett and the ever cool guys at Harlequin-design.com.   What we also find here are really creative examples of repetition of gravitational forms and well as repetition of shape on the one hand, and a wonderful narrative on the other.  Another great job from all involved we think. 

Selfridges, London

Selfridges really do get it right and so right now.  With their blacked out backgrounds, out sized printed graphics of Mushrooms, Anthuriums, pussy willows and so on, in front of which they have placed their monochrome finished mannequins with these incredible wigs. Just so delicious who could not be drawn in to take a closer look.  Spring has clearly arrived along this part of Oxford st. 

Burberry, London

As seen today........at the end of another hard days work in the windows at Burberry.  No prizes to give away, but we'll publish the funniest comments for this image.

Kirk Originals, London

We keep passing this Kirk Originals store on Conduit st. and for some reason it never seems to make this sites entries.  We've made a particular effort to include it this week as this is a particularly innovative concept for a product that is so difficult to present well.  We've checked out their website too.  Although its a little gimmicky for our tastes (actually rather annoyingly with just about every widget and gadget one can possibly find on the net) it is also pretty cool, fun and informative.  However, ultimately our main focus is on this store right now with its cool black interior and these fun suspended eye lenticulars winking at us seductively and teasingly as we walk by. It is so refreshing to see someone tackle these kind of product type stores head on and present it so creatively.  If we could see the same thinking applied to our long forgotten Banks and Post Offices here in the UK which are ripe for a make over and which seem to currently have the same cache* desirability* pleasant experiential reality* (*delete as appropriate) as unemployment offices (our local one is particularly delightful apparently) surely the high street would be elevated just that little bit more?  What Kirk Originals have presented is an environment which one simply couldn't avoid wanting to experience.  Job very well done we think.

On the Streets, London

Spotted in Notting Hill today......someone clearly has a great sense of humour.

French Connection, London

Has French Connection lost its way?  After an incredible FCUK campaign in the 90's it seems to have simply dissolved away into the background.  It also seems, at least to us, that they are really struggling to establish their personality, perhaps evidenced through their back to basics presentation?  Who knows?  But anyway, while this 'market stall' presentation-type approach is not our favourite trend right now, one would hope that the presentation of it would at least be beautifully produced.  Tonally, its very dull (even throwing in one or two brightly coloured polo shirts somewhere in this scheme would have lifted it and taken the eye around the space) and the product is quite expensive in order to achieve this uniform high street 'look' i.e. to look exactly like everyone else but  at a price.  We're hoping someone will grip this brand by the horns and lead it forward to beyond where it once was and maybe, just maybe we will cross that landing mat again and take a peak inside.