Store Fronts, Hong Kong



Images Copyright Angel Ko



The wonderfully kind Angel Ko who is based in Hong Kong and a very talented and enviously young designer has kindly sent us some of her images of current store fronts in Hong Kong.  We haven't ventured there ourselves yet, however we wanted to share these with you in order to whet your appetite and view some of what is happening on the other side of the world from London.

Henri Lloyd, London

Oh God help us.  If you happen to be along Carnaby st. this week then avert your gaze from Henri Lloyd and its suspended headless corpses.  Cu'mon guys invest in some decent equipment.  Strangely the side window to this site actually looks fine with its small step ladder, the kind we can see all around town right now so they are clearly aware of some of the current trends.  But these windows.....?  Even the shutters are down, possibly in case some hideous looter or ram raider is looking specifically for the corpse-look - simply bizarre, undesirable and we just wonder how they are possibly making any money here?

Brooks Brothers, London

Wow, we really love Brooks Brothers at the moment.  It seems faux plaster busts (the kind we often see in town halls around London although actually in plaster or stone) and phrenology heads amongst other things are being seen quite a lot around town right now from Liberty to Tommy H.  Anyway, the attention to detail here is quite superb.  OK, well the boating stuff we can leave way, way behind (that's all part of the simulated heritage of this brand), but the guys here have produced such a wonderfully detailed scheme with references to 'Back to School' in a way which is so wonderfully subliminally done as to hardly notice.  All the dynamics are here in conjunction with the narrative.  We have never been inside this store, but we are going to have closer look now...we're drawn in.

VM and Display Awards, 2011

If you haven't submitted your VM and Display solutions and concepts for the VM and Display Awards 2011 then the clock is ticking.  You only have just a few more hours to hit that deadline today.  If you would like to submit your work from 2011 which will be judged by a panel of independant representatives,  You can enter by email at enquiries@rvmww.com

This week we met with the team from the Awards 2011 together with VM representatives working across our industry. With our wide ranging perspectives, viewpoints, understanding and interpretation of our collective VM industry,  it was beneficial  for us to reflect on where we are with our Awards and where we would like them to be as we move forward to the future.   Representatives from Luxury Brands, Sarah Southgate (Harrods), High street multiples, Tim Whitmore (Topshop), Industry Suppliers, Michael Smith (SmithVC), Academic and practitioner, Jonathan Baker (London College of Fashion) collectively discussed potential ideas and concepts regarding the future of these awards and the forms which they may or could possibly take.  In order to maintain a high level of transparency and fairness for the benefit of our wider industry colleagues, representatives and interested parties, the contributing group, have not made absolute decisions with any deliberate exclusions or to the detriment of others in our industry, only opened up potential possibilities by drawing on our wide variety of experiences and backgrounds which enabled us to discuss potential ways forward in order to support these Awards in becoming ever more prestigious.  We have no monopoly on the eventual outcomes, these things are still open for discussion with all industry contributors, colleagues and so on, however this was an opportunity to develop some kind of framework from which to begin and reflect on where we have come from.  Through our meeting this week which was enormously productive in analysing what works well, unravelling areas for development and potentially exciting ways forward we feel sure that this year will be one of the best so far, but we do wish to build further on this foundation and it is crucial, we feel, for the longevity of our industry that we do so.  We wholly support the future of these Awards as we move forward and we would like you to join us too to celebrate the great and greater of our UK VM industry on the 7th October 2011.  Of course we would also like to wish you good luck in being selected to win one of these incredibly prestigious Awards too.

Please see www.vmanddisplay.com for full entry details

Celebrating 0.4 Million Visitors

Today we are Celebrating the incredible 0.4 Millionth Visit to http://www.retailstorewindows.com/  Over 1000 followers, Over 1000 Entries.  Simply Amazing.

Accessorize, London

We don't always stop and check this brand out, or at least not very often, however, we really liked the concept behind this.  The 'feel and look' of the market stall is one of the trends we have seen over the past several months and we can imagine this being straight from our own actual market resources.  OK, well the sizes are exaggerated, the ribbons are a little much and of course it would have been rather more beneficial for these guys if the space had greater depth, but the idea is there and the whole 'lifestyle' aspect of this brand is communicated through this concept.  We particularly loved the arm chair that the mannequin is sat on here although you'll have to go and see this particular store close to Selfridges on Oxford St. to get a better look.

Market Place, London

Image Copyright Panache Display

If you happen to be looking for some larger figures, size 16, these ones are available due to over stocking and at a fraction of the original cost (these really are a bargain...!)  If you are interested in purchasing these gorgeous, yet essential pieces for your commercial space or just need more information please contact jo@panachedisplay.co.uk 

Image Copyright Panache Display

Energie, London

If you happen to be along Carnaby street soon, do go and check out Energie.  This is such a wonderfully fresh and youthful brand who are really producing some very exciting stuff.  Literally, the Energie from these stores oozes from their windows.  With their gorgeous colourful shadows we cant  help but just want to be part of it all.

Puma, London

The guys at Puma, London, have huge pendulous balls.

If you happen to be on Carnaby street soon do go and have a look at the Puma store.  These guys are rocking London right now.  Incidentally, we're not fans of people in our images as we like to concentrate on the presentation of store windows rather than the corn dolly weaves, very big hair, mullets and him and her fashions with matching kiddies that so many tourists seem to adopt.  It also took a while loitering and watching the loiterers to give you an image without the mass of tourists - this was a 5 second window without a mass of tourists who seem to insist on following us while watching the watchers in case they are missing something or as if we are the entertainment?  Quite bizarre.  Anyway......Puma look great.  With their huge balls displayed on the fascia and suspended within the windows (billiard balls.... of course) and their Styrofoam chalks which form plinths on which to display the product, this is a fun scheme worthy of mentioning and wonderfully produced.  If you happen to be here, you must take a look.

London Executive, London

Estate Agents really are the dullest places, aren't they?  Often even just looking past the multitude of images in a repetition format into what are essentially office spaces with (usually) men in chalk stripe suits and 'hilarious' ties sat behind desks, invariably on the telephone.  Reflected in the fenestration you can often find us falling fast asleep having just looking at them.  Anyway, here at London Executive (York Street, in the Marylebone Area of London), we love the light boxes which when used creatively, rather than simply to highlight a graphic, can work so well.  One only has to view the best bars in Paris and New York to evidence this.  Anyway, while on our journey flaneur-ing the streets of London we happened across London Executive with their Monopoly-like houses placed on light boxes.  What a great idea, hey?  OK, well they are cardboard printed boxes with the details of the various properties to rent or buy at eye-watering prices, but what a breath of fresh air.  We're so glad that at least one estate agent is making an effort.  We just have to work on Banks, Post Offices and those those Chalk stripe suits.   

Lanvin, London

Thankfully Lanvin has taken out those dreadful cut out animals from this scheme which you may remember we commented on recently.  However, nothing more has been added which makes this scheme look rather odd.  Fortunately these guys have such great window spaces and considering the brand, there are so many missed opportunities here.  We do wish that we were excited about the work these guys do but sadly, so little effort is put into these schemes, and considering the cost of the product, this is a massive disappointment.  Still, we're sure they have a following and a die hard customer base who will continue to spend the Dollars, Yen and Euro.  We just wish that they would try a little harder so that we could be excited about what they do.  In the meantime......sigh

Daks, London

Looter Chic?  Daks,  before or after the riots and looting?  Thankfully, here in lock-down London all seems quiet on the West End front and mercifully the looters and rioters have not attacked the CCTV'd area of Bond St - strange that, hey?  All of the sports, cell phone stores and oddly, discount stores have been hit, but luxury brands still seem the domain of dreaded yet sophisticated (at least in the operation) ram-raiders who perpetually harm our industry.  Here at Daks, it appears that the brand is empathising with the very badly (and incredibly sadly) hit independents by emulating the resulting effect?  Fashion future or just not getting it right? 

Oh...we know we can be flippant.....but we know that you know what we mean.

Ozwald Boateng, London

We've been watching this brand for some time now although never included them on this site.  At Ozwald Boateng, we have viewed some of their schemes which we have always felt that we had seen before.  However, their latest scheme is quite a gem.  Don't you think?