Bottega Veneta, London

How much fun are these little pups?  At Bottega Veneta along Bond Street, we managed to peep through the security grille and capture these fantastic little props.  They appear to be made of Sugar (although we are guessing) and are placed in amongst the product.  We didn't actually look at the product as these looked so much fun and although tiny by comparison look absolutely brilliant.  This seems to be the first time that we have included this brand but if they sort out their security grille issues we can include them more often.

Harvey Nichols, London

If you haven't seen Harvey Nichols' Christmas scheme then, strap yourself in, baton down the hatches, this is one hell of a presentation.  Absolutely amazing.  Its freezing cold here in London (Yeah, OK, no sympathy there then) but the scheme here, with references to old style Shanghai and how we all hoped it would be, but isn't although it is how we would wish it to be and that's OK?  Afterall this is fantasy.  We adore this scheme which epitomises everything that Visual Merchandising should be and really does put the Art and Design back into windows.  Just superb.  There is hope after all.

Oliver Sweeney, London

Oh you know the score.  We want to Love it, but.......blah, blah, blah.  Its the usual Christmas scheme we've seen before.  We loved the out sized snowballs at Nicole Farhi a few years ago, so this scheme is not really kicking it for  us.  The gifts are wrapped very badly too.  OK, well this is how we would wrap our gifts at Christmas time, but then we don't really want reality in Christmas schemes, do we?  No.  We want a bit of fantasy, aspiration and inspiration.  This Christmas wonderland is sadly not wonderful and just too chaotic.

Max Mara, London

We cant help but love Max Mara at the moment.  The schemes are not particularly exciting very often, but the colours (or lack of) are always organised so incredibly beautifully.  It would be quite nice to input a bit of personality into these windows however, although of course the product is 'king' but even just a little nod in the direction of the current season would have made everything just a little more interesting, don't you think?

Dolce and Gabbana, London

We do feel that we have been on a bit of a rant mode this week (again) but really, do we as customers have so suffer mediocrity and banality for much longer from luxury brands who, of course want our cash?  We feel that the answer is a probable no.  Here at D&G we do love the bird cages with shoes contained within them, and while it genuinely does look great.......we have seen it all before countless times.....Louis Vuitton and even Oasis did this previously.  Therefore, this 'theme' has already done the rounds and we do expect a lot more from a brand that charges such huge amounts for their merchandise and yet is supposedly at the forefront of design.  We just have to exhale a weary sigh once again and hope that they move on and put someone creative in control.

Asprey, London

The quality of schemes at Asprey (we no longer say.....and Garrard.....apparently they've split but we don't talk about that bit) is its usual fantastic quality and we absolutely adore these British brands with such a massive history; one cant buy that, only buy into it and the tourists love it.  Anyway, the scheme here looks great but the videos do rather jar with the static scheme.  Maybe we are being a little picky or perhaps niggly, but it just doesn't turn us on.  It looks great.....we really, really want to love it (as it is brilliant quality) but we just feel that it ticks a box and job done.  Disappointed really......Merry Christmas then.....sigh.  Why dont you guys project a bit of fun?  Entertain us, not just tick a box?

Moschino, London

Oh VM Gawd help us.  A mannequin squatting on the roof of  faux house in a cage?  WTF is going on with this brand apart from feeding us the fodder to giggle about it?  There is clearly something rather unhinged about this brands presentation, although not in a clever way.  The schemes here always appears to be an attempt to be 'oh so arty' and 'oh so misunderstood geniuses' when the outcome is actually quite banal.  Oh you know that we provoke and poke, at least a little and this brand never bite.  So far so good then, but dreadful scheme none the less.

Belstaff, London

We cant help but love the humour behind this simple yet perfectly pitched scheme at Belstaff right now.  Clearly the team here have really thought about what, with regards to their products, sums up this brand and yet communicates that its Christmas without being intrusive and taking over the whole window scheme.  Brilliant stuff. 

Alexander McQueen, London

We do love to go and visit the McQueen store here in London now and again, even if just to will some of the merchandise out of the window but mostly of course to view the latest schemes.  Here we have an image of the Taraxacum (oh ok, dandelion to most of us) gently blowing its seeds into the wind and placed behind the product.  The product itself of course oozes the fantastic personality known from this brand and as always is absolutely stunning.  Another simple yet beautiful presentation from the team at McQueen.

Daks, London

'D' for Daks or 'D' for Dull?  What a shame this brand isn't just a little more exciting?  We are willing it to be, but the word 'frumpy' just springs to our minds.  Unfortunately a big thumbs 'D'own for this scheme.  But, you may think otherwise?

Cos, London

Ooooohhhh......we do like the anti-Christmas scheme here at Cos right now.  Change the colour of that lighting and who would know?  This is clever stuff and Cos are really 'cutting it' with their clever subtlety.  The simplicity is fantastic, the wonderful 'fine art installation' approach is looking so fricking cool and we are loving it.

Selfridges, London

If you happen to be passing Selfridges soon here in London, then do go and take a look at this incredible window.  Love Creative from the Uber Cool city of Manchester and in conjunction with the lovely guys at Millington Associates have created this incredible scheme for the Johnnie Walker brand as part of the Christmas offer.  This fabulously theatrically themed window draws inspiration from the complex flavours of the Walker brand and and introduces the striding man as the central man to the scheme.  We love this video and do also check out the agency behind it.  We did, and wow are these guys are fricking good.  www.lovecreative.com

LOVE. Johnnie Walker, Selfridges Christmas installation from LOVE. on Vimeo.

Etro, London

The schemes at Etro appear to be falling into a bit of a formula this year, don't you think?  The scene seems to change and the mannequins appear to move around different rooms in the country mansion somewhere European but the formula is still here.  We actually do really like this scheme in many ways although 'that' mannequins arm at the forefront of the image looks a little freakish, doesn't it?  Anyway, the layers of interest are here and it looks wonderfully glamorous (but that mannequins arm still looks freaky....;o)  We're just saying what you were thinking.