Juicy Couture, London

Well clearly stripey backdrops are currently de rigueur right now as we've seen them all around town from LV, Fenwicks, and MCM to name a few.  This is a bit of a drab old scheme though, don't you think?  And what is it with that Flamingo?  (btw could someone actually dust the floor in here???)

Hackett, London

We're loving the latest scheme at Hackett right now along Jermyn street.  Have you seen the film Brief Encounter?  If not then get yourself onto ones of those global sites and treat yourself to a copy.  This latest scheme has a whiff of the old romance about it and references to times long gone.  It may be that with the UK's perpetual recession and what now seems like perpetual cold weather, that we always seem to reflect on the past and bring on the nostalgic schemes.  We actually really like this one, but then we're old romantics too.  So, put down your comfort food and cosmetics (all great sellers in these times) and pop along and have a look at what these guys are up to.

Pink, London

Men's formal wear is always a bit of a mine field, don't you think?  If a retailer gets it wrong its usually spectacularly awful.  However, thankfully, Pink are rather expert in handling what can sometimes be a very dull product.  We love an out-sized-land-of-the-giants prop and these ones are particularly well made.  Great to see bust forms with articulated hands which are actually being used too.

Jack Wills, London

We're not big on fake heritage brands so this one doesn't really cut it for us we're afraid and therefore we rarely step inside what are usually tiny stores crammed to the rafters with naff old stripey rugby tops.  And breathe.  However, now we have got that out of our system, this scheme is actually is very interesting.  OK, well it does have that awful mesh background that we always loathe to look at at American Apparel, but we do love the use of the Polaroids here hanging on it. The addition of the vintage props such as Camera's, chairs and an angle poise lamp (which incidentally cant be very vintage as it has a round base not a square one) but anyway, it must be doing something right as it made us stop and look and apparently they do rather well.

H&M, London

Wow, we haven't seen paper formed like this since Bergdorf's in 2000 and Chanel in or around Summer 2007 and looks cool, eh?  What is particularly interesting is how so many retailers have conveniently forgotten that funny old fangled notion of sustainability.  Here at H&M they are screaming louder than everyone right now and back on the wagon leading the way.  The best part is that the next nearest store has a completely different scheme to this one albeit seducing us with their sustainable fashion.  Lets hope all that paper gets recycled though, eh?  

Fred Perry, London

We're sure we saw this scheme on W.G.S.N. the other day, so guys you are clearly leading trend-wise here and being watched by the biggest trend agency - amazing.  These are such difficult windows to work with but we thought this scheme was quite admirable and looks great too, don't you?.  We often whizz past here just to have a peek and see what these guys are doing and, for such a small space and for a store which is more of a destination place with their core customers and a few tourists tugging at the old heritage wooden racket strings they seem to do rather well (and they clearly  work hard too.....we love that)  Great fun guys..! 

Louis Vuitton, London

What's happening to our once favourite windows in London?  For a brand which is hardly scratching around at the back of the sofa (or the Louis Futon) to find a budget or needs to raid the piggy bank like most, this is a bit of a shabby old scheme don't you think?  Illuminated boxes in different coloured stripes is hardly avant garde, revolutionary and not really what we would have expected from a luxe retailer renowned for its often lavishly produced schemes, witty installations and beautifully produced props.  What a shame.  Sigh. 

Banana Republic, London

Wow, we love the latest scheme at Banana right now.  We're Mad for Mod too and this just ticks all of those boxes so well.  We just cant help love the style of this scheme.......we have a feeling that we know where this design comes from of course as we recognise the style, however we also love the repetition of these radiating forms as a backdrop and the mannequins are dressed and positioned so well too.  We're not sure which company produced these figures used here although we suspect Rootstein as the realism is always so fantastically accurate and the nipples on the females are so remarkable pointed.  Considering how cold it is here in London, this is no surprise of course.  Brands that we have worked with before used to make us shave the nipples off or apply sticky plasters; we prefer the realism and the boys love it too.

Bally, London

Hmmmmmm..........Bally do some simple schemes and this is one of, well, we guess a mountain?  A slightly odd scheme but we guess simple and easy to install (although incredibly dull) and therefore not requiring the skills of a Visual Merchandiser.  Maybe employ a few creative ones and and inject something less ordinary into the windows?

MCM, London

We're never quite sure what to make of the presentations here at MCM and we know little about them as a brand too.  But anyway, Blue and White stripes and circular chromed tubing not very revolutionary but simple and clean nonetheless.

Dior, London

This is a slightly interesting lil' old scheme from Dior, don't you think?  We've been wracking our brains trying think of the Artist that this scheme is referencing , and we believe it is Magritte?  Dior have often looked rather like  Chanel for quite some time, ya know, producing sticky plasters on the wound of bad Visual Merchandising design, but we rather like this one if we're honest. Thankfully at least its not yet another Warhol even if the Magritte 'pony' has already been flogged to within an inch of its life.  'Ce n'est pas  fantastique mais Merchandising visuel', however, if ya know wha' we mean.  

Versace, London

What is going on with Versace these days?  We haven't been to see this store in ages but the brand really seems to have lost its edge and interest in doing something less ordinary.  The fire and passion appears to have died and it looks like its lost its way?  What do you think?

Fendi, London

We haven't been to see what Fendi have been up to for quite some time and have never been inside this 'new' store's site yet along Sloane st.  The brand did move across the street from their other site some time ago and we often wonder why they don't have a site along Bond st?  Maybe being in Knightsbridge attracts the middle eastern clientele who buy this stuff.....who knows?  But anyway, a simple scheme produced to perfection and does what it does, we suppose.