Nice, Cote D'Azur, France

Yeah, we know...!  For the next couple of weeks or so we're sending you the best from the Cote D'Azur / French Riviera and we are beginning in Nice.  We're venturing to the Principality of Monaco, the streets of Nice and all the way to Cannes, Antibes and Grasse.  It really isn't easy work, we promise, in fact exhausting, but we are passionate about what we do so we're bringing you some of the best (possibly the worst) from the fabulous French Riviera.  Its tough old work but someone has to do it, eh?

H&M, London

The guys at H&M clearly work really hard to achieve some level of differentiation in their stores presentation which is always really, really appreciated.  While on their sustainability theme, different to their first scheme ( but happening at the same time as their paper foliage scheme) here they've used this large graphic in a symmetrical format.  

Nike, London

We're not massive fans of this brand and its mega-superstructure-stores although we do pop in intermittently to have a look at what they are up to, and hands up they do some amazing work and we love this graphic in their windows.  This is so simple and just works so well, don't you think?

Marithe Francois Girbaud, London

We often pass this brand, but rarely stop to take a closer look.  Anyway, recently at the Dolce and Gabbana store also we did also see this rather rare form of presentation; the use of what we call illusory figures.  We have found that we had to give these types of schemes a name as we occasionally see them and no information currently exists. In our book Fashion Visual Merchandising which is being published later this year by Bloomsbury we give a rather more coherent explanation of this type of presentation.

Liberty, London

We really do love the work of these guys here at Liberty and particularly their unique selling point.  If we look at the various department stores around London each of them has such a distinctive personality.  Selfridges we would say has quite a Fine Art approach, Harvey Nichols have their Fashion-led schemes and Liberty of course have their Curator ship and guardians of all things historically produced.  Always beautifully  delivered and communicating a massive legacy.  Delicious.

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.