Brunello Cucinelli, London

We pass these windows on a fairly regular a basis but don't actually know anything about this brand at all.  We decided that we couldn't passively accept this and decided to dig just a little deeper into this mysterious company and its heritage .  It is fascinating.  From schools, theatre and a foundation it makes for quite remarkable reading.  Check out their website as it really is quite an elusive yet very grounded brand who clearly care about legacy and the minutiae of detail and craftsmanship. 

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Prada, London

Beyond being beautifully produced there isn't much more to say about this scheme.  Is that a good thing?  Maybe its just that time of year which always has a hint of austerity about it but that's all we have.

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Stella McCartney, London

We don't often like the schemes (not that is matters anyway) at this brand but thankfully they have thrown us a life line and a welcomed break from a sea of Red Sale schemes.  OK, well its a little reminiscent of a tanning salon machine although anything right now to lift our interest is a relief.

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J Crew, London

We were rather impressed with this scheme.  Why?  We hear you ask.  Well this is certainly one of the better Sale schemes from a global multiple that we have seen with a bit of humour and a smidgen of fun.  A giant 2015 with multiple 3d specs in a repetition format.   Those bust forms though. 

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Dover Street Market, London

We always dread this time of year as it is such a struggle usually to find very much which is exciting in retail store windows.  Yes, we're back in London after a few weeks stateside, jet lagged, and have already been out to scour the city for the latest schemes.  Unfortunately most retailers have simply either covered up their Christmas schemes and added a vinyl Sale graphic or actually kept them with a Sale image on the fenestration.  Still, we have noticed that some schemes are starting to be removed so fingers crossed we will be able to show you the latest innovative schemes for the new season shortly.  Thankfully, even Sale at Dover Street Market is an Art Installation, well it would be wouldn't it.  And great fun it is too.  We can make out all sorts of stuff here from Teddy Bears to vacuum cleaners all wrapped in Red and White tape.  How simply is this and yet really punches the Sale message.

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Converse, New York

If you haven't seen the latest installation at Converse here in New York, then here it is in all is Skull glory.  Most of you are probably familiar with the American flag made up of the product (image below) but this one was a new one to us.  The rest of the store hasn't changed much since our last visit but this installation is quite amazing and brilliant fun. 

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Universal Display, New York

Creating the ultimate retail experience right now is Universal Display.  We included an entry about their iconome a while ago when it was launched and we are still enormously impressed with the work that these guys are doing in order to push those boundaries forward.  Technology will continue to be enormous as we move through 2015 and if you need a mannequin that uses this then this is the one company to look for.  Download the app, scan for looks and explore.  Simple.  Check them out at  http://www.universaldisplay.co.uk/  

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Genesis Mannequins, New York

In 2014 Marvel Comics celebrated their 75th Anniversary and in recognition of this those lovely guys at Genesis have styled their showroom with a great big nod to their famous cartoons.  There is so much humour in their installations with references to the Super heroes of Fashion dressed in runway looks and costumes which we really adore and in particular the Anna Wintour on a catwalk raised a good old chuckle,.  If you like a bit of retro then do try and get along to their showroom 151West 25th Street, 4th Floor (by appointment) 

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Sennheiser, New York

Just around the corner from Foley which we included the other day we happened upon this Pop up on the lower east side here in New York.  We decided to drop in to investigate a little further as we are not big headphones fans ourselves so we weren't familiar with the brand although they are clearly superb as we did have a go at the listening posts here and the clarity of the music was amazing.  Anyway, the windows with their digital lighting drew us in so job well done.

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Happy New Year, 2015

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Wishing you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2015

Foley, New York

One of our favourite areas to hang out in New York has to be the lower east side.  A lot less fussy than the Meatpacking but not as polished as 5th Avenue, this is possibly the cooler part of town.  We came across the Foley Gallery here and their incredible sculptural paper installation.  We didnt know anything about this although we have discovered that this was produced by Mia Pearlman.  Just check out her site here http://miapearlman.com  We thought that we would include it as it was quite a spectacle to view.

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Marc Jacobs, New York

We always make a bee line for this Marc Jacobs store as they always have such fun installations.  Previously we have seen these windows covered in Polaroids of people with a Santa Claus and this year we have the Marc Jacobs Galactic Industries Communications Operating systems where just in case you couldn't make it back for Christmas you could have your photograph taken here to send to your home planet.  Perfect fun and a great form of experiential interaction.

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What Will You Feel?, New York

Around the Meatpacking district we recently came across the first store that sells feelings.  How cool is this....!  We were a little hesitant before entering here as it wasn't quite clear what was going on inside.  It was also the end of the working day and it looked like a private event.  As bolshie as ever we entered anyway and thank goodness we did.  What an amazing experience.  We were greeted by the nicest people and asked to enter our email addresses into their system and explore a wide variety of textures in a beautifully organised seated area.  Further on and a range of  fragrances (below) oozed from a curved walled area.  We were still unclear what this was all about until we ventured further along the corridor and to a series of rooms.  Each room contains a different experience from a Winter landscape, a dressing up room and a virtual reality experience.  In each one we could have a photograph taken which was emailed to us within minutes.  Hilarious fun.  And, the product, Glade air fresheners.  This is such an interesting space and such a brilliant way to show an existing product in such an experiential way.

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