Paula Ka, Paris

It seems that everyone is big on colour at the moment here in Paris and while this is not a brand at the top of our favourites to see they are making quite an huge impact visually.  Paula Ka is a French ready-to-wear brand which apparently began trading in 1987 although the roots of the brand appear to be a lot earlier.  We are guessing that their HQ are above or close by to this store along the Rue St. Honore so no doubt everything is tested here before it rolls out across the brand worldwide.  Referencing the elegance of the 50's and 60's the product is worn by many of the worlds fashion personalities. In a cold Paris right now the impact of this multi-coloured scheme is quite incredible, although it does give us the feeling that we are looking into a very large dolls house.

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Galeries Lafayette, Paris

We're having a ball this week with so much inspiration around us and here at Galeries Lafayette is no exception.  There must be an army of people here (surely?) who work on their windows as there are so many of them.  We are also guessing that this installation is referencing the Memphis trend which we have seen for some time now although as the sizes of these spaces is so incredible they have really committed themselves to making a big statement.

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Cofrad, Paris

Image Courtesy and Copyright Cofrad

We've been to visit our old friends at Cofrad Mannequins this week to view their amazing new Duo collection, Elle & Drive.  The figures here present a story of an encounter: Two collections of window display mannequins, a man, a woman, a couple.  Drive is a laid-back, cool, trendy and effortlessly chic male while Elle represents the discreet, resourceful, dynamic female who always remains elegant.  Do check out their website for more information on these figures through the banner link below.  Cofrad's showroom space is also staggering with hints of its former life incorporated into the architecture so its always well worth a visit in person if you can too.  

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Le Bon Marche, Paris

If you haven't seen the Ai Weiwei installation at Le Bon Marche then here is a snapshot for you, but well worth a visit in person if you can.  This installation called The Song of  White is comprised of twenty-two imaginary creatures to create an amazing Chimera (hybrid creatures with parts of more than one animal).  The installation represents Ai Weiwei's interpretation of the fantastical beings and spirits found in Shanghai Jing, a Chinese mythological text which dates back over 2000 years.  An incredible experience to see these.

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Pringle Of Scotland, London

Images Courtesy and Copyright Making Noise Quietly

With a heritage stretching back to 1815, this phenomenal global brand has been providing us with (initially hosiery and underwear) superb quality knitwear products, its most famous of course must be their twin sets and Argyle.  More recently associated with famous golf players the brand appear to have raised the stakes enormously, and then some.  Just look at them now.  Their latest scheme was designed by Making Noise Quietly and inspired by the Pringle of Scotland SS16 collection.  Following the detail used to create the merchandise the team have produced a large scale structure which has encapsulated the product in order to generate this incredible sculptural installation emulating the technical processes inherent in the production of the brands merchandise.

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Brooks Brothers, Hong Kong

Images Courtesy and Copyright Booma Group

For their first global window project launch Booma Group were commissioned to design and develop the CNY 2016 window for selected stores between New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo.  The window installation is represented by the Brooks Brothers logo (a sheep) which has been redesigned to create an origami style structure and communicate the Chinese New Year theme with the three wise monkeys (as this is the year of the Monkey of Fire) painted in a glossy Red finish.  For their flagship store in Hong Kong, Booma designed the word "Monkey" with handmade Sheep in a Gold leaf finish to create the word in Chinese.  You can also view the making process through the video link here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-J5HnCU7Y0&list=LLGE02oYOyXKWhGGEbo6YOPQ&index=1

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Myer, Melbourne, Australia

Images Courtesy and Copyright Myers Department stores

If you are not familiar with this brand then you may be surprised to know that this chain of fantastic department stores is not only the biggest in the country but also has a heritage we are sure would be envied by any northern hemisphere brand dating back to 1899.  For their new seasons launch, the windows and in-store creative team have recently installed their new seasons 'no regrets' campaign which has a big focus on some of the new amazing brands at the store.  The team have created an 'army' of mannequins to showcase their product in the windows using different ‘no regrets’ props.  Fantastic to see such creativity from our Visual Merchandising colleagues 'down under' with such a wonderful Western aesthetic too.

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Lancel, Paris

Images Courtesy and Copyright Lancel

Rolling out across stores in France and worldwide, the new season unveils a new canvas inspired by the LANCEL archives: the Iconic collection.  Here, the revolving L reinterprets the Maison's Art Deco motif, which was first revealed on the engraved metal lighters of the 1930's.  Extruded, extended and scaled 1000%, the bold graphic has been translated into a three dimensional form to create a striking and dynamic backdrop to the product. With a mix of colours to reflect those of the season, each element has been constructed from a different material and aligned carefully to form the pattern.  The extended shapes also reach across the front of plinths displaying the new bag, bringing the pattern to the foreground.  The installation here has been designed by StudioXAG.

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Karen Millen, London

Images Courtesy and Copyright Melvyn Vincent

Studio XAG have worked closely with the creative team at Karen Millen to design, produce and install the latest windows at their flagship stores here in London.  Three Dimensional sculptures extend out from the exaggerated perspectives seen in the seasonal campaign imagery, creating raked floor platforms upon which mannequins are displayed alongside props borrowed from the look book scenes.  Here also is a play between textures enhanced with the concrete print continuing from the imagery on to a transparent material, and each window is framed by an asymmetrical colour pop outline.

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Galeries Lafayette, Dubai

Images Courtesy and Copyright Galeries Lafayette

One of our favourite places for creativity in the Middle East is of course Galeries Lafayette.  Here the team have created an installation called 'Borderlines' which is a study of Chaos versus Product with references to Wassily Kandinsky.  This very well informed scheme frames the product surrounded by the design journey in the form of coloured lines which focus the viewers eye into the centre of the space. 

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Lanvin, London

Slightly reminiscent of a Kaiser-Panorama (although in this case the mannequin is static and the viewer themselves move), Lanvin is looking very interesting indeed.  Several mirrors placed around the mannequin are highlighted with neon lighting with additional mirrored fixtures for their smaller products.  The mannequin is an old Rootstein figure from a 90's collection called 'Man' and one of the best male figures (or at least the most masculine) that they ever produced.  Of course we have the obligatory video which can view below or through the link here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9EJJybs3KM

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Liberty, London

We just don't see enough window installations that appeal to more than one sense (i.e visual),  At Liberty for their LFW scheme and Acne Studios, the auditory senses are stimulated in conjunction with the visual to create a really fascinating installation.  Plaster covered structures and plinths generate an Artists studio-like environment which is slightly reminiscent of one of our favourite exhibitions. Margiela at Somerset House a few years ago.  To get a better overview you can see this installation in more detail in our video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K9uTOPMXUE  This has to be one of our favourite run of windows so far for 2016. 

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Jigsaw, London

With their nod to the current exhibition at the Royal Academy, Jigsaw have referenced the Painting the Modern Garden; Monet to Matisse to inform their latest installation.  A text covered mannequin, garden bench, and graffiti wall (dare we say the old cliche, and we are cringing as we do) creating a modern twist on the work of these monoliths of the Art world but this is an interesting direction for this brand and this relatively small space at their store along Argyll Street here in the centre of everything interesting. 

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