London Retail VM and Display Show 2010 Exhibitor Caroline Humphries

Have you ever really thought about your career? Ok, lets face it, we all have those nagging moments of doubt and questioning (if we are honest) and maybe we wonder if we are on the 'right' path? Perhaps we are on the path that we think we should be on, but maybe secretly not really quite so convinced? My most formative advise regarding my career or at least my experience of the world of work was that I would have to work for 40 years (at least) of my life so I might as well do something I enjoyed. I have always kept this at the front of my mind and do evaluate this, albeit on an ah hoc basis whenever I have moments of doubt (and lets face it, we all do). Although is it really necessary to think in this way? If you happen to be at the Retail VM and Display show at the Business Design Centre this week, do go and have a chat to Business and Career Coach, Caroline Humphries. Caroline is one of the most informed and experienced advisors in this industry and one of the very few (and I mean very few) who have worked in this industry from every perspective - International Retailer, Supplier to Educator. I certainly don't know of anyone who has done all three. We have probably all read 'Feel the Fear and do it anyway....' Women are from Venus.....and so on, but are we simply, perhaps, contextualising what we already know? If you find that you are a creative person working in a Commercial environment - and we all know how stifling and frustrating this can be - simply talking and working with Caroline can help you navigate through the complexities of understanding yourself, support you in developing the confidence in not just making decisions but actually doing 'it' - and doing even more - and letting go of those anxieties that plague the creative process. So, go on, grab your career by the horns and book yourself an appointment.
Caroline can also be found at http://www.carolinehumphries.com/

Images Curtesy of Caroline Humphries, by Francis Ware, http://www.fware.co.uk/

London Retail VM and Display Show 2010 Exhibitor Janey Rodger

Image Courtesy and Copyright Janey Rodger

If you happen to be at the Retail VM and Display show this week, you must go and meet Janey Rodger from http://www.janeyrodgerdesigns.com/ . Janey spent years perfecting her skills initially at Harrods before working with the incredible Simon Millington. Janey takes her retail clients on a journey from concept to completion or can step in to manufacture your own concept too. This is the kind of flexibility we often need from consultants and Janey is one of the few people I know who not only has a client list that reads like a who's who in London, but also on the global stage too. Retailers such as Lotte and Shilla may not mean a lot to us here but in Korea they are big news. Drawing on her years of knowledge Janey works within set budgets, delivering one-off commissions to multi store projects. Her work is always focused on a clients needs and expectations while being more than able to strike a balance between creating concepts which are creative and yet commercial. What more could we possibly ask for? Janey Rodger is must have for your list of contacts, so do check her out at http://www.janeyrodgersdesigns.com/

Image Courtesy and Copyright Janey Rodger

London Retail VM and Display Show 2010 Exhibitors Panache Display

If you are looking for Mannequins this week while at the Retail VM and Display show, don't forget to check out Panache Display. Panache have their own range of figures at the show this week: Curvateous and Pure & Simple. Of course, they offer all sorts of styles and makes including figures from the House of Bonami. Collections have wonderful names such as Hombres, Fashion Queens, Glamaga and Affinity so be sure to check them out and get in contact with Joanne McRae at Panache. Joanne has spent many years in this business and is well placed to advise you on any collections you may want or need. Formerly at Harrods, Rootstein Mannequins and freelancing for huge names such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood and the V&A, you know you are in safe hands to guide you through the process. Joanne can be contacted by e-mail either jo@panachedisplay.co.uk or say hello to her at the show itself.

Images Courtesy and Copyright of Panache Display.

London Retail VM and Display Show Exhibitors 2010, DZD Bespoke Sales Director: Colin Hudson

Have you ever felt drained of inspiration? All too often I find working with large companies creatively draining. From my own experience of large companies, they drain and drain one of ideas and concepts and give us little, if any time to replenish and update our knowledge and enable the development of ideas which are informed and interesting too. Well, did you know that DZD (situated adjacent to Warren st. tube station here in London) now have a bespoke service which can help you overcome that creative fatigue? Big players within the industry need big results and there is nothing worse that having to work in isolation not really knowing if your high profile concept in that enormous flagship is going to work. The process of experimentation, play, testing and trying is a crucial part of concept development and there are few places available for us to go where we are able to work with a team to bounce ideas around, tap into the expertise of a team who are able to produce props in house (which is particularly cool) and enable you to realise your vision - and lets be honest we're only as good as our last job, so we had better make sure that the next one is spectacular too. With a guaranteed one to one guidance through your project DZD will come with you on your journey from initial concept development, realising your concept and make you look good. What more could you ask for? Do drop by the DZD stand next week and have a chat to Colin Hudson and the team. Colin and Sonya work very much in collaboration in supporting their clients and with years of experience between them you can be sure that what you want is delivered, and it will be spectacular too. So what are you waiting for?

London Retail VM and Display Show Exhibitors 2010, Proportion>London Creative Director Tanya Reynolds

Images courtesy of Proportion>London

Tanya Reynolds is the Creative Director at Proportion>London and has been part of the Retail VM and Display Industry for a whopping 30 years. If there is one person who has a vast knowledge and a passion for this industry it certainly is Tanya who also clearly has her finger on the pulse of whats 'in' right now and definately whatever is 'next'. Tanya's collections are absolutely Fashion led and I certainly am excited about the new collection being launched next week. Part of the Proportion>London portfolio are bust forms as well as the delicious Mannequins pictured below. Bust forms are what this company have been well known for for decades. One only has to wander along the high street to see that just about every retailer has something from their collections in all sorts of diverse finishes - the only limitation is our own imagination with regard to what this company can do. Naturally curious and willing to never close down opportunities to try new things Tanya and Proportion>London are the company to have on speed dial and at the top of your address book and must be your first stop at the Retail VM and Display show.

London Retail VM and Display Show Exhibitors 2010 DZD Creative Director: Sonya Storm

Looking through my archives recently I found hundreds of advertisements for VM and Display showrooms throughout London's West End (particularly Newman st). Sadly over time one by one they have all relocated or disappeared from the map. Only one showroom is left for us to visit and what a feast it is. DZD, located along Tottenham Court road adjacent to Warren st. tube station is a fantasy land of VM and Display ephemera. Sonya Storm, the Creative Director here has worked with the company for 12 years and oversees the product buying and development within the showroom. As we have, no doubt all experienced those last minute Display emergencies it is always a comfort to know DZD provide that essential backup service that we all so often need. The clients to the company read like a who's who with all the major players calling on the expertise of the team. From Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, John Lewis, to countless multiples, freelancers to tiny retailers in Ghana and Australia, the company cater for the world. However, did you know that they also provide props for photo shoots, film, TV and a bespoke service too? Their stunning portfolio of film credits and magazine coverage was little known to me too until I scratched beyond the Christmas 'stuff' that those of us who know the company are famous for. So, swing by their stand at the show next week to check them out and have a chat with Sonya and the team. I always do, and I always leave with tears of laughter rolling down my cheeks. Besides incredible product and service, they are incredibly fun to be with too - you wont want to leave.

Diesel, London

One of the coolest brands at the moment has to be Diesel. The store on Carnaby St. here in London has a great new brand campaign. What I like about this store is the fact that they actually come out of the site and utilise the front of the building as part of their presentation. I'm not over excited about the content of the graphics but it is admirable they are thinking around the existing space too as we just don't see that very often. Still, it is fun and I particularly like the inflatable Elephant (at the centre of the top image) sat on a figure - great sense of humour.

Nicole Farhi, London

Have you seen Nicole Farhi this week? Walking along Bond St. here in London the other evening I came across their new London Fashion week launch scheme. The scheme is based on around 15 famous London landmarks, the Gherkin, St. Pauls Cathedral, the Post Office Tower and so on which have been produced in a vinyl applied to the fenestration and within the store itself. These incredible drawings have been produced by Esther Coombs, a graduate in Illustration spotted at 'Tent'. Esther has been working with the ever talented Jamie Shouli who I believe produces the schemes at Nicole Farhi. After months of Christmas bling, Sale windows and Valentines motifs it is a refreshing move by retailers that they are tapping into otherwise potentially unused talent. Is this the sign of a trend and wonderful things to come in 2010? Who knows? However, I do hope that more collaborations with young Designers do occur this year and support our fresh talent. In the meantime, do check out Esthers work at http://www.esthercoombs.com/ - stunning drawings and a must have for your list of contacts.

Dover Street Market, London

While swinging by Dover St. Market this week, I came across this incredible installation. OK, well, yes, it is a horse (kind of) with images of clouds projected on it if we look at it literally, and so where is the value in that I hear you ask? I do feel that images which are projected work very well if the conditions are right - and they are of course very cheap. Sunny days are obviously not the right conditions and neither is day light. This installation works well as these were taken at night time, although the public traffic was zero (apart from me) - so whats the point? Do we need something here which can be appreciated in both day and night time? As regular followers will know, I'm not a huge fan of motifs (clouds, in this case being one of them) although I do appreciate this for its aesthetic value, even though the narrative is not very clear. Perhaps this needs to be seen during the day time too to begin to really understand what is being communicated? In addition, we can look at any number of fine art installations to find inspiration in the use of projected images whether these are static or moving and perhaps in this instance it would have benfitted from a moving projection as the conditions (at least at night time) are perfect and I do enjoy the way the projection casts a show of the animal across the whole store. Anyway, I will let you decide what you think.

Ermenegildo Zegna, London

Zegna, London

Image Courtesy and Copyright Ronald Knoth, NYC.

While flaneuring along Bond St. this week I happened upon the new windows from Ermenegildo Zegna. This is a difficult concept to make any comments about as and while I am familiar with the brand I never buy anything here and don't actually know that much about them. I have included these images to share with you as I was quite intrigued that the previous week these out sized bust frames were clad in a wooden frame. (In the New York Store they have used Mannequins inside the form too). Revolutionary stuff hey? Is the previous weeks concept and this the same? I find myself in a dilemma. It is difficult to not be mean about what has been presented to us but I simply cannot think of anything else to say and I do feel a little cheated that so little has been done to entice me (and you) - and there are plenty of retailers 'out there' doing this too. I would have thought this could be an exciting brand, and certainly the merchandise is beautiful, but where or what is the idea here? Is there a visual team here or did the part-time sales associates follow this from a manual? (I know that's rather caustic) Anyway, perhaps its better to write nothing more and let you decide for yourselves what you think.

The London College of Fashion

Following on from their visit to the Science Museum recently the students of the Fashion Retail Branding and Visual Merchandising course at the London College of Fashion began to use their recorded images from their sketch books and work these in to three dimensional models in perspex. This is quite a difficult material to use initially although the group managed to produce these incredible pieces in just a few hours. These pieces were in turn sketched. The thinking behind this part of the project was to enable students to begin working and thinking beyond the two dimensional and enabling them to communicate their intentions in order to explain their thinking to someone else, such as a client, so that they in turn could understand their future concepts. Communicating ones intentions to a client is a crucial part of the Design process. As we know a client will never part with any money (and rightly so) unless they can see what they are going to get for it and therefore this is an essential skill to have in their portfolios.

Ralph Lauren, London

OK, well here we go. Now, I did predict that this Brand would use their Rootstein Yasmin Le Bon mannequins at the end of last year and voila..! Now, I did promise the team that I wouldn't be mean about their presentation (and I certainly couldnt be) and quite honestly, the dressing and presentation is always immaculate and beautifully presented, which I always mention, because it is. Just to set the scene however, I did photograph these windows before I chatted to the team so in the forefront of my mind was, that, I was wondering if they will use this mannequin again after my previous comments which I know they read? Anyway, within the overall scheme they have used a variety of figures (headless males etc.) and the concept is, of course incredibly and so elegantly produced. The scheme itself says luxury liner to me and the use of these giant portholes really does focus our attention into the centre of the presentation. It is always a pleasure to see the schemes produced here and I always look forward to viewing them, so lets see what happens next?

Chanel, London

I do find that I struggle with this brand's presentation. I wouldn't of course wish to be uncharitable but I just feel that their schemes just don't work at all. I know that this scheme is placed around the world and they clearly do very well, although that is probably the brand name and its association rather than the presentation of the product. There always seems to be something missing and I cant quite put my finger on what it is. Out sized props can look incredible and I certainly am a fan. They are also fun. However, perhaps this scheme would have worked better without the use of the Mannequins? I feel this is perhaps the problem here. If you look at the images here and imagine them without the figures it does work much better, put in a few strategically placed products and it almost becomes an abstract installation. The mannequins are just not dynamic enough and always look like they have had an argument and fallen out with each other. As this is such a significant brand, surely someone would have picked this up? Anyway, as always it remains to be seen if someone does, eventually. Perhaps in the mean time we can send out visual thoughts to the brand to buy a new collection of mannequins, get some suggested movement going on in here and bring it screaming into 2010?