Ralph Lauren, London

Having followed Ralph Lauren here in London and their schemes in New York and Dubai for quite some time, I must admit that I do find it difficult to be completely positive about their schemes. Yes, I like them, but I really want to love them. Of course, the dressing and styling is always so superbly handled and that goes without question. RL's relatively new store in Paris looks incredible and clearly leading the way in this brand. However, without wishing to be derogatory, I wish the schemes had a little more 'edge'. OK, well, I am sure there is a whole chain of command and span of control going on within the company and of course these things are easier to write here than being able to do in reality. Perhaps the answer is to give 'control' to the creative's who produce these schemes? It is clear that the team are creative, although maybe are not given enough freedom to enable them to give the desirability to this brand that it perhaps should have, or perhaps that, at least, I would want it to have as a potential customer? Ultimately, the answer is to give back some localised creativity to these creative teams.

Asprey, London

I only seem to write about these windows intermittently for some reason. Not that this brand don't do quality schemes, because they always do, but I guess there is so much happening around town that they keep falling off the page and into my archives. Anyway, Asprey, are currently using this 'sea' themed scheme with drift wood, boardwalks and the usual seaside ephemera. I was quite intrigued by their use of these plasma screens with their videoed underwater moving scene, the type of which is always so mesmerising to view. These have been surrounded with strategically interwoven drift wood (naturally to hide the edges of the screen) and well placed merchandise as part of the overall composition. I like the fact that these screens together with the merchandise look as if they have been so naturally washed up on a beach somewhere rather than everything squared up and bolt upright. Although this is not my own personal favourite scheme of theirs, it has been done so beautifully. I am trying to fall in love with it (because the quality is there) but at the moment, I just like it.

Prada, London

While wandering along Bond st. the other evening I noticed that Prada had not only changed their window scheme but also reverted back to open backed spaces. This is an interesting move as for many months we have seen these spaces quite concentrated and enclosed which really helped to hone in on the detail of the product although of course limited (to a point) what one could do with the space. I like either way myself but what it does highlight is how few retailers do this? Whether it was deliberate or not, who knows. The out sized umbrellas look incredible next to the two female figures and again its this kind of land of the giants type stuff that we see happening occasionally around town. I also like the tall structures in some of the smaller windows which always remind me of a cityscape, particularly like New York or parts of Chicago. What one views is a row of enormous buildings and then suddenly one finds, say for example a church / Cathedral dwarfed by the surrounding megastructures. The church / Cathedral therefore in effect become an anomaly in the rhythm of the city. Although the creative team may not have thought this when producing this scheme, what they have actually done is to use the product as the anomaly. Great impact and yet so simple.

Jack Wills, London

I am quite intrigued by Jack Wills here along the Kings Road. I have seen it mentioned in on a few sites and naturally had to take a look for myself. I must admit that I am a little confused by this brand which on the one hand is a very English / British brand and yet flying the American flag? Not that I am offended in the slightest by this as 'American' is fine by me although this all rather jarrs here. On the one hand we have Jack Wills University Outfitters (based in Devon of all places ). While Devon, of course is beautiful, its not the hippest place to admit one is from, and then on the other hand we have references to 'Varsity Polo' - in the words of Dizzee Rascal ...."Bonkers". As I also work in a University, this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever? What are you doing guys? Either be British or be faux American......the market is far too small for this kind of hedging your bets. Yep, target Universities, great, am sure my students will love you and be top to toe or more likely in key pieces of your stuff. But they are very, very savvy so you have to get this right and either be cool or be desirable and aspirational. You have a cool brand, but it is so confusing......or is that just to me?

Hermes, London

Hermes along Bond St., here in London, have recently installed their latest scheme. Photographic tripods effortlessly create the pyramidal dynamic familiar to display techniques, and placed in front of a graphic with what appears to be historical Hermes product storyboards and images in a repetition format. Within this scheme, I particularly loved the cups and saucers strategically balanced to create an arch form. OK, well if you look closely, they are glued, nonetheless they provide a great focal point in this window scheme which is also great fun. This brand do produce some very interesting and quality schemes, particularly for such relatively small spaces. I only wish we had a bigger store here in London (like Tokyo) where the team here could create much bigger and grander schemes synonymous with some of their larger sites.

Anthropologie, London

I like to see new uses of old sites and this is no exception. The Anthropologie store along the Kings Road is fairly new to London and is in addition to its Regent st. site in one of London's main shopping areas. I cant actually remember what this store was previously or what this site was used for but the dark Green tiles inset with what appears to be a Victorian design (and probably is actually original to the building and actually Victorian) and its stained glass windows are absolutely exquisite. These have remained some of my favourite stores for some time now as the creative team seem to be let loose to create these amazing displays. The windows instantly reminded me of the gardens of Bomarzo, Monster Park a few miles from Rome, Italy, that I wrote about here a few months ago. Various structures, bust forms, chairs and so on seem to be consumed by this mossy covering. Great fun and seasonal, this brand are always such a pleasure to view.

Liberty, London

Wow, is it really 135 years since Liberty opened? Where did that time go, hey? Older than some countries around the world, Liberty can be held up as an excellent example of retailing. Always, at the forefront, always fun, and yet always such wonderful quality (if a little expensive however). Celebrating their 135th Year, of course could not be missed without a fun scheme installed into their windows by the creative team. Small, 'doll-like' houses with tiny cut out figures are presented to us in this scheme. Speech bubbles exclaiming "has anyone seen my shoes?", "Who puked in the flowerbed? and "the B****** dumped me!" have been applied to the glass and tonnes of paper chains and shiny silver curtains complete the scheme. Where on earth will this creative team go next? Who knows, but just watch this space.

Louis Vuitton, London

I cant help but love this mecca to retail. The new Louis Vuitton along Bond st. (which seems like we have waited eons to open) is brash, blingy, sparkly and right there in your face. With hand painted mannequins and figures with the signature brand logo who could not love it? It is showy, it is very much excess to requirements, but it is a strange pleasure to view. The building itself is almost bright White in the usual dull London weather and the use of Gold would make the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul and the souks of Sharjah pale by comparison. A life sized Giraffe, neon lighting, shoes doing-the-walking and beautiful merchandise in bell jars. The list just goes on and on.....if you happen to be in London this is definitely a must see. My favourite bit? The reflection in their old tiny store opposite, declaring...."it's behind you......" I love the so utterly British reference here.

John Smedley, London

I don't normally photograph John Smedley as they always seem to either be in Sale or just seem to sell samples, however the store here in Central London on this occasion, the team here have produced something which I believe the creative team at Paul Smith would be proud of. Merchandise has been hung as if being blown by the strategically placed fans. These windows are great fun, and while this is not the most original scheme (I have seen this countless times as its recorded in just about every 1st edition window display publication I own covering the 20th Century). However, I am actually pleased that they are producing at least a creative scheme in this store. Please keep them coming team and I will certainly be making a bee line down to the store on a regular basis to record them.

G-Star Raw London

G-star Raw's latest scheme here along Carnaby St. in London is probably one of their most interesting ones that they have produced to date. Gone is the celebrity endorsement (thankfully - did we ever fall for that one anyway?) and here we have a scheme which is both thoughtful and creative. Proof in a way (although I am lamenting a little here as I write this) that we don't always need mannequins to promote fashion. How wonderfully creative is this? I don't have a particular 'penchant' for graphics in store windows particularly, as we have seen just about every possible combination one could possibly imagine in just about every store windows all the way through the 90's to date, however this is a new development which is actually very exciting. Industrial cutting tools wrapped in G-star signature denim is placed next to an image of their 'cut' denim. These do have enormous impact and an Uber cool feel about them. I'm not particularly gripped by their product myself although on seeing this I couldn't resist but take a look - it did its job.

Kurt Geiger, London

While my eyes didn't pop out of my head when seeing the new installation at Kurt Geiger both along Regent st. and South Molten street I did gasp a little at the scary scene. I must admit, for a company that has produced some superb schemes recently, I did find this one rather odd. Odd, in the sense that these mannequins are clearly 'sitters' and not meant to be placed in this position. With their necks straining, wigs on back to front and the awkward position that they lay in, only makes for amusement and I did find myself smiling - and I wont even mention the reflected view one gets. I find it quite difficult to believe that such a high profile company in such high profile places have allowed this happen? To me this looks like some of those dreadful stores at the wrong end of Oxford st. crammed to the rafters with cheap merchandise. Perhaps there is some irony that I am just not seeing (although I doubt it) While this is not an expensive scheme, if I were reading what I am writing I would be worried and get myself straight down to the stores to get this scheme out. I will swing by on the weekend and see if this company does care.

Cartier, London

Have you been down to have a look at Cartier this week? Well, after my last minute invitation to the opening of the new Louis Vuitton store, which , of course I had to decline (yeah right) I popped down to view Cartier at the end of Sloane St. to take a look at their new scheme. This brand do the most incredible stuff whenever I view them at Christmas time in New York, although to see them do such an amazing scheme here in 'tight as a fishes you know what' in London is wonderfully refreshing. These guys have used real flowers for their scheme.......and on the outside too. This is wonderfully refreshing to view here in London, as on the whole one would expect the general public to come along and steal this stuff. And of course they do try. Well we are the thieving west afterall. In fact as I was recording this for you, there were a few people doing just that. What scum we are and I do feel ashamed to be British sometimes. Creative teams are already fighting to get these kind of schemes in place - and this is tough enough. Come on UK..........stealing a few flowers from an amazing scheme is quite honestly, well garbage and we should be ashamed for trying to undermine such forward thinking creativity.

Selfridges, London

"You and I, and a little toy shop, Buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got, Set them free at the break of dawn, 'Til one by one they were all gone". Who can ever forget these lyrics from Nena and her 99 Luftballoons from the early 1980's. Selfridges, yet again are leading the way with amazing concepts. The windows here along the Duke St. side of Selfridges present us with a brilliant little teaser. My dear friend Tanya Reynolds, Creative Director of Proportion>London and I shared a wonderful laugh the other evening as neither of us could guess the music represented by these windows apart from the above. OK, we got the Gaga reference but the rest left us rather bemused. I have asked my students to see if they know which song these refer too, but I still don't have the full set. How wonderful that these windows have engaged me enough to talk about them and do exactly what they were meant to do, i.e. keep Selfridges in our conscious. Yes. I fell for it, but then they are fun, fun, fun, so who could resist talking about them?