Anna Glasbrook, Architectural Textile Designer

Images Courtesy and Copyright Anna Glasbrook.

I do love to find new people to show you all and just by chance while rushing around the shows recently I happened upon Anna Glasbrook's incredible work.  With so much resin being showcased recently I was immediately drawn to Glasbrook's work as the perfect alternative - in fact I actually screeched to a halt.  As my mind races at 100 miles per hour on a daily basis, I couldn't help but think how her work could be used within either a domestic or commercial environment.  "Anna Glasbrook creates striking contemporary textile pieces for domestic, corporate and public spaces".  "Using the effects of layering, transparency and the travelling line, she creates textiles that vibrate with vivid colour and movement enticing viewers to stop and look closer." (which I did)  "Anna's photographs of the rural and urban landscape are the fundamental starting point of her design process, and a technique for exploring proportion of colour and line". "The contours, textures and colours from the images are translated with free and fluid mark-making, into individual works". "The innovative use of three-dimensional stitch creates a changing perspective as the work is viewed from different angles". 

If you don't know Anna Glasbrook's work then you must check out her site at www.annaglasbrook.com   and see what she can do for you.  With the current installations at Levis along Regent St. here in London, Nicole Farhi leading the way throughout 2010 with their use of Artists Esther Coombs and Benedetta Mori-Ubaldini producing the most magical installations, Topshop with Japanese artist Houxo Que then how can you not?  Working with these amazing people not only supports independent Artists and Designers, but it also creates a fantastically exciting and innovative environment for your customers too - and this is what we want.  And lets face it, if you're not going to do it, your competitors will.  If I were you I would have this woman on speed dial.   In the meantime Anna can be contacted at anna@glasbrook.com

Oasis, London

I'm not quite sure how I feel about this brand any more.  They have gone through a few transformations, albeit quite minor, although, for me at least, they seem to have lost their direction a little?  The concepts behind the schemes are interesting, although perhaps the budgets are so low right now that, in the case of this brand, every expense has been spared?  With the repetition of these out sized magnifying glasses, the likes of which were seen at Tiffany (only actual size) earlier this year and I have seen a few cropping up in several other schemes throughout 2010 including Fortnum and Mason.  It seemed to be a trend that didn't really go any where, unlike the use of Chandeliers of course, from just about every high street brand throughout 2009.  The mannequins with their Matt White finish work well and of course they have been placed in the usual pyramidal format / dynamic, but for me the scheme lacks the energy we have previously seen from this brand?  Perhaps it is the lack of humour that's missing?  I can see the humour and fun is screaming to get out but with magnifying glasses that barely magnify anything, a great opportunity to play with them, magnifying all sorts of cheeky 'bits' just didn't happen? 

Browns, London

We have recently seen the growing trend of the use of clocks in store windows recently, both at Fred Perry and at Browns along Sloane St. here in London.  This is actually a very simple scheme using clocks and alarm bells in a repetition format on a Grey backdrop or technically speaking as repetition of radiating forms, These kind of schemes prove, I suppose, that even small independent retailers can look to these kind of stores in order to be inspired to produce quite effective schemes with minimal financial output.  The semi-abstract figures used here have been sprayed with a Gold finish.  The clocks, naturally represent time and the "continuum in which events occur in succession....used to sequence events to quantify the durations of the events and the intervals between them".  With this in mind, perhaps this scheme rather lacks any sense of depth or meaning which, from a 'Designer' brand position was maybe a missed opportunity?  As it is, we have repetition of these man made forms, although wouldn't it have been rather more interesting if this concept had unravelled some thought, theory, ideology and communicated this through this concept in order to produce a scheme with a deeper level of meaning and which brands such as these can afford the luxury of doing?  As it is, its just clocks and alarm bells repeated, so hardly revolutionary, although it is of course, actually quite effective and works very well anyway.

Zara, London

If you don't have access to the cash to purchase the likes of Armani, Kerin Rose, Formichetti or Haus of Gaga, then why not make your own?  If you happened to pass Zara on the corner of Bond st. recently you would have seen this incredibly fun scheme from the creative team there.  Steampunk inspired glasses (incidentally these can be bought at the Goth shop online) with the ever versatile Jammy Dodgers, biscuit necklaces, mounds of popcorn, old coach seats and inverted comma styled mannequin wigs help to create this wonderful scene.  The team here are clearly gaga over Gaga in their presentation that one hardly notices the merchandise which itself has been deftly styled to look even better than it is - job well done then.  If only Zara were like this the world over what a wonderfully visually fun place the world would be. 

New Collection, Jersey Girl at Panache

I found myself drooling again the other day.  While viewing the new collection at Panache Display which is so wonderfully fresh, exciting, elegant and quite frankly incredibly sexy, I just couldn't help myself.  The new abstract / stylised figures just launched form Jersey Girl from this prolific company have been presented in this pure White Matt finish.  With a variety 4 forms offering an incredible 16 poses to choose from, any fashion retailer out there must go and take a look.  From high fashion to high street, these female figures with their beautifully elongated figures (a delicious size 8), swan-like necks and molded hands are absolutely stunning and are a must for any one who wants to be ahead in this commercial industry.  The beautiful bust forms have been presented in gorgeous fabrics, although with any part of this collection the client can have whatever they choose and even have exquisitely made articulated arms too, to enable you to create that wonderful sense of movement within your presentation.  As per usual, the only limitation is our own imagination.  I was also struck by the leg forms for shoes and hosiery.  I have seen these in some of the cooler retailers and I promise you, if you own a shoe/hosiery, brand/department somewhere out there, then these little guys are well within your price range.  Excellent value, an excellent collection, how can you ever present your product with anything else?  With the new trends already announced for 2012, you will already know your finishes, your textures and so on.  So get in contact with these guys (and they are so incredibly nice too) and get shopping for your new collection.  Don't forget to watch this space for the pending launch of Jersey Boy launching soon in 2011.  In the meantime get those orders in for this must have collection by contacting  jo@panachedisplay.co.uk     

Window Display: New Visual Merchandising

If you haven't seen the new book from Tony Morgan launched recently, then you must go and get yourself a copy.  This latest publication is full of the most beautiful concepts by contemporary Visual Merchandisers work from around the globe including London, Paris, Belgium, Hong Kong and New York.  This is a real gem of exquisitely photographed windows presented under the key areas of Seasons, Lighting and Technology, Theatre, Trends and so on.  Taking us on a personal journey through the context of how these come in to being from his years of experience, Tony Morgan also offers us an explanation in each of the chapters in order for us to begin to understand what we as the viewers are actually viewing and why certain Visual Merchandising elements are produced the way that they are.  "Stores must deliver their merchandise in a competitive imaginative and distinctive way".  "The challenge is not only to attract customers' attention and encourage them to shop, but to promote a store's brand and keep shoppers informed of fashion trends". "An exhibition of the most exciting and original window displays worldwide, Window Display offers guidance to visual merchandisers and retailers who need to create eye-catching window designs that will help increase sales."

At just £22.50 this is a must have book for your collection.

Karolina Kling Pop-up book Installation

Wow, if you didn't see this pop-up by Kling by Kling, you missed an incredible treat.  I have only just found Karolina Kling's work and I am in awe - this is one of the reasons I stay here in London.  This interactive installation in East London, a pop-up book that you can turn the pages of from a digital pad on the outside of this window is both extraordinary and a real crowd puller - I had wait an hour to get these shots.  "KLING by KLING is a label created by London based Swede Karolina Kling. Since establishing the brand in 2006 the label has acclaimed international attention for its distinct prints and playful designs and has been described as Viktor & Rolf on acid. For the last two years she has reached a growing audience with her fourth collection, distributing worldwide".  If you do nothing else this week check out her site, its dark, its fascinating and I feel sure that you too will be gripped.

Nike, London

I rarely look at Nike here in London.  Its not that these guys don't do anything interesting although I just think its one of those stores that I seem to inadvertently pass by on my way to somewhere else.  However, although this scheme is nearly on its way out, I did think that it was worth recording and showing to you as the use of these light boxes and the narrative it contains was quite worthy.  Anyway, these guys are up for an award next week within the Visual Merchandising industry here in the UK.  As most of the big glamorous retailers nearly always get the awards (and in so many cases justifiably so), I also feel that it was about time that the unknown guys (at least to me) here at Nike got some recognition and encouragement too.  The team here got one of my votes, so fingers crossed and good luck guys.

Amouage, London

In celebration of the launch of  Memoir of the Black Swan, the guys at KSHT have been working in conjunction with Amouage to launch this latest fragrance with their current installation.  This store absolutely oozes with sophistication and  at £150 for a 50ml bottle of this gorgeous stuff, it is a little pricey for me, but then it does smell like its worth every penny.  Actually, also, if you check out Amouage's site they do produce wonderfully sophisticated videos to communicate the essence of their product too.  This is a particularly interesting trend that I mentioned earlier this week with the current Diesel store along Bond st.  Anyway, visually, piles of papers, neatly bound with Red ribbon essentially form the plinths on which the product has been placed with seemingly perfectly random but strategically placed Black feathers scattered throughout.  A Black old fashioned typewriter forms a focal point within the scheme from which reams of paper flow.  The night I photographed this, it was raining and cold so most of my images are blurred because I was shivering, however the fragrance here can be appreciated even from outside of the store which was actually quite an uplifting experience in that kind of weather.  However,  if you happen to be in Knightsbridge soon, do go and check out this site as the promotional scheme is very beautifully produced.  Also, dont forget to check out KSHT at www.ksht.co.uk and see what else these guys have been doing.

Decorex, London 2010

If you didn't manage to get yourself to Decorex this year held in the incredibly stunning grounds of the Chelsea Hospital then you missed a real treat, however here are a few snippets from the exhibition for you.  There were a wide variety of exhibitors showing the latest trends in Interiors from Copper roll top baths, pebble fountains, an embroidered Gazelle (a mixture of textiles and taxidermy), machine embroidered wallpaper, and furniture to die for.  Some great inspiration for those commercial environments coming through including this enormous Elephant placed in the centre of the exhibition from reclaimed wood and these beautifully produced Mad Hatter's hats.

H&M, London

H&M re-launched in the UK, something like 15 years ago.  Prior to this they seemed quite a sleepy brand known more locally as Hennes and Mauritz and the store in Brighton seemed to be the only store in the UK (well the only one I could find) that sold menswear.  Anyway, once they had relaunched they spread like wild fire, and globally too.  With their initial enthusiasm some of the central stores were changing their schemes virtually daily, until, I guess there were just too many stores to keep up with.  Of course with so many to manage, out rolled the generic schemes of which we have seen a considerable amount of recently.  The site along Regent st. here in London has installed its latest scheme which must be the best I have seen from this brand in a long time.  Wooden model aeroplanes have been suspended in mid flight throughout this space and at various heights.  This is such an incredibly simple scheme which works so well, at least for me. It made me stop and look and record this for you and as a subsequence so did many other viewers.  There are a few bits here that do need tweaking however although I do feel that this was a job well done and a refreshing new direction.  Thanks guys. 

Hermes, London

Thankfully there are alternative Autumnal schemes out there in commercial world that are not relying solely on Brown crispy leaves positioned with invisible thread and floating as if falling, printed leaf motifs stuck to the fenestration in vinyl or covering the bases of window schemes right now.

While laying in my floatation tank the other day (yeh, ok, I was actually sat on the sofa but it sounds so much more glamorous), I had been thinking about this scheme at Hermes on Bond St. here in London and wondering what it was that had drawn me in to record it.  I suddenly realised that it wasn't so much that I like these fantasy model houses (although of course I do), but  I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was that I was trying to think, if you know what I mean?  Well, having  finally and impatiently allowed the thoughts to germinate, an odd thought came into my mind.

Now according to UK Government figures "more people than ever before are dreaming of owning their own home one day". "It is as much a national obsession as football, pets and complaining about the weather", [however] "for millions, the ideal of buying, owning and making a hefty profit from one's own home has gone from a dream to an expectation, and fuelled an insatiable demand for TV property programmes".  

Now if we tie these thoughts together (as you can imagine my mind was racing at this point) it suddenly struck me again that Hermes looked like a very creative and avant-garde estate agents? I know they wont thank me for saying that and I certainly don't mean it in a derogatory sense, but it just sparked a thought process.  Now  as estate agents per se tend to use the same old format of drab room image where the seller couldn't be bothered to tidy up or it was last decorated in Georgian times - George an' Mildred times that is -  to the other end of the scale of show-pony-esque penthouse suite and everything else in between, all with the obligatory plan of space and description, wouldn't it be simultaneously interesting and horrifying,  that if to buy or sell our homes a model had to made to be placed in the windows of an estate agent so that the buyer would get a really good idea of the space immediately?  No?  OK, well lets take this a little further, and this is the horrifying bit,  what if WE had to make the model ourselves of the home that we were selling as part of the process?  I'm laughing to myself as the images are springing to my mind.  OK, well the Uber wealthy would probably cheat and have someone make a model of their fabulous homes from balsa wood, perspex and so on - that's a given, but what about the other end of the scale? (I think you may be ahead of me at this point)  I'm obviously guessing, although I have a feeling there would be a lot of cigarette packet style furniture, toilet roll chimneys, washing liquid bottles shaped chairs, Primark shoe boxes and sellotape going on.  Oh the spectacle of it all.  Of course there would be a lot of spaces completely out of scale, cornflake boxes with square shapes cut of of them for windows representing that apartment in a tower block somewhere, single heterosexual males' bachelor pads with giant beds, a deckchair in the living room made of pipe cleaners with a matchbox shaped plasma screen stuck to the side, maybe a plant - to show his sensitive side - although pruned to a twig to make everything look just that little bit bigger,  no kitchen, oh the list goes on.

Hermes Bond St. London

Snapping back to reality, thankfully we don't, and it was just one of those random thoughts that came into my mind which amused me momentarily while I clearly was having a party for one.  Although there is a concept there somewhere and after all, Estate agents are retailers too. I'm not aware that their format has ever really changed and so many clearly need our help with their Interiors and Visual Merchandising. Don't they?
Anyway, I do like what this brand produces generally and I really quite like these little tree houses which fill these windows inside which, the product has been placed.  There seems to be a trend to include mushrooms in schemes right now which can also be seen at Fortnum and Mason and Hobbs too.  Although within this scheme they have been made from the Hermes brand scarves.  I particularly love the humour which is really missing from schemes generally here in London, with Hermes' use of their merchandise plaited Rapunzel out-sized-style and dangling from this little construction - great fun.
As a final thought, perhaps once this scheme is no longer needed (probably around end of next month), and in the name of philanthropy, maybe Hermes will be able to donate these to the UK Governments housing option scheme for key workers?  I believe they are of comparable size?



Warehouse / Topman, London

Is there a cure for pathological visual deja vu?  Apparently sufferers of this condition are convinced that they have seen this stuff before - strange that hey?  If you happen to be around Oxford Circus here in London this week, then please do be careful, its not for the faint hearted, those suffering from respiratory conditions or children under twelve. 

If you have seen the Korean horror film 'In to the Mirror', you'll know what I mean.  If you haven't seen the film then do, but what I am referring too is how some of the high street brands are eerily mirroring each other - scary stuff, non?  OK, you're not likely to have your jaw ripped apart by your own reflection in these windows,  and if you walk away from the fenestration your reflection will not be left behind.  And no, you wont suffer  all of that other shockingly spine chilling 'redruM' scrawled on a mirror, screams of "don't be scared mommy", or children with White hair eerily singing nursery rhymes surrounded with atmospheric dry ice, kinda stuff.  However, you may well see the below, (please tick/delete as appropriate)

(a) Topman across the street reflecting the male version..ish of this window

(b) the reflection of the back of your head in your own reflection

or

ʍopuıʍ sıɥʇ ɟo ɥsı˙˙uoısɹǝʌ ǝlɐɯ ǝɥʇ ƃuıʇɔǝlɟǝɹ ʇǝǝɹʇs ǝɥʇ ssoɹɔɐ uɐɯdoʇ (ɔ)

Of course it is difficult to say which of these two brands produced their schemes first, however, just have a guess and tick/delete as appropriate:

(a) Topman

(b) Warehouse

(c) Neither Topman or Warehouse

If you ticked either (a) or (b) of course you would be wrong, but how easy was that?  If you ever saw Armani Xchange's scheme in New York 2006 (image below),  then that's right, you guessed it.....taadaaa, same concept, different city (minus glitter ball) and completely unrelated brands  - chronic visual deja vu, hey?  As with other chronic visual deja vu sufferers please allow me to offer you some reassurance that you are not alone.  For now, I'll leave you with your reflections (if they're still there of course).
Incidentally, having had a cursory glance through Google, there is actually a cure for those of us suffering from pathological visual deja vu.  Unfortunately it does rely on the 'multiple' brands being creative and communicating some form of differentiation (at the very least).  You really couldn't make this stuff up, could you?
In the mean time, let me out of this psychomanteum, I'm trying to get my 'jamais vu' to kick in again.....again......again