Alexander McQueen, London

If you are lucky enough to be in New York today, then you can do no better than to go and see this exhibition.  "The [McQueen] exhibition will run from May 4 to July 31 and takes a look back over two decades of McQueen's work, beginning with his graduate collection from Central St Martins College of Art, right through to his final collection which was shown in the weeks after his death". "The museum has also borrowed a significant number of outfits from Isabella Blow's personal collection, which were all bought by Daphne Guinness earlier this year, as well as highlights from McQueen's tenure at Givenchy". 

To see this collection is an opportunity of a life time.  We cant be there, so please be our eyes and ears.  (Oh, and a copy of the book would be nice too if you have the chance)

Mango, London

If we hadn't included the company name above this entry, would you have recognised this brand?  The answer is invariably No.  How exciting, eh?  Finally we can walk along the high street and while most of the mid-range brands look identikit and without the brand name above the store, we quite honestly wouldn't know where we were, Mango is at least one of the brands thriving on the differentiation.  How refreshing.  This scheme (or rather just one window) reminds us very much of two things - Jessie J's Price Tag video "its not about the money, money, money, we dont need your money, money money, we just wanna make the world dance........"  or alternatively the work of Hans Bellmar, Death, Desire and the Doll (although without the death).  Of course this scheme is rather more tame than the work of Bellmar whose installations speared right to the core, the forbidden areas of the human psyche.  Bellmar once said, 'I want to reveal scandalously the interior that will always remain hidden and sensed behind the successive layers or the human structure and its last unknowns'.  He also felt that religion was his great enemy and that the UK and the USA were too puritanical for his work although the root of the problem was that it was difficult to distinguish his work between erotic art and pornography.  Naturally the scheme here is neither of them however it is yet another link to Surrealism that we have seen on the high street, particularly in light of the recent scheme at Tiffany.  Having been a professing surrealist from the 1930's, a keen activist, living in poverty Bellmar also collaborated with such greats as Ernst and Cocteau and his work is now seen as intellectual art as much as eroticism.  Still, whether we make these links or whether they in fact exist (or not), it is at least fascinating to see such an incredible leap forward from this brand. Lets just see who follows, eh?...... In the meantime " Ain't about the (ha) Cha-Ching Cha-Ching. Aint about the (yeah) Ba-Bling Ba-Bling. Wanna make the world dance, Forget about the Price Tag".

Louis Vuitton, London

We love the creativity of Louis Vuitton at the moment and we are always ready to capture their latest installations as they always do everything not just so incredibly beautifully, but also with such wonderful humour.  Repetition of these waving Queens all in a line rightly take their place below their main scheme here at their Maison on Bond street.  I have a feeling that given the opportunity beyond their regular schemes and beyond the necessity to maintain the brand schedule, they would have produced something quite spectacular.  Still, we have the nod in reference to last Friday's event and it brought a smile to our faces and that's perfectly cool too.   

Benetton, London

We were rather surprised to see this scheme at Benetton this week.  Surprised, only because this is quite a departure from their normal-type schemes although actually quite refreshing to view.  Finally we have a scheme from this brand that is just a little more exciting, a bit of movement and a nudge forward.  We're not sure they are experienced enough at this stage to handle mannequins like this as they are rather placed independently of each other as if the figures have either won a Gold medal or taking part in a form of synchronised swimming.  Still, thankfully, it is a move forward, and while we wont be having a street party to celebrate it, it is a least something different to look at and finally we may actually visually have a mid-range brand that we can enter into and know which one we are in.

Royal Wedding, London 2011

Just in case you weren't able to be part of the photo call at Buckingham Palace yesterday, there are a few photo booths around town where you can be either William or Catherine.  Hmmmmm.....unconvincing cheap fun, but ah well who cares eh?

Royal Wedding Day, London

If you didnt receive your invitation to the big event of 2011 (like us) we can at least enjoy the spectacle from a distance - and this is possibly the best view too.  In the meantime we can of course enjoy the visual of the high street around town anyway for free.

Austin Reed

Butler and Wilson

John Lewis

Peter Jones



Asprey, London

We really loved the images here at Asprey (not Asprey and Garrard, as the PR and Marketing departments do tend to contact us to correct us).  However, a couple of years ago, just by chance we came across and met with Chelsea College of Art alumni Stephen Rosenthal.  The concept here is almost identikit to Rosenthal's work, albeit with different images, but the technique is the same.  Of course Rosenthal's work is far more sophisticated, in depth and hard hitting and includes amongst his work, images gathered over a period of time that "depict the subtext to the characters [that Roesnthal portrays] who have lived a repressed existence within the public glare - much as [he] suspect[s] many contemporary artists are living today in PR relationships which protect the idea of a projected male identity".

Of course, while the concept here does work very well,  it is not actually very original so we do feel a little wrong footed that this has been presented, ya' know, as if we wouldnt find out.  We say this as there is no reference in this concept to any original sources and thats just plain old unfair, right? Check out Stephen Rosenthal's interview from 2009 at http://www.google.co.uk/#sclient=psy&hl=en&source=hp&q=steve+rosenthal+artists&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&fp=2c0cf59fcf66c34e to see what we mean.

Juicy Couture, London

This is quite an odd scheme for this brand, don't you think?  From the rather-more-sophisticated schematic version of Topshop to one which one would liken to one of the luxury brands close by, we felt it was quite odd to carry references to Hartnell at this store.  Of course, there are the obvious references to the Royal Wedding, but from stacked suitcases to hammocks to Norman Hartnell is quite a leap.  Oh well, stranger things have happened..........or so we thought.  It seems that these guys are rather more clever than we had given them credit for.  Wasn't this the site (or at least close to) of the original boy-from-Streatham, Sir Norman Hartnell's original store?  We're not absolutely sure, although it was on Bruton street where his store was based.  Genius, and a wonderful reference to the designer who carried the Royal warrant for Queen Elizabeth (Queen Mother) and Queen Elizabeth II, 1957 and designer of Royal wedding stuff for decades.  Oh you clever Juicy lot...!  What a wonderfully clever Royal reference and one that took us a while to work out.  Brilliant and certainly the most thoughtful scheme we've seen so far.

Accessorize, London

"You can never have enough hats, gloves and shoes" according the character Patsy, played by the ever lovely Joanna Lumley in Absolutely Fabulous (1992).  At Accessorize, "you can never have enough stuff, stuff and stuff"  http://www.retailstorewindows.com/ (2011)  Of course, we're poking fun a little at the brand, who incidentally we actually rather like.  OK, well they stack everything to the rafters and do cram just about everything into their relatively tiny windows, however they do make an effort and this is commendable.  Naturally, just like any other mainstream brand, they are cashing in on the pending big event on Friday, and who can blame them?  Although if one stands back from this scheme a little it does have rather Pink overtones in between the Union Flag merchandise. 

Purely coincidentally, the activist Peter Tatchell, (we quickly read on-the-hoof in the press on our way to the office -  so please don't quote us on the accuracy of this), has personally delivered to Buckingham Palace, a rather large Pink Message to William and Kate, requesting that they come out (obviously not literally) in support of same sex marriages, in the light of their own high profile marriage.  We have to hand it to Peter Tatchell, that the guy works tirelessly for equality and of course has our full support.  While there is undoubtedly absolutely no connection between the scheme here and Peter's Pink Envelope, it does offer an opportunity to reflect on where we are at, and why people such as Tatchell are still having to fight for a cause that was already won?  Anyway, we're sure Friday will be a day fully Accessorize'd.

Hatchard, London

We don't normally include bookshops on this site, mainly because very little seems to happen within their windows other than the usual stack of books and a large format graphic.  At Hatchard however, the guys have gone the extra mile and included a scheme in conjunction with their publications which just about sums up the events of Friday this week.  Bunting-bonkers, Blue sky, deckchairs and views of St. Paul's Cathedral.  Ahem.....if you park you're deckchair outside St. Paul's, you'll possibly be the only one.  The event will take place at Westminster Abbey.  Still, we understand what these guys are trying to achieve, the scene has been set and at least the tourists seem to appreciate it.

Liberty, London

This is the first entry of a weeks' worth of Royal Wedding celebratory window schemes.  Strangely, not many stores have taken the plunge and included a scheme in their windows.  We say strangely, as it seems that the ones that have included schemes are getting the publicity.  The saddest words in retail are always "a missed opportunity", so retailers either get your schemes in or you're missing the boat.  Anyway, here at Liberty, with their ever clever tongue-in-cheek sense of humour have amused us yet again with an installation based around that iconic vehicle, the Mini and of course the Royal Wedding.  Surrounded with the Union flag in its various forms, perfectly saleable product, and stickers placed on the rear glass declaring 'Granny knows best', Wave your flags in the air like you just don't care' and 'My Big Fat Royal Wedding', couldn't help but raise a smile in us.  We love the plastic Queen on top of the wedding cake waving back complete with handbag, but in particular that this is not a waspish poking fun at the event - wonderfully intelligent and drawing together the strands of thought surrounding what we understand and tweaking it ever so cleverly.  We're dying to see what Barneys in New York will do however.  In the mean time great fun as usual guys.

L.K. Bennett, London

We're beginning to see more and more schemes around town right now in celebration of the pending Royal Wedding - finally.  It is almost as if everyone was waiting for someone else to take the lead on this and produce a benchmark scheme so that they knew where to pitch their next one.  Here at L.K.Bennet, the team have implemented a cut out cartoon-like scheme surrounding the product with scenes from around Buckingham Palace, including the Palace itself.  Great fun, clean and does what it does.

London V. New York

Versace: London and New York



NYC Images Courtesy and Copyright Ronald Knoth

 

In 1987, the film 84 Charing Cross Road, a British/American drama was produced based on a play by James Roose-Evans and letters sent between Helene Hanff and Frank Doel.  In 1949, Helene Hanff in New York while searching for British literature titles noticed an advertisement in the Sunday Review of Literature and contacted the shop Marks and Co. (84 Charing Cross Road, London) and the then manager Frank Doel who fulfills her requests, and so ensues their long distance friendship.  Their correspondence includes a variety of discussions and as their friendship evolves Hanff begins to send gifts and food parcels in order to help Doel during the food shortages of World War II.  Sadly, they never meet. 

Of course with the age of digital technology we're able to send messages at the touch of a button and because of this media it has enabled the wonderful opportunity to work with my incredible colleague Professor Ronald Knoth, at The Laboratory Institute of Technology in New York.  Professor Knoth and I regularly (several times a week) exchange messages from London to New York, and back again, much like Hanff and Doel, although in our case often sharing images of the best (and occasionally the worst) in Visual Merchandising from London and New York.  And thankfully, we have met.  Professor Knoth also writes regularly for his own blog site, http://www.bespokenfor.net/ in a way I can only aspire to be able to do. 

Here in London, as in New York, we can see the visual effects of the global economy. Personally, I am wholeheartedly in support of localised creativity,  never really understanding the need or want to go shopping in places that have the same presentation and same merchandise that one has spent several hours travelling to?  I have also often felt that part of the shopping experience is surely the enjoyment through the discovery of new 'stuff' that one cant see or buy at home? (steps off podium)

That said, the concept behind this project was to photograph a range of brands from luxury to value retailers at the same time on the same day in our respective cities and taking that moment in time to reflect on where we are or maybe where we want to be?  Are we as visually commercially homogenised as I believe?  Or are there clear visual differentiations between what is happening in London and in New York?  From the visuals here and the ones posted by Professor Knoth at http://www.bespokenfor.net/ you will of course be able to decide for yourself.  Part of the process of capturing this zeitgeist was to also see what was reflected back at us and therefore we have deliberately captured the views in the fenestration of London streets and New York skylines.

Ralph Lauren: London and New York 

One of the enviable elements of New York store windows from a London perspective are the amount of spaces they have to work within.  So many of the central London commercial spaces are historical buildings (even if only the facade is original) and protected by the UK Government and in much of the case the Crown Estate which limits what can be done with them.  While of course this is not a bad thing, as it is protecting heritage, it does present its own limitations.  In the home country of the brand Ralph Lauren their stores definitely have the upper hand.  Beautifully presented, simply the size of the spaces used here for presentation offers the opportunity to create whole aspirational environments within which to place the product.  Here at the London store, the images also reflect beyond the scheme views along Bond st.



NYC Images Courtesy and Copyright Ronald Knoth

 Fendi: London and New York

The London Fendi site is currently closed (although of course the merchandise is availalbe at places such as Harrods - before this appears on a google search and Fendi correct me).  With the pending Olympics in 2012,  London is being transformed beyond recognition with building work happening the type of which one would only see during times of plenty.  Building sites for cross-rail (a new rail link stretching from East to West through the shopping mecca), facade-ism, and buildings are changing from wealthy hands to wealthy hands.  Many luxury brand stores are swapping places around town right now also, with more on the cards this year for reasons to which I'm not privvy.  In the meantime, the New York store continues to offer, seemingly effortlessly, its merchandise placed as if the mannequins here are waiting for something that's just about to happen.  In London, the hoarding communicates the image of the same scheme in absentia.



NYC Images Courtesy and Copyright Ronald Knoth

 Banana Republic: London and New York

More tea Vicar? In the land of heritage and one that seems to make films albeit in limited amounts that nearly always seem to be staring Helena Bonham-Carter floating around in a period costume and perpetuating the myth that we all all live or lived like this - and of course we do.  Garden tea parties with Her Maj. the Queen naturally fill my diary too.  Banana Republics offering of topiary structures alluding to quintessentially English country gardens set against the exotica background jar rather in a country with one time zone and naturally growing flora (elsewhere) that one could only wish for.  For our American cousins the product has been placed with the use of hangers.     



NYC Images Courtesy and Copyright Ronald Knoth

 Zara: London and New York

Zara, of course is a brand rather closer to home.  OK, well it is a European brand (Spanish) and while we as British seem to consider ourselves as British with Europe attached, we are also equally aware that to everyone else we are all European (but don't say I said so).  With its apparent eccentrics and oddities, borne historically out of suppression, London particularly (within Europe) seems to breed and celebrate more the differentiation and the rawness of creativity while pushing these boundaries.  The New York scheme at Zara, definitely appears to have a kind of enviable Parisian sophistication particularly set against the London 'street' influenced scheme presented here along the Oxford St. branch of the store.   



NYC Images Courtesy and Copyright Ronald Knoth

 H and M: London and New York

Hennes and Mauritz appear to have exploded onto the global retail scene over the past few years.  With its Swedish origins and their collaborations with such heavy weights such as Stella McCartney and Lanvin and their subsequent designs for Ebay....oops.....designs for H and M, we have seen a mammoth growth from this company over the past few years.  Of course, like many of the stores in New York, the H and M stores are, compared to London, of gargantuan proportions, in fact temples of consumerism. London however simply has a lot more of them, kind of shrines in the temples by comparison, although only a matter of 100 metres or so from each other covering every possible customer flow on the high street - ya' know, just in case one of us tries to escape through the city gates without buying anything.



NYC Images Courtesy and Copyright Ronald Knoth



So are we really very visually different?  Well, there are some small differences across the brands that are pictured here although of course essentially they are the same or slightly different versions of the same thing, By the nature of branding, one would expect to see this.  We as British or American while speaking various versions of the same language we are culturally very different and this of course is what makes everything all so interesting and something we can celebrate.  We are not a brand ourselves as such and yet are expected to slot into a category dictated to by these global companies.  Is this right or should we be shouting for greater differentiation?   I would sway towards the latter myself and still believe in harnessing our local creativity rather than trying to fit into a mold dictated to us by a head office that may be a 1000 miles away from the final outcome - but that's just me.  We can see from brands such as Anthropologie and to a certain extent at Diesel that this does work but of course profits sadly rule.  What Hanff and Doel would have made of this one can only speculate and does it matter anyway?  In the meantime, I'm sure Professor Knoth and I will continue to share the best bits of our cities visuals regardless.  On a final note, the site of 84 Charing Cross Road is now a nightclub.