Desigual, London

The guys at Desigual are clearly having far too much fun.  Their windows (at least at their Regent St. store, and this window in particular) ice-screams attention in between the bland stores either side of it.  Scheme after scheme here recently we have seen the unleashing their true creativity,  breaking through like a beacon of hope in this part of town.  They are, we would hope, being supported by the purse string holders of this brand and just about everyone else who thinks they need to have a say - we know how difficult it is to do these things - and what an incredible outcome this is.  This is a fun brand who obviously know who their target market are and know how to maximise an opportunity.  Fantastic guys..!

Liberty, London

If you turn your gaze for just one moment or take your finger off the pulse, everything seems to change so incredibly fast.  The guys at Liberty seem to work like demons and scheme after fabulous scheme appears to pour effortlessly from this store.  The latest scheme, links to the Cult of Beauty Exhibition at the V&A, the Aesthetic Movement 1860 - 1900.  Having seen the images currently published on the V&A website, we have come to the conclusion, that while of course the museums exhibition is quite superb and the place itself is like none other in the world, the Liberty scheme and interpretation of their exhibitions is rather more enthralling.  We loved the previous links from here to the V&A - the Quilts exhibition and the Barbican's Surreal House, but to be momentarily candid (and we know you like that we are), the presentation here is rather more dynamic.   Of course we will have to turn a blind eye to the use of Silver birches (not seen here), but this is far more exciting than the exhibitions that these windows link to.  The Surreal House exhibition while of course hugely valuable historical information, it was as dull as dishwater.  The Quilts exhibition, was quite stunning in the execution of the pieces themselves, although we are always presented with the same old format or display case after display case and therefore the schemes at this store simply stole the limelight.  While retail spaces are constantly reinventing and pursuing the Sterling, Dollar, Euro, Yen and so on, it seems so many exhibitions have just tired and given up hope while still charging a pretty penny.  The answer we suspect is to employ Visual Merchandisers to make those spaces exciting again.  Right?

Hugo Boss, London

Hugo Boss appear to be following an all-things-under-water theme at the moment.  From their recent cut out corals (above) to the current water printed graphic (below) it looks like its going to be a long road ahead exploring all the visuals of the depths of the Oceans.  Starfish,  seaweed, tropical fish, fish close up, fish from a distance, more views of water, images of shells from all sorts of angles, messages in bottles, formations in sand, ship wrecks,  rock pools and just rocks (that they got) ....the list and combinations are virtually endless.  Once retailers hook onto these themes its very difficult to move away from them.  Of course, what we would like to see are the less than idealistic imagery which would make for far more interesting viewing.  Dead towels with mussels growing on them, a carcass of some strange animal that pushed its luck,  plastic forks, dried up rinds of exotic fruits, and anything that fell from a ship miles out to sea, empty beer bottles and rusty drink cans, third degree burns from sleeping in the sun, lost souls, old men with metal detectors, screaming kids, fat bodies squeezed into tiny swimming costumes, hairy guys in tiny bright green speedos, people so tanned they look like old saddles and gift shops that sell junk you never knew you wanted.  Now, that's a list which would make for far more interesting viewing. Don't you think?

Pull and Bear, London

Brands such as Pull and Bear are producing some really fun schemes at the moment.  For such a large (ish) multiple, it is always refreshing to view schemes which clearly have taken some time to think through, produce and install.  We don't shop here, but we can at least enjoy the spectacle and the flippers and swimming goggles in this repetition format scream Summer holidays to us.  Once they sort out their merchandise (beyond basics) we may cross the threshold and take a closer look, however in the meantime, it is at least a joy to see these kind of multiples produce creative schemes and that must always be supported.

Kurt Geiger, London

We have to admit that Kurt Geiger are getting it all so right, right now.  We haven't always said nice things about this brands presentation, and while of course it was clear that they were getting it all so wrong, they seem to have turned it all around and are now producing some really fun schemes.  Shoes are very difficult to present well, and either they are stacked to the rafters (as in some of the multiple chains) or one individual pair are showcased (as in some of the luxury brands).  Kurt Geiger, possibly falls in between the two and while we have always felt that they were a little bit damaged in the same way as brands such as Pierre Cardin, they really are blossoming again into a tour de force on the high street.  Their fabulous Neon signage and showcase windows within which their incredible product has been suspended are both fun and draw the customers into their spaces.  We're dying to see what they will do next.   

Tezenis, London

For some bizarre reason we have never included this brand on our site.  It may be that they never really do anything visually, which is really quite strange as they tend to be in such high profile sites?  But anyway, Tezenis, at the Oxford Circus site have installed this hugely fun scheme proving that one doesn't need a large format graphic behind the product in order to 'set the context' or merely include it to fill a space.  Here the guys have used postcards in a repetition format from locations around the globe.  We love the car and suitcase props, although perhaps the mannequins would have been better in a lighter finish and placed a little closer to the props?

Banana Republic, London

The Regent st. windows project, but this time at Banana Republic.

Fortnum and Mason, London

The Bizarre Bazaar scheme currently at Fortnum and Mason is the ultimate feast for the eyes.  We love what these guys do as the theatre of their schemes is so wonderfully clever, absolute entertainment yet with a clear commercial message.  Of course, the quality of the product is an absolute given and one of the indicators that these guys manage to draw in the customers, one can assess by the amount of tourists lined up having their photographs taken against this iconic store and these windows.  They love it.  The sheer hard work of the team here is evident by the level of detail.  One can spend hours looking at these installations and yet always find something new, hidden, revealed and entertaining.  What more could we ask for, eh?

Harvey Nichols, London

If you are unable to visit New York before July to see the Alexander McQueen exhibition, Savage Beauty, then you can at least have a look at Harvey Nichols right now to get a little taster of what you are missing. In an exhibition-like space these incredible pieces are presented beautifully within the windows of the store here in Knightsbridge. These guys really do know how to handle high fashion merchandise which just makes us want to climb inside these windows and walk around the space.

Peter Jones, London

If you happen to be outside Peter Jones along the top end of the iconic Kings Road, do have a look at this installation. What's so unusual about it we hear you ask? Well, this window has been installed by one of our youngest and brightest Visual Merchandisers in the country. Kirsty Hoadley, at just 19 years old has installed this wonderful scheme in conjunction with Peter Jones and www.worldskills.org Kirsty is our UK competitor at World skills 2011, a global event at Excel here in London in October competing against Visual Merchandisers around the world for the Gold Medal. The scheme itself uses this beautiful wedding dress designed and made by the incredibly talented Julie Dutton, has been produced from Bamboo and highlights the ever necessary links between Fashion and the need for sustainability. The dress will eventually break down into compost, returning it back to the planet. A superb installation by Kirsty, one of our rising Visual Merchandising stars.

Chaumet, London

We rarely cover brands such as Chaumet as they don't tend to produce very much visually. In fact its over a year since we included them on this site, and only because their Dubai store shone like a beacon in the Mall of Dubai. Anyway, this incredible organic structure composed of what looks like moths / wasps or hornets is quite beautifully produced. Unfortunately it was late at night when we recorded this so as there have been a few smash and grabs along Bond st. where this is situated it was clearly wise not to leave precious jewellery within easy reach of whatever criminals use to smash these kind of stores. But anyway, a refreshing view none-the-less.

Diesel, London

We do enjoy what the guys at Diesel are doing at the moment (OK, well we'll have to overlook the Silver Birch trees for now) but they are producing some really very interesting schemes and of course we are clapping furiously. Bandaged trees, dipped logs in wonderful tones....the merchandise looks great and this store in particular always looks very sharp (but did we mention the omnipresent Silver Birches?) Cu'mon guys ditch the Silver birches?

Jigsaw, London

With the Chelsea Flower show looming, parts of the Kings Road are looking blooming great. We're not huge fans of large format graphics unless they are used in a creative way or used to really change the space. Its very difficult to do very much in London with the outsides of commercial spaces, so this is one from Jigsaw with its out sized floral embedded lettering is a welcome relief from the Roman/Elizabethan/Georgian/Victorian theme park we find ourselves in.