Links, London

Just behind Peter Jones on Sloane square is one of the branches of Links.  We rarely look at this brand for some reason although this scheme caught our eye along the high street and beckoned us to take a closer look. These guys seem to quietly work away unnoticed a lot of the time, but clearly chipping away within their own commercial market segment. Anyway, with their delicious jewel-like formula concept, Chemistry of Friendship (formula as in Chemistry-type formula rather than the scheme being formulaic) we really thought this is an interesting and creative way to show notoriously difficult product.  While they have quite large spaces in which to showcase accessories which of course can so easily be lost, Links have placed the scheme within these glass boxes which immediately hones the eye in on the detail while allowing the viewer views into and around the store from the high street.  Clever stuff, eh?

Puma, London

The scheme along Carnaby street at Puma wasn't quite complete when we captured these earlier this week, BUT....WTF, hey?

Peter Jones, London

We recently mentioned that our students from the London College of Fashion won the Gold prize at Olympia a few weeks ago.  Well, if you happen to be Sloane Square right now, you can view their installation in person.  OK, well it is tucked away in the back streets, but then all the fun things happen there anyway, right?  So, do meander your way along here as we also found some really great schemes in the stores behind their installation which we'll include over the next few days also.  In the meantime, the guys at Peter Jones have been incredibly supportive of the new and latest talent emerging into the Visual Merchandising industry and this communicates incredible confidence in their own brand that they are able to give some (and we don't under estimate this) incredibly expensive space in support of the new industry talent.  How cool are the guys leading this, hey?

Guess where? London

Guess where?.....GGGrrrrrrrrrr

On the Streets, London

Moschino, London

The simplicity of the scheme at Moschino right now is actually quite spectacular, that this space here at their Conduit st. store almost appears as an Art gallery.  There's not very much to say about this scheme apart from that its shoes on a map of Europe, however it does actually look incredibly striking, don't you think?

Kew Gardens, London

Unsalable (US), Unsaleable (UK)  Kew goes stateside?.....in the meantime, don't poke....you've been warned.  A gentle and welcoming approach to customer service we thought.  We couldn't find the bubble wrap so we've decided to poke and have a "pop" via here. 

Haul yourselves into the 21st century guys at Kew, these kind of signs are reminiscent of when Thatcher was Queen and not appropriate for a 21st century commercial market. 

Design Museum, London

On the rare occasion that the 'precious princesses' at the Design Museum allowed us to take photographs (like we didn't anyway) we came across one of the latest exhibits this week which included this coffin.  We presumed empty.  However, if Gucci, Versace or Louis Vuitton did funerals, do you think that their coffins would look something like this?  We want one.........although not for a very, very long time....preferably.

Alexander McQueen, London

Have you seen the new scheme at McQueen yet?  Well, here's a couple of snapshots for you to whet your appetite.  As always, the guys here always manage to produce such wonderfully simple yet effective schemes and still manage to communicate the luxuriousness of this brand.  We've always wondered how difficult it was to work with the illuminated glass floor in this store, but it seems these guys just seem to manage it all so effortlessly.  Of course,  to make these things look simple takes ever more skill and the surrounding dappled effect works so incredibly well with the stunning merchandise that this brand always produce.  For this entry we decided to capture the surrounding Architecture in the reflection of the fenestration as part of the scheme which helps to contextualise the location of this global brand.

Moschino, London

Hey guys at Moschino London.  Your're shoes have come unstuck.  You need Velcro on here not double sided sticky tape as it never holds in hot windows.

Urban Outfitters, London

We really quite like the latest scheme from Urban Outfitters in the old C&A store site.  Although it is a little chaotic looking at it when one analyses static images however it does actually work really rather well on the high street and certainly grabbed us long enough to stop and record these for you.  Oddly the actual Urban Outfitters illuminated signage looks a little dated next to the painted signage on the fenestration, don't you think?  On a side note, and just a little snippet of information which you may be of interest.  Just underneath these windows, running directly right across the road to Ms. Selfridge opposite is a huge underground tunnel.  Quite why its there we're not sure, although possibly it was linked to the underground bomb shelter that used to be in the basement of Topshop and it no doubt has been covered up by each of the stores. Although we do remember, during pre-Internet and digital camera days enormous locked iron doors with a tiny spy hole in them where we could shout to the staff in the stockroom at the then C&A store to break up the long hours working in a huge retail store.

Bershka, London

We really, really want to love what Bershka are doing at the moment, although the Spanglish is so hilarious that we just cant take it seriously.  Of course, this is not a new phenomenon and so often someone somewhere in an office far away....possibly in procurement, HR or marketing has had their say and 'chucked in' their pennies worth and while attempting to read the English design element has forgotten to the check the emphasis and grammatical accuracy.  Unfortunately this reminds us of early Japanese video games such as "Lets fighting Love". "Super karate Monkey Death Car" and "Good Times with Weapons". 

A further case for localising creativity V. mass schemes developed in places that many will never visit.  Ah well.  The Graphics look great at least.  'Where is Fashion?', you need us to tell you?

Max Mara, London

We've come to expect really good quality, although very simple schemes here at Max Mara, and this is no exception.  Placed in a repetition format the bust forms carrying their new AW11 collection which may seem a little odd given the current heat wave here in London, but then a number of department stores are already selling Christmas stuff (yeah...we know..!) to tap into the pre-Ramadan market so there is always method in what seems to be madness. Apparently, although some cultures don't celebrate Christmas, they do like to decorate their homes. Anyway, as ever this luxury brand are producing some really beautiful merchandise, sensitively handled and presented within a millimetre of its life.