Salvatore Ferragamo, London

Just what we needed after a 10 hour flight - to look at ourselves in the cold light of day even more warped than usual in these curved mirrored bases at Salvatore Ferragamo.  We do have to mention however how much better these mirrored finished look as opposed to the shiny wooden finish ones we saw recently at this brand.  Naturally the product is superb and the scheme is very well produced as one would expect, in the usual window dynamics.  However, as we feel like we've just been exhumed and flaky-skinned from the dry cabin air, seeing our reflections is not a good look right now.

Max Mara, London

We can hardly believe its been almost a month since we looked at London windows.  However, nothing revolutionary has happened in our absence of course.   Margaret Thatcher still thinks she's the Queen, everyone in the US still thinks that Sarah 'Fergie' Ferguson sings with the Black Eyed Peas and H an M have rolled out their Jessie 'J' Its not about the Money, Money, Money 2011 video referenced scheme.  Of course its freezing not having the luxury and the warmth of the Nevada Winter sun after we had warmed up like little lizards on a rock (and simultaneously air con'd), but ah well, we're glad to be back in Blighty.  Anyway, while popping down to Bond street with jet lag the size of a small European country and looking like the old craggy stewardesses who still think they are flying Pan-Am, we happened upon this very delicious scheme at Max Mara.  Wow, look at these colours, just superb.  Such a simple scheme, bust forms placed in a repetition format with a large format graphic.  Not revolutionary, but all beautifully done of course.  In the meantime someone please pass the Melatonin and a pint of something Duty Free (on the rocks)

Learning from Las Vegas, Parts 5 and 6

In our final entry on Las Vegas (and learning from it) we decided to go back to where it all began - Fremont st.  In now what appears visually as an in town /out of town shopping area reminiscent, albeit vaguely of a northern city shopping centre back in the UK or a Russian shopping mall, only with better weather and more lights. This area has a huge worn-out-curly-edged-dog-eared-tinge of faded glory about it, although it appears that someone somewhere has attempted to regenerate it with the addition of an enormous 'light-show' canopy over the main drag.  This is what Vegas always appeared to be from the outside looking in and from every kind of media we've ever seen, and we are fascinated to be part of  it.  Now sadly,  here, the vagrants hassle tourists for money by attempting to strike up a conversation at the loudest level possible.  We impolitely ignore them as our British accents appears to give them more opportunity to converse and they move on to the next passing flaneurs.  The proudly and literally named 'heart attack grill' delivers steaks the size of a cow (complete with parked ambulance and waitresses dressed as nurses) and deep fried Oreo's are on the surrounding menu's - nice.  This area seems to be a populated Farmagusta of the West, or an homage to the way things were only with a lot more lights attached. The flashing signs at the toe curling Glitter Gulch Gentleman's club, 4 Queens (with missing or broken lights) and the Golden Nugget beckoned us in - we easily manage to resist.  Our eyes smart at the strap line of Oscar's casino which announces that it has 'beef, booze and broads' (interesting how cultural dynamics change but some places are to vacuous to keep up) and the ill-fitting ruched lurid Pink and Green outfits of the 'door-whores' at Mermaids drive the final nail in the visual coffin and so its time to move on.

In Part 6, our final entry and further along the road less travelled we ventured into the surrounding streets in an attempt to scratch a little deeper into the skin of this place.  We found a lot of interesting graffiti which communicate political frustrations as well as the humour of the local population.  Some of the signs and signifier's beyond the sanitised resorts really are quite telling of how the main drag is perceived and how life really is beyond the gloss and glamour.  We have only touched on the fringes of this incredible place, and only been able to show you a tiny snapshot of what we are looking at and our emotional response to it.  These things of course are best experienced, but hopefully the small slides that we have given you at least offer a kind of 'Google Earth' view of Las Vegas. We would recommend that you visit here yourself and experience all it has to offer.  The pendulum between perceived ecstasy and sadness, despair and hopelessness seems to swing quite far out here but then it was always going to be in the Casino's favour, wasn't it?  In the meantime, we're London bound. 

Learning From Las Vegas, Parts 3 and 4

Having now spend hours and hours looking, identifying and recording what Venturi called 'International jet set style, Arte Moderne Hollywood Orgasmic, Organic behind, Niemeyer Moorish....Bauhaus Hawaiian' we are now beginning to get into the rhythm of this town.  As Venturi also wrote, 'people are looking for illusions: they don't want the world's realities', then here is certainly the place for it'.  We've ventured into every resort on the Las Vegas boulevard and recorded everything that grabbed our attention which also has a 'non-chip-on-the-shoulder' place here and we have also come to view how the environment is not enhanced through additional 'bits' but rather torn down and begun again.  This town is unapologetic, has a shameless consumerist attitude and really couldn't give a damn what anyone else thinks.  As long as the slot machines are 'ringing-an-a-blinging' and the poker tables are busy, then the smiles from the doorman will keep coming as will the drinks from the middle-aged women in their hostess uniforms of short creased Red 'satin' dresses being poured to the cigar smoking punters.  This is pure wonderful decadence and escapism.  We are in our element.....well, at least to a point.  While we could be carried away and drawn into this fantasy world, we manage to keep our perspective.  No dime or penny has been wasted on the slots and no chips bought,  in fact we probably are the anti-consumer as far as Vegas is concerned.  Sadly the rings, bells, flashing lights and fabulously glossy sports cars on turntables surrounded by the 'slots' just don't touch us, although we do love the spectacle of it all.  The symbols, the images, the sounds, the smells, the Elvis lookie-likies,  the pumping music - even outside -  its all quite intoxicating, but we can resist.

Learning From Las Vegas: Parts 1 and 2

In our final three entries on Las Vegas, we wanted to offer a kind of synopsis of our journey.  We don't take holidays as such and therefore we don't take holiday snaps, so our images are simply of what we see, what we wish to communicate to a wider audience and what our emotional response is to whatever we are viewing.  Naturally, the thoughts we share are ours and we like to leave our audience to make up their own minds about what they view too, after all we're not always 'right' (whatever that means) however, it is at least one voice reflecting on our Visual Merchandising industry and where we are now and where (we think) we need to be.  We approached Las Vegas in a similar way to that of the Architects Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown, albeit very humbly following in their giant footsteps. 

Venturi and Brown visited Las Vegas nearly 40 years ago which led to their incredible book, Learning from Las Vegas.  Of course it was unrealistic to attempt to do everything that these phenomenal people did on their journey and therefore we were only ever going to be able to skim the surface of what they produced, however we have looked at some of the iconography contained within this urban sprawl from a commercial and visual perspective and attempted to record the journey to sale and the experience on that journey.  Also, we wanted to see for ourselves how these incredibly huge resorts work so hard to capture their often big money spending customers and how they attempt to keep them there by offering everything that one could possibly desire under one roof.  Each resort vies for the attention of the potential customer at every possible level in a very different way, to ensure that we part with our hard earned cash. These strategies in particular fascinate us.  Part 1, records very much how Vegas should be seen - from the automobile, where we have recorded what Venturi so wonderfully called the Architecture of Persuasion, or perhaps more commonly known to us as Visual Merchandisers as (the miss-named) Point of Sale (we prefer The Journey to Sale).  In Part 2 we look at some of the resorts and what some of the key elements are that hook us and reel us so willingingly in by capturing our attention, teasing us, promising so much, but ultimately one realises that the thin veneer of gloss, is just that.

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Grand Canyon, Arizona

We decided to escape the constant blinging of the slot machines for a couple of days in search of some hidden Gems further afield.  It was quite bizarre to see the time on our telephones change, particularly as back in the UK we only have one time zone.  Anyway, we're just across the next time zone in Arizona right now looking at some of the trading posts and visitor villages.  OK, well we haven't found much in the form of Visual Merchandising, per se, although we have found some wooden structured buildings painted in the most delicious colours which we've captured for our records.  We did come across the local undertakers and some interesting examples of POS however.  Well, 'it does what it says on the tin' kind of scenario and brought an ironic smile to our faces at least.  While we weren't that surprised not to find the most cutting edge 'stuff', this really is a most stunning area to visit nonetheless. 

Itsugar, Las Vegas

If you happen to be in New York, New York, in Las Vegas (that's confusing..!)  then do go and have a look at the the jelly bean Statue of Liberty in the main entrance from MGM.  Thousands of these sugary little beans have been (we assume glued) to create this  huge replica.  We saw something similar in New York (the city not the hotel/resort) at Henri Bendel over Christmas.  But anyway, this is great fun and immediately tells you what the product is even if Miss. Liberty looks perhaps ever so slightly annoyed.

H and M, Las Vegas

If you do happen to go and watch the animatronics show at Caesars Palace, do go and check out H and M.  How cool is this store - we even had to make a video of it as we were so impressed with the video wall, the suspended mannequins and disco balls and the flashing lights on the back wall - all of these elements cant be appreciated through still images so we've included our video here too for you to view.

http://youtu.be/7-fWGHn8qiM  

The Chandelier, Las Vegas

If you happen to swing by the Cosmopolitan here in Vegas, then you must go and have a look at The Chandelier.  Essentially the Chandelier is a giant chandelier hanging over two floors around a bar and a seating area.  Hilarious fun? or trashy Vegas?  Well, we'll let you decide.  In the meantime we did make a short video of this as we were rather bemused and it certainly is a sight to see.  It is also quite a novelty although we did get over it quite quickly.  Anyway, do check out the video. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l6egczQLM4&list=UUsubIQJFMNM6ZVPlgxA4MaQ&index=3&feature=plcp

Beijing Noodle No.9, Las Vegas

Quite a relief for these little fellas we would imagine?  Wandering in and out of the slots and poker tables, teasingly named Rembrandt's riches, Pussy cat delights, Aces high......the list is almost endless, here at Caesars palace, there are a few wonderful little oases such as Beijing Noodle No. 9.  Two rows of these fish tanks teaming with Goldfish dominate the entrance to this space, however, of course, these spaces don't seem to offer very much rest bite from the bling-bling and all the whistles and bells of the gaming machines. although they are a rather great to at least view (oh and free..!).

Nanette Lepore, Las Vegas

Sitting amongst the mass of global brands all peddling the same schemes that we've seen either in London or in New York, it is always a pleasure to find brands that we don't know or don't have a global presence yet.  Here at Nanette Lepore, situated within The Forum (inside Caesars Palace resort) we were struck by these fabulous palm trees in neon colours.  The scheme is a little messy for our tastes, particularly with the Green and Pink wrapped gifts, although it is a break at least from the usual global schemes from the lux brands that appear to dominate the resorts here. 

 

Versace, Las Vegas

We loved the colour of the merchandise within the womens wear at Versace (Aria Center) next to the Gold of the plinths and backdrop.  Sadly, as always menswear is the usual choice of Black, Brown or Grey, however the lighting of this scheme with the merchandise made it almost impossible to miss.  We actually quite like this scheme, which is a slightly different offer from the other Versace stores that we've seen recently in Europe and New York.  What do you think?

Hermes, Las Vegas

This is the only store for this brand that we could find here in Vegas.  There may be more however?  But, anyway, we weren't entirely sure quite what this is?  It looked to us like an under-water-coral-and-jelly-fish theme?  What is refreshing to see is the lack of the brand colour being used here, and the brand do tend to use localised creativity rather than one company to do all of their stores, so this is quite an interesting direction.  With its small reveals containing the merchandise within this huge expanse of fenestration, these guys clearly know and understand how to use a mall window space.  Don't you think?