John Lewis, London

Possibly the most talked about (and certainly written about) is the Christmas scheme at John Lewis right now.  If you thought this brand were stuck in a time long forgotten then you couldn't be more wrong.  These incredible creatures produced from everyday objects was produced in collaboration with the ever creative team at Chameleon and Billie Achilleos is quite a corker and how refreshing to see such innovation and a whole lot of fun on the high street again.  There is a VM God afterall. 

VM and Display Awards, 2013

If you happened to be at the VM and Display Awards on Friday then we're sure you had a fantastic time...!  This year was introduced by the fashion Designer Wayne Hemingway, co-founder of the fantastic Red or Dead and currently HemingwayDesign.   A huge congratulations to all the winners which included Urban Outfitters, Harvey Nichols, Bloomingdales, Ferrari, Topshop, House of Fraser, Topman, Hackett, Bentalls, Harrods, French Connection, Selfridges, Jaeger, Nike and Miss. Selfridge.

Ermenegildo Zegna, London

Images Courtesy and Copyright Elemental Design

If you happen to be anywhere near Harrods here in London any time soon then do go and have a look at the new Ermenegildo Zegna installation which celebrates the 50th anniversary of their Extra fine Wool trophy.  The installation tells the story of the process from raw material to completion leading the customer on a journey through the space.  The mannequins above are stood on this incredible bespoke glass and brass staircase complete with stunning large manufacturing cogs of varying sizes which communicate the process and are used to show some of their accessories.

Tods, London

Nothing amazingly revolutionary or entertaining but just a good old fashioned 'nice' scheme.  Large format graphics and product on tables in a step / pyramidal format.  It isn't going to rock the world or even raise a tiny smile; it just is.

Etro, London

Well, looks like the Etro scheme has kicked in full force.  With references to the pending 'big' season, Etro is leading the way with Green wreaths and, well, other bits that we cant quite make out.  Anyway, the screens here really are quite magnificent and probably cost a  pretty penny to install so goodness knows they will be squeezing their monies worth out of this little gem.  What we did particularly enjoy viewing is how they have customised their bust forms for this scheme.  Finally some experimentation.

Fortnum and Mason, London

We have been dying to see what this store would do next and as usual they never disappoint us.  As we always say, if there is one brand than can handle this type product then this is the one.  Our photographs don't really do this scheme justice so if you happen to be passing by along Piccadilly at night time then do go and check them out as the lighting here is so superb and the products glisten and sparkle beautifully that the whole installation can only be truly appreciated through experiencing it.

Liberty, London

If you saw this window at Liberty when it was covered in a vinyl with its tiny reveals then, taadaahh.....here's whats behind it and the new sneaker boots are here (incidentally when did we all become American?  No offence to our readers in the US but we are British and European and we call them trainers and no big brand will tell us otherwise).  A combination of Nike and Liberty, yes it is.  We don't like the product.  The presentation is however superb, fun and exactly what we would expect from Liberty.

Cos, London

We were a little bemused initially when we saw the latest offering from this brand.  However, with just a minor bit of perseverance (really very minor if you are sat at home on your computer) we did find that this was a rather exciting collaboration.  If you follow this link, all will be revealed..http://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/cos-x-patternity  Very interesting indeed.

Daks, London

We have seen the use of these spools recently across a variety of brands at the moment from luxury all the way down to the mid-range brands so clearly they are on trend right now (although they also were around two years ago but we know you wont tell anyone)  Still, this installation at Daks is quite a corker, don't you think?  We're not huge fans of some of their installations although this one is very interesting and particularly love the references to the hand made which highlights the superb quality of the product.

Topman, London

If you ever needed an example of Visual Man-dising then here it is.  We've always felt that Topman is quite a difficult brand to make 'interesting' although these guys always seem to manage very well.  OK, well its lots of 'males' looking up at a mirror image of themselves so we could read all sorts of stuff into it but we have a feeling that it simply is what it is.  Anyway, it does actually look rather dramatic none-the-less.

Warehouse, London

Wow, Warehouse have a personality after all?  For such a long time this brand appeared to sink deeper and deeper into the retail no mans land (wherever that is) ever since their break up from Arcadia.  However, bit by bit they seem to be clawing their way back up onto our radar and doing some innovative stuff.  We cant remember what the signage on the fenestration said, so we're not sure if Wool week is approaching?  Anyway, little lambs in a repetition format.  Abstract, for sure.  Attention grabbing, definitely.

Desigual, London

From just this one little window along Regent street, Desigual really does scream out their presence.  We always look forward to what they will install and this week we have these beautifully coloured forms creating a theatrical set layout.  Will you do something with your other window at this store though?

H&M, London

What fantastic fun is this scheme at H&M?  These guys are thankfully not shy in injecting some fun onto the high street and this little gem is no exception.  Giant knitting needles, a giant tape measure and giant knitting.  We've see a few references to knitting recently, in fact we seem to remember reading (but do correct us otherwise) that John Lewis has had or have a section within their store dedicated to encourage men to get knitting.  It really is a pleasure to see that the 'old' craft skills are being encouraged again and the notion of the handmade and therefore some level of sustainability, whether directly or indirectly is supported by the high street.