Banana Republic, London

We're finally back in town after a few weeks scouring and researching around Berlin, and yes its that dreaded time of year again; Valentines.  Grrrr.  Thankfully, most retailers have chosen to ignore it, hurrah, so we only have a few select schemes to show you this week.  OK, well there are the obligatory Hearts everywhere although we must say there are a few interesting interpretations of it which of course makes things a little more interesting.  Anyway, here ya go.  Banana have post it notes on their window on a White shaped heart with the strap line 'Things we love....'

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Aizone, MIddle East

Images Courtesy and Copyright Arte Vetrina Project

We always have difficulty with finding really good Sale windows on our travels but here at Aizone, across the Middle East, those clever guys at Sagmeister and Walsh in conjunction with http://www.artevetrinaproject.it/IT/index.xhtml have woven their magic and created this phenomenal installation. Sharp angled layered paper in a repetition format highlights the crispness and detailed production of the incredible merchandise here.

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Esprit, Berlin

In our final Berlin entry we've decided to include Esprit.  OK, well this isnt the most innovative scheme in the world and it probably has gone the world over although it ticks the necessary Visual Merchandising boxes with its mannequin groupings and backdrop with vertical and horizontal lines.  We just wish that some localised creativity could be employed to add some interest and entice us into the space.  Sadly we always just pass by to the next store, never going inside.

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MCM, Berlin

We've never seen such a big MCM store and although we aren't huge fans of this German brand ourselves the props here do actually look fun and we were drawn in to take a closer look, so job achieved we guess.  There is a certain vulgarity which luxe brands always seem to ooze and this is no exception although of course the product is superb quality but we just aren't fans of bling.

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Adidas Pop Up, Berlin

Pop-up stores in unusual places always rather intrigue us and particularly when we see a brand such as this.  OK, well, the phenomenon began with Comme Des Garcons quite some time ago now with their pop up in Warsaw and we believe Berlin too so it was only really a matter of time before the mainstream brands latched onto the concept and did their own.  So here we have it.  Adidas in a graffiti covered building.

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3D Your Body, Berlin

Ever fancied a mini you to display on your mantle piece or somewhere else prominent?  Well now you can at the Pop up store 3D Your Body.  The guys here will capture the real you and a few days later, once you have selected the required size of yourself, a little figure in Germany's finest Gypsum and full colour can be yours.  At a cost naturally.  We did have a scan around this space and chatted to the team in order to glean a little more information and it appears that it is particularly popular with body builders, well men really.  Of course it would be wouldn't it and we expect that they go for the largest figure standing at 34 inches high at a cost of 900 Euro too.

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Thoas Linder, Berlin

Another boutique on your list of must visit places needs to be Thoas Linder; Fashion and Sculpture.  When we visited, a video of Charlie Chaplin giving his famous speech in the Great Dictator was playing on a loop full blast creating a rather uneasy environment in which to shop this space but equally very interesting.  We were rather more intrigued by the rant of the video than the merchandise so it proved to be quite a distraction.  Nonetheless this is a very visual environment and worth a swing by to experience.

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Moonlight, Berlin

We passed by this store late at night and were drawn in by these amazing illuminated globes.  The globes themselves are actually the product although a great environment at night time to sell other stuff.  Perhaps not so interesting during the daylight hours however?  

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Trippen, Berlin

These aren't the most interesting windows in Berlin but the product is stunning and in conjunction with their concept and philosophy it really is worth checking them out.  With the product made in their factories north of Berlin, sustainability is one of their key interests together with collaborations with the incredible Issey Miyake and a number of other international designers.  While this is a tiny store is does show the product beautifully.

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Sammlung Boros Collection, Berlin

This is a must go and visit place in Berlin if you are in need of a bit of culture.  The amazing contemporary Art collection of Christian and Karen Buros is staggering.  The place itself even more so.  Beginning life as a former WWII Nazi bunker it had many other lives including a place for storage for fruit when it was known as the Banana Bunker and also a fetish club famed as the hardest club in the world.  The walls are 4 metres thick in places and has a penthouse apartment where the Boros live.  Apparently to put an additional staircase to the apartment above, it took builders 6 months to drill through the concrete.  This is by appointment only and the works are shown by guided tour only. 

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Starstyling, Berlin

Like just about every other boutique we simply buy into their 'edit' however at the well known and beautiful Starstyling this really proved to be an interesting selection.  We particularly loved the escalator and stairs wallpaper and the re-vintaged fixtures mixed with a bit of metal piping.  Put this one on your list of places to visit.

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The Corner Berlin, Berlin

The Corner Berlin was on our hot list of places to go and see.  We did actually also swing by LaLa Berlin but they aren't actually doing very much and the hype around them is, well just hype really.  This is quite a large store by Boutique standards and not quite Collette although the same kinds of products are here.  Beyond the huge White walls there isn't anything very visual apart from a couple of mannequins in the windows but great selection of product and of course they have the fabulous Le Labo  and Cire Truvdon ranges too.

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Made in Berlin, Berlin

If you like a bit of vintage then look no further than Made In Berlin.  This is the kind of store that we see the world over and although this isn't the most visual of places it is very well organised and quite well presented.  We were 'told off' for taking photos here but, what ev' life is a little short to worry about these things so we're including them here anyway and telling thousands of people but, buuuuutttt if the sales team dropped their bad attitude we may have been inclined to make a purchase or two.   

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