Alexander McQueen, London

I've been following the schemes at McQueens for a long time now, and over the past several months the schemes have become ever more exciting. With experimentation, of course comes the danger of things falling apart. This is the excitement and why we do this stuff. Anyway, while meandering around town a couple of weeks ago in my Flaneur capacity I happened upon this latest scheme (well latest a few weeks ago). Now, I think I have mentioned before that it is quite incredibly difficult to work within the confines of this space, however the creative team have recently developed some rather exciting schemes which I have been gradually including. Anyway, I did gasp a little in finding this scheme and the site of the Fall of a Silent Seller. I always feel for the teams who install these schemes as this is always one of the worst things that can happen and I did feel a tinge a guilt photographing it although this is reality and no one is exempt, in fact this has happened to me too. Anyway, I think the reason I did record it was because of the quite surreal visual that was left. A Mannequin had fallen almost out of site leaving just her Designer hat and Designer two fingers. Thankfully there was no awful white price sticker on the bottom of her shoes - naturally. There is message in here somewhere.

Nicole Farhi, London

I do like land of the Giants 'stuff' in window schemes that dwarfs everything around it. I thought these rather outsized but perfectly formed snowballs here at Nicole Farhi along Bond street in London work very well indeed. The windows to this store are really quite small and therefore it is always quite surptising the type of schemes that the team here creates. There is very little to say about this scheme other than it contains outsized snowballs. However, its a simple concept, which allows the viewer to focus on the product and yet set a context in which the product is placed without fighting with it. Its fun, simple, and worth a view if you happen to be this part of town any time before the dreaded sale windows kick in.

Guess, London

When I come across these types of schemes on my travels I do tend to struggle to sometimes even describe them. Perhaps, this is because there simply is so little personality to these generic schemes, or perhaps my anti-globalisation hormones just kick in and simply prevent me from even wanting too, I just don't know. Anyway, as with so many of these 'types' of stores, while they provide a product for a certain and clearly defined target audience (and clearly not me) I do find myself sighing with boredom. Young figures dressed in as much product as possible placed in front of old style record sleeves and stood or sat on old style record cases with 'Holiday with Guess' written along the sides.

Now, Big Brother once again does inform me that the Guess team around the world have been checking me out so I shouldn't be too harsh. However, as I mentioned in another blog recently, all this stuff-out-of-the-manual is so incredibly flat and I am so bored with seeing it. Please can someone inject a bit of creativity into these schemes and give us something to be excited about. In the meantime, with regard to Holidaying with Guess.......I know where I will be....and .....well, I'm on my way to Anthropologie to be inspired and cleansed of the visual pollution on this High street.

Fortnum and Mason, London

I don't normally photograph these types of windows which can also be seen annually at Saks on 5th Avenue in New York only with moving figures. I do tend to give them a very wide berth. However, what I do like here is the fact that the team have taken a rather unconventional approach in using Mathew Bourne's Swan lake ballet as their inspiration. Now, I did mention in my last blog about this brand before this installation was complete that I suspected that that was the initial starting point. Ok, it is a little literal, however if you have seen Mathew Bourne's version which is pure brilliance, then I feel perhaps you also would also find a connection with this scheme. In Bourne's version all of the Swan's are played by males, the sets are superbly produced, lighting is dramatic and the spectacle is thrilling. As I said before this must be on your list of things to see before you die. Anyway, in the meantime while you are waiting for the production to hit town, go and see the windows at Fortnum's - beautiful.

Stella McCartney, London

A colleague of mine laughed recently when she read my previous entry about this brand. She did mention that I was ranting a little at the scheme that had been installed here. She was probably right, although it was not intentional but I did struggle to find anything constructive to say about it. Anyway, what I have noticed about the installations here is that they are all pitched at precisely the same level. This interests me. I am guessing that the same company or person is coming up with these 'ideas'. I am finding that I am padding out this entry as I don't wish to be derogatory as this is not what this blog is about, so hang on with me here. As I turned around the corner to see this installation, which incidentally covers the whole of the building and I did gasp a little and OMFG popped into my mind. You can view a short video of it on my YouTube site channel:Jhvefun. Having been, at least initially a little stunned at this spectacle as it reminded me of staying with friends in the Bronx in New York in the Winter of 1999 and someone had something similar, albeit on a smaller scale hanging outside their apartment. And theirs played Christmas carols too. Anyway, as the days got colder and the longer the lights were on the flatter the tunes that came from these lights became. Naturally this amused us enormously. Well, this scheme does what it does I suppose and I cant really say any more about it. You either love it or hate it. I know how I feel about it, and I bet it cost a fortune too.

Ralph Lauren, London

I am really struggling to be enthusiastic about this scheme. Now, please don't get me wrong, it is beautifully presented, it represents what this brand is about, but if you have just done a google search for Ralph Lauren window schemes or visual merchandising which I know a lot of you do, then the previous scheme will also come up. I mentioned in my last entry about these schemes that the multi-Yasmins do make me feel so uninspired. And here they are again. OK, so there are a few headless male figures in some of the windows which break up the monotony but do we really have to see her in every single scheme? Yasmin is a beautiful figure, but to use her in the same skin tone for every scheme really does upset me when there are countless figures that could be used. Figures can be rotated, so that one collection is being used in a current promotion while the other is being renovated with new wigs, skin tones and make-up - simple. Anyway, in the mean time I think I must put together a list or 10 Commandments of what not to do in installations for 2010. Of course the next scheme will be sale, however how much shall we bet that these will appear in the scheme after that....eh? If they dont...well......I guess I will have to eat my words.....but I bet you they wont change.......just watch this space.

Louis Vuitton, London

I am not quite sure what is going on with some of these designer brands this season with regard to their promotional schemes. I mentioned earlier this week the current scheme at Hermes which was similar to Valentino's in the Summer and Miu Miu using almost exactly the same scheme that Dior had used in its NYC windows in December 2008. Looking back through my archives the image above is the Sloane st. branch of this brand and below is the NYC scheme from December 2008. I am quite disappointed as I absolutely adore what this brand does visually and find them so inspirational but its beginning to feel like ground hog day, and that drives me to distraction. I did actually find this scheme exciting, but I found it exciting last year. The Bond st. branch of the brand does have a celebratory neon red cross on the typical brand logo leather type background celebrating 150 years of the British Red cross. A worthy cause I know but, although I am tired of all these anniversaries schemes we have seen this year. Anyway, back to my point. I don't know why these enormously expensive brands are repeating the same schemes? Maybe this global recession is hitting them hard too, although I would have thought that the type of clientele are usually immune to recessions, who knows. Anyway, I will let you draw your own conclusions.

Levi's, London

This another one of those brands that I rarely take notice of while out meandering through the city. The brand, at least for me, seems to go through peaks and troughs of being the place to be, have the stuff to wear and supported with an incredibly cutting edge brand campaign to fading away to nothing at all - yet still always there. Currently, I don't think I hear anything from this brand at all? I may be wrong and just anaesthetised. Anyway, Big Brother informs me that the boys and girls from Levi's San Fran head office have been dropping by and silently checking out the blog, so I must be nice here. I did actually record the previous scheme to this a few weeks ago which had a series of card board cut out figures and using the bust forms to carry the merchandise but I just got carried away with so many other fantastic schemes happening. Anyway, from time to time Levi's do install some interesting concepts even if it is out of a manual of 'how to'. This is a shame. If perhaps, and this is only a suggestion boys and girls in San Fran head office, if you have a look at the concepts that Diesel are doing or how they are working, i.e. stores seem to vary quite considerably in London as the creativity is rather more localised, then maybe, just maybe it will put the cool back into the brand again. I promise to feel inspired and excited too if you like, and be the first to tell everyone in here, out there, or at least somewhere about your new approach. So....go on...please....just give it a whirl.

Miu Miu, London

The Miu Miu store here in London is one of the places and brands that I don't have a huge amount of information about and although I photograph it quite frequently, there are few schemes that really draw my interest. I was drawn to this one, in particular as with the Hermes current scheme I had seen this or something like it before. In December 2008 I photographed a similar mannequin, again covered with mirrored mosaics and an angled backdrop at Dior in New York as part of their Christmas scheme (Image below) Of course the position of the figure is different although the basic concept is the same. Are these fabulously expensive brands recycling? Possibly not, and I doubt that they are sharing props either. This kind of thing does happen quite frequently as I do look and record images very regularly so I do make a point of remembering if I have seen something before. This does bother me as it is an example or proof that new ideas and concepts are just not being generated, nothing is being recorded (perhaps as it should) or people who create these schemes are just not aware of what anyone else is doing? Anyway, while I am not against the concept here (above), of course it is as usual produced so incredibly well. It is, however, the same old stuff presented to us as if we didn't know that it had all been done before, and that upsets me.

Hermes, London

Swinging by Bond st. here in London this week I came across the new scheme from Hermes. This is quite a difficult scheme to describe as a static image, however, to watch this scheme is incredibly mesmerising. Pieces of merchandise appear and disappear from behind an obscured, (possibly) perspex screen contained within illuminated boxes. One has to flick between the two images here to appreciate what I mean, however I have put a video of this on my YouTube channel: Jhvefun for you to fully understand what I mean. Of course, while this works incredibly well I did feel that I had seen this before? On further investigation through my archives I found that Valentino had already used somwthing very similar for a scheme in their store along Sloane st. just a few months ago in August this year. The spectacle here certainly has the tourists captivated but while I do think the execution is superb I am cynical when I see the same thing twice in two different brands. This is, I suppose the equivalent of turning up at a party wearing the same dress as someone else. Whether this is by default or by design I do feel, as I say quite often, that time spent looking at what every one else is doing is very much time well spent.

Zara, London (Bond St.)

Having had so many requests from readers recently regarding Zara windows I decided that I had teased you enough as you are dying to see these latest ones from the store next to Bond st. tube station here in London. The previous images that I have published from this site had the Black barbie doll head dress and the mannequins with huge quiffs and Lady Gaga style glasses. This one is equally fun with figures wearing animal masks and emerging from silver glitter curtains, neon painted fair ground horses and Roman columns. Well it is the party season and I certainly would go to a party with this crew. These windows put the fun back into window display and for such a strong brand with a clear identity it is refreshing to see these kinds of schemes emerging. After all, the most uber cool and fashionable brands are doing this which makes for a far more interesting journey. When there are so many of these stores in town and so close together to it can be quite depressing. However, this really is a treat.

Anthropologie, London

I have been itching to go and have a look at the new Anthropologie store in London along Regent street. I managed to photograph the windows a few weeks ago, but as I walk the city normally late into the night (this helps me keep a clear view of places and spaces without the hustle and bustle of shoppers, tourists and other traffic) I rarely have the opportunity to drop by when places are actually open. Anyway, I certainly wasn't disappointed. For me this has a feeling of those wonderful stores one can find around places such as Greenwich village in New York or even similar to ABC along Broadway where I spend hours just looking stunned by the outrageous price tags, although not as crammed to the rafters. This is now my new home, well at least for the environment. Sadly their mission statement is to make women feel beautiful, inspired and connected so I do feel a little cheated (as a male). Where is the male version of this store? Maybe I want to feel beautiful, inspired and connected? Ok maybe not. Still, I guess I can always just go and look at the home wares - men do buy these too.

Max Mara, London

I have been looking forward to the new scheme at Max Mara here in London, particularly as I recently got a glimpse of this scheme during installation. Seeing the finished concept is absolutely delightful. Although I am not a huge fan of Gold and Gold leaf per se, I have warmed to it again recently and this scheme works superbly. I think I would have exprimented with a solid surface or an organic form using smaller pieces rather than this type of fragmented effect on a flat surface although the Gold leaf does add an interesting texture. Perhaps it just reminds me of home make over or home staging shows from the 1990's and those dreaded 'feature' walls, I'm not sure. Nevertheless, as usual this scheme absolutely oozes luxury with the use of the Marcel Breuer Wassily Chair and the Meis van der Rohe day bed covered in Gold leaf also. This scheme seems to have been produced so effortlessly. Of course, there is a huge amount of planning that goes in to these schemes, although to make it look so effortlessly elegant, as this does, is the genius part.

Zara, London (Regent Street)

After receiving so many requests for images of Zara windows from readers I made an extra effort this week to record at least another three of the stores for you while on my journey around the city, including Zara home which I will publish later this week. This is the Regent St. store here in London which obviously contains the basic components for this particular launch as in the use of the trees and repetition of the metal discs and covered plinth. What I am really enjoying about these stores is that they each have quite a different personality while keeping the essence of the brand. The styling as ever is beautifully produced in monochromatic shades of grey which works incredibly well with the Green Christmas trees with their caterpillar-like lighting. While the figures are similar to many of the other stores here in London, the wig styling differs quite significantly, in this case another version of the Lady Gaga, Poker face hair bow. If you happen to be at the lower end of Regent St. this week, do go and have a look.

Libertys, London

During my meanderings of the city streets this week I happened upon Liberty's on Regent st. here in London. I remember only just a few years ago the incredible schemes from this store when it had large windows filled to the brim with personality comparable to the mighty Selfridges, Harrods and Harvey Nichols. Sadly, these large spaces were removed in favour of a more open plan store which of course also removed the opportunity for the creative team to install large complex and detailed narratives. The team are now left with some small windows with which to exorcise their creativity, and which, of course they do incredibly well. I have been following the last few schemes recently, however, this one did bring a smile to my face on such a cold wintry evening. Large unshaven male figures in camp 'frocks' is the highlight of this scheme for me - brilliantly funny. A room set crammed full of objects reminiscent of my grandmothers at Christmas in the 1970's. Gobstoppers, Girls world, cakes......my only disappointment...no kerPlunk or buckaroo.

Foale and Tuffin Exhibition, Fashion and Textile Museum, London

While flaneur-ing the city this week in search of elusive and slightly 'unter' store's that become gems one occasionally finds in the tiniest of streets here in London, I came across the Fashion and Textile Museum. Of course, I now this well, although this was only my second visit. I had heard that there was a Foale and Tuffin Exhibition which is currently showing, and naturally this immediately drew me in. Now, I didn't actually know very much about these designers, however after some cursory research I immediately realised what a huge influence they had had in the 1960-70's. This is the 'unter' store that I had been searching for. Of course the original Foale and Tuffin store was on Malborough Court, just off the iconic Carnaby st. During this period, as with Habitat, stores needed to maximise space and wanted the customer to concentrate on the product and therefore the store structure consisted of scrubbed pine flooring and whitewashed walls together with their iconic signage as seen in the image above. I am sure there are the equivalents of Foale and Tuffin here today, sadly very often it seems that we often appreciate them and the contribution they make, far more, retrospectively - or is that just me? (A video of the Exhibition can be found on my YouTube Channel: Jhvefun)

Selfridges, London

This years Christmas scheme from Selfridges here in London is an homage to that great British institution Pantomime. Pantomime is not exclusive to the UK of course and apparently is Greek in origin. That aside, those of you who are not aware of what a Pantomime is, well, each narrative has a principal boy, usually played by a female, Pantomime Dames are usually played by males and each story (I think) has at least one pantomime horse. The experience is quite difficult to describe and the more I think of it the most absurd it sounds. There at least 17 different stories that I can think of such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jack and the Beanstalk - you get the idea. My favourites, of course are the Australian or alternative versions, Little Red Riding Hoodlum and The Adventures of Goldilockpick. Still, whether you like Pantomime or not, do have a look at Selfridges. If this doesn't make you want to see one of the shows named here nothing will. Fantastic stuff. (Videos of some of the windows can be viewed on my YouTube channel: jhvefun)