MarieBelle, New York

No visit to New York would ever be complete for me without visiting my absolute favourite Chocolatier (well actually its the only place I ever buy Chocolates) MarieBelle, 484 Broome St., New York. I always make a beeline here to top up on my Aztec and White Hot Chocolates. I love to handpick my favourite pieces of chocolate too which really are like little jewels and the flavours are incredible. Normally I am not a huge fan of Chocolate (I can hear you all groan at me here) however I must say, I devour these as if they are the last thing I will ever taste. My only problem is that they don't ship to Europe (according the sales assistant) and as security flying back home to London has become ever more, well secure, and bearing in mind that the tins explode in your luggage if you put them in the hold of the aeroplane, I am torn between Cocoa powder covering my out going luggage or risking my treasures being confiscated if I attempt to carry them on my flight. Maybe I will just stock up and scoff the lot in the last few days I have here in the city before I make my way back home to London. Anyway, do go and have a look at this store if only because I say so and stop off and have a fabulous hot Chocolate in the Cacao and Tea bar at the back - pure indulgence.

Acne, New York

While strolling along Greene St. earlier I came across ACNE. My initial impression was that its not a particularly great name for a brand given its association with spotty teenagers (some words clearly dont translate very well) however from some Internet research I discovered it actually means Ambition to Create Novel Expressions. I took a look, so it did its job. I was also drawn inside because of the amazing glass wall they have within the store. Each piece of glass has apparently been hand blown and covers the space from floor to ceiling. Unfortunately 'they' were a little mean and wouldn't allow me to photograph the inside of the store so unfortunately these are the only images I have. Considering there are lots of Internet images of the inside available I felt they were a little precious, but there you go. I considered perhaps I would swing by later and take photos at night time which I would normally do but there are far too many other more interesting things to do and the moment was gone. You may just have to find your way down there and take a look. Anyway, the clothes are actually very beautifully made and the quality is superb. The whole look is perhaps a little sanitised for me however and just a little too perfect and manicured if you consider that the concept was meant to be based on an artists studio and brands such as Anthroplogie do that incredibly well already. Anyway, pop along and have a look even just to have a look at the handmade glass installation.

Chambers A Hotel, New York

VYBXSNR7NBPF I rarely cover hotels as part of my blog although they always intrigue me. I sadly never have the luxury of staying in such places as my budgets are always so minimal, which of course is fine as I rarely spend any time in a hotel when I travel anyway. Although these places do interest me, namely luxury hotels and in particular boutique hotels. A few years ago I was on a mission to check out some of the latest ones such as Time, Night and Dream hotels which are so beautifully designed and worthy of recording. Sadly I can usually never get further than the foyer and so my archived images consist of mainly the front and the immediate inside. Anyway, I came across the Chambers Hotel as big brother informed me that they (or at least someone) had been visiting the blog quite frequently and it would have been rude not to visit them too? Right? Anyway, this is beautifully designed, the front of house team are extraordinarily friendly and when I let the wonderfully pleasant doorman know I that I was going to take a photograph of the front of the hotel - and therefore he would be in it - he kindly offered to close the main doors and stand inside. If ever there was an example of you get what you pay for, then this is it. I managed to take these few images which don't really do it justice, however you can look them up on line and see how beautiful this place really is. In the meantime, I'll be making my way back to my hotel room which is as long as I am tall with communal facilities - well, I guess, you get what you don't pay for too.

Fendi, New York

While recovering from my Christmas hangover in my hotel which seems determined to fry me in the overbearing heating, it was such a treat seeing the Fendi store 677 5th Avenue here in New York. The London store seems to pale by comparison when I saw this store, possibly because the ability to produce such large scheme's is so limited back home. Anyway, here we have immaculately sprayed figures in a Silver sheen finish set against a Bronze mirrored background with the Fendi logo used in a repetitive format. The combination of the Silver and Bronze works incredibly well although for some reason I feel is shouldn't. It seems that this scheme has really been thought through down to the use of the merchandise and that someone somewhere had an overall vision of how this was going to work. And it does. It works superbly well. Everything is as exactly as it should be. What a pleasure.

Nasty Pig, New York

Flitting (or maybe flirting) around Chelsea today and while flaneur-ing the city I happened upon Nasty Pig. Now, I knew of this brand from my own previous cursory research and I believe they began producing apparel with an inclination towards the fetish market (the clue is in the name of the brand). I hadn't realised that they had an actual store and therefore I was quite intrigued to find out a little more about the brand as the merchandise in the windows did not reflect my own preconceived assumptions. Anyway, I had the opportunity to chat to the very helpful Issac before one of the joint owners David Lauterstein arrived to pick up the most adorable little dogs that roamed the store barking at my every move. Apparently the brand has been in development over a period of 16 years with the store opening 8 years ago. The store itself is quite compact and naturally filled with merchandise to maximise footfall, although this is certainly not unshopable. I think I guessed the size of the store as around 5m x 8m. However what is so wonderful - beside the incredibly cutting edge merchandise - are the polished walls, fixtures and the fact that the guys produce their own graphics. I am not normally excited about these things but in conversation with the guys, David and his partner created the whole thing from scratch - I like these kind of people. The whole place is a fantastic example of entrepreneurship and while the brand itself still has room to grow I really am looking forward to following their journey. I will certainly be keeping an eye on them from across the pond when I get back to London before the new season arrives. In the meantime, come down to 265 West 19th Street and get yourself your own slice of Nasty Pig or check them out on-line.

Elizabeth Arden, New York

I cant help but really like this concept at Elizabeth Arden on 5th Avenue. At night time while I flaneur the city in search of these elusive concepts which day light seems to kill, I happened upon this store. It was undoubtedly the glow of the pinkish red light that drew me across the main shopping avenue here in New York. I believe this is one of the Red Door spas? Now, I don't normally frequent these places as they tend to be so female dominated and certainly as it is Elizabeth Arden why would I venture past the facade anyway? However as it happens they do actually cater for a male clientele too. I too was quite surprised. I can, however, shave myself quite easily and do so within a matter of minutes so I have never quite understood why anyone would want to go somewhere to be shaved - possibly because I find the thought rather irritating. Anyway, beyond the terrible reviews that I found and I have to keep in mind that we don't always take the time to write good things but we all tend to complain quite quickly. The place itself does look great. Maybe I will drop by one day if I ever have the inclination to reshape my eyebrows or have warm stones on my back and neck. I probably wont, but the place does at least have a warm glow which is quite soothing when its so cold here.

Jet Blue: The Flyers Collection, New York

On my way back to my very unlavish, every expense spared hotel accommodation I came across the Jet Blue store on 48 9th Avenue in the meatpacking district opposite the Apple Store which lifted my spirits in this New York cold weather. I am not wholly familiar with this brand of low cost airline, as, I guess they don't fly through Europe (not that I don't fly at low cost whenever possible) but I felt compelled to record this as the marketing is quite fantastic. The whole concept is based around the what does happen when you fly on cheap no frills airlines. Here we have their solution for the lack of space with their full body compression garment, designed to compress your body into a mass better suited to those tiny seats. One of my favourite's is the Extrago Sherpa Shirt in the image above which can hold an entire trips worth of necessities. The whole concept here is hilariously brilliant and I can honestly say their ideas are the best thing that I have seen so far in this wonderful city.

Juicy Couture, New York

I found the Juicy Christmas scheme in London rather confusing when I saw it a few weeks ago. I think I must have caught it in mid-installation as it simply didn't seem to make any sense to me. Anyway, even better than the London store is the Juicy Couture site on 5th Avenue here in New York. This enormous site really is a spectacle worth viewing. The Christmas 'Circus' scheme really works particularly well in such large windows here. Figures being shot from a cannon, acrobats and even a figure strapped to one of the boards as if a 'target girl' in the art of impalement. Anyway, do have a look at this scheme which I feel works incredibly well now that I have seen it in its entirety.

Louis Vuitton, New York

Situated One East 57th St. is the amazing Louis Vuitton store. Having followed this stores schemes for several years they really do produced the most incredible concepts - as one would expect from a flagship. Here the scheme has been designed by students from my own University, at our sister college Central St. Martins College of Art and Design. This is the second scheme designed by the students at the college that I have seen since this store opened and they really are quite stunning. Previously schemes have also been produced by huge artists such as Olafur Eliasson from Denmark and which could be seen across the world. Here the students have used the old solari flap display boards that used to be so widespread at railway stations and airports across the globe before so many now have been replaced by the LED style boards we now see. Anyway, the concept and notion of travel displayed here is quite romantic one, which is in no way a criticism. It is beautifully produced and worth taking a look at.

ShoeWoo, New York

While flaneur-ing the city this week around Lexington Avenue I found this incredible store ShoeWoo at 750 Lexington Avenue on 59th. I have never seen this store before and the incredible interior space and window scheme certainly warranted some attention. I know nothing about this brand at all and after some cursory research I am still none the wiser apart from a couple of Internet pages that seem to read in 'Engrish' - you know the kind of thing, Instructions for the tourist, Yes.! We Sale..!, No Photing, and so on. So I am unable to share much more with you other than the images here. Anyway, what is quite incredible about the space here is the use of hundreds of shoes that have been used to cover the pillar in the centre of the store. I really do like this idea and yet find it simultaneously unnerving. I feel my European sensibility kicking in and having viewed the hundreds of Holocaust visuals over the years this always springs to mind when I seen hundreds of pairs shoes or spectacles used within schemes. I know this is perhaps just me and this concept is undoubtedly completely removed from any reference to the Holocaust. Alternatively, they also do look a little like bones that have been used to decorate the crypts and bone chapels of the Capuchin monks in Italy. Therefore, while the image here is actually a very cheery one is it seems to me to be also quite chilling. Anyway, they sell shoes and visually this space works incredibly well, I just wish I could find out a little more about this brand.

Moschino, New York

While perusing the stores in the meatpacking district in New York this week in the biting cold I came across the Moschino Christmas concept at its store 401 West 14th St. This store in particular does present some really fun schemes. Here we have Santa in therapy talking to an extraordinarily well heeled therapist - dressed in Moschino's finest of course. With all of our self imposed stress of the Season (although I feel far from stressed myself) is there any wonder the poor man is in need of help? I only wish the scheme had been extended to the second window in the store as part of this narrative rather than the two figures seen in the image below. Of course the space is much smaller but I feel something could have been done here. Anyway, the White interior space of the store looks magnificent with incredible furniture and it is so beautifully lit, although I do wish designers would leave that dreadful heart motif out of their concept. Although, on reflection, this is America and they do seem to like that kind of stuff.

Marc Jacobs, New York

Having flaneured the city for days already collecting and gathering my visual resources I came across the Marc Jacobs scheme here on Bleeker st. I have no connection to this cause but it certainly seems a very worthy one. I believe one can have a photograph taken for a small donation to save the life of Alice and her son Billy. The images themselves then form part of the installation. What I find so wonderful about this scheme beside the cause is the the concept itself and the interaction between customer and retailer. Again this is a fantastic localised example of creativity which I really wish some of the major players out there, in here, somewhere or just elsewhere would follow. Of course this does rely on having creative's available to do this, but in this global recession it seems that they are the first people to lose their jobs. Anyway, in the mean time, go on, swing by the store on Bleeker st. and give your donation before the 24th December.

Barneys, New York

Having a witty Christmas this year is the latest scheme from the master of window Display himself, Simon Doonan at Barneys, 660 Madison Avenue. The scheme this year in the typical Doonan style of papier mache characters is the celebration of 35 years of Live from New York. Now, as an alien here (no pun intended) in this city I'm not wholly familiar with Live from New York and therefore it is quite difficult for me to see the links. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing as I can look at this scheme from a purely objective angle, untainted by preconceived ideas about its accuracy. I do of course recognise some of the characters here and such references as Sarah Palin and The Cone Ranger, Cone-a Lisa and the Rolling Cones although I suppose I can only appreciate it for its entertainment value. And it is very entertaining indeed. I always look forward to seeing these schemes and as with Bergdorf Goodman, I only wish I could see them all through the year.

Calvin Klein, New York

While meandering the city, I dropped by to check out the Hedi Ferjani scheme at Calvin Klein on Madison and 60th St. I really do like this scheme as I find global branding to be such a huge nail in the coffin of creativity and I actually really do wish the store in London had adopted the same or similar approach, very much like Diesal is doing at the moment in localising the creativity rather than applying the usual out of the manual kind of stuff. Anyway, if you're not familiar with Hedi Ferjani, (and I'm not) apparently he's the husband of Erin Featherston (who doesn't mean anything to me either but you can google them easily to find out more). The main concept / installation is called Glitter Falls (I hate the name of it but I do love the outcome) where product has been placed on pieces of charcoal against a White background dripping with Black paint. In conjunction with this scheme, but I am not sure why, is also Ferjani's installation Cosmic Dust (dreadful name too) using a real looking space suit placed in one window which has been punctuated with 'star' like lights. It worries me when two installations are used in this way as it hints at a lack of depth of the first concept and perhaps there just wasn't enough of an idea to stretch to a few more windows? Anyway, the simplicity of this scheme really does focus the viewers attention on the product. Beautifully and stunningly produced schemes but please change its awful name.

Henri Bendel, New York

Although the jet lag is kicking quite nicely and therefore I am awake incredibly early, its cold outside and the uncontrollable heating in my hotel room is on full whack, even with the window open wide I cant seem to get the temperature right. So I'm waking up with a mouth as dry as the Sahara and very hot feet - my room is as long as I am tall and half as wide. Still you get what you pay for and I cant complain, particularly when I don't spend too much time there as there are so many delicious schemes to look at such as this one here at Henri Bendel on 5th Avenue. I have always found this a rather odd store as it is a bit of a one of a kind, but as always, even with the tiny space they have they do present the most incredible schemes. The figures here are completely covered in tiny beads in Brown and White stripes (the Bendel Brand signature) and within the store which is laid out a bit like a Moroccan riad is an enormous tree wrapped in tiny lights from which a bed with another figure has been suspended. I particularly love the colour of the fixtures in an Orange/Red tone which works beautifully with the Bendel Brown.

Bergdorf Goodman, New York

After a very long and tiring journey I finally touched down in the Big Apple - and its cold. Now I don't mind a bit of cold weather but this is freezing. Anyway, I am pleased to be here as I always look forward to my annual visits and as I predicted yesterday, the windows at Bergdorf Goodman are spectacular. I do find these windows that this team produce absolutely incredible. I only wish I could be here the rest of the year just to be able to follow what they do. Anyway, the windows here are crammed to the rafters with goodies that its hard to know where to look. Polar bears, horses, ostriches in tartan (or plaid since I am in the US of A) carrying birdcages and bagpipes and a tonne of sparkling Venetian mirrors fill another. The windows here are just incredible, and unfortunately I am only able to show just two of the windows here from the forty or so shots that I took. If you are here in NYC before Christmas....get yourself down there and be blown away.

Alexander McQueen, London

The past few schemes here at McQueen's have been very, very exciting. As I think I have mentioned before, these windows have illuminated glass floors which makes this space quite a difficult one to work with. Well the team here seem to manage it perfectly well. Artists easels and paint splattered walls and mannequins create this scheme. The male figure, a Gold skeleton works so superbly in this scheme too. After seeing all of the recent bling, bling, of Christmas schemes I feel quite refreshed on viewing this concept. If you have just come out of Fortnum's to buy your groceries, or spent all of your money at Prada, you must swing by here and take a look - and at least that's free. Tomorrow, I will be viewing and recording the latest schemes in New York. It will be a rush to get the blog out on time due to the time difference and travelling, but first stop will be Bergdorf Goodman to check out their latest spectacle, which I anticipate will be incredible.