Prada, London

The other evening, with a lovely friend of mine who is very well respected in this industry, we flaneured around the city during a particularly warm evening here in London. As we turned around the corner from viewing the Paul Smith 'home' store and bumping into the American singer Kelis (yeah, I know..! - but forgive me for name dropping here) we happened upon the new concept at the Prada store. I think both of us gasped at this store in wonder and I certainly love this scheme. But then Prada usually do produce such extraordinary schemes and this one certainly looked dramatic during the dusky early London evening. The mannequins have been covered in the same camouflage design as the merchandise and backdrop. Perhaps the floor could have been covered too? But anyway, it looks dramatic and this is another scheme to go and see right now. It looks far better in real life.

Moschino, London

I could just eat this window. In the current melting heat of Central London this window couldn't be more appropriate. After months of a bitterly cold winter here in the city, we now have the other extreme and it really is scorching. I sound like I'm complaining, I'm not. Its just hard to work in this heat. Anyway, Moschino couldn't have got this window more 'right now' than this really is. This is a significant statement and communicates how cutting edge that they really can be. My only gripe, I suppose, is that the quality of the props are not up to their usually high standards. This is something that I would have expected this brand to get absolutely perfect and the 'finish' after all is as crucial as any of the other components that make up these schemes. I have heard quite a few industry leaders here in the UK mention this more and more recently. Still, from an aesthetic angle these props are great fun and worth checking out.

Mulberry, London

I do love these big glittery Cats at Mulberry, here in London. If I am honest I don't do glitter but this somehow works very well. The concept here is very interesting and there is a narrative to a point although I cant help feeling that there is something missing from this window? I feel that the Gold hoops with the handbags work well and perhaps the fact that the hoops for these lions to jump through are rather too small is incidental. Perhaps we need a bit move dynamism here and maybe these big Cats need collars or chains rather than 'roaming freely'? In New York in 2006, Cartier had something similar (although illuminated) crawling up the outside of their store on 5Th Avenue. Although I don't advocate plagiarism perhaps this is another missed opportunity that could have been explored?

Architects build small spaces, V&A, London

Dotted around the Victoria and Albert Museum right now are a series of small spaces, refuges and retreats. I cant help but love these spaces and consider how we could use some of these concepts within a commercial or retail context. "Small spaces such as these can push the boundaries and possibilities of creative practice. A shift in scale towards smaller, bespoke structures encourages a heightened sensitivity to materials, texture and proportion. A renewed clarity emerges allowing architects freedom of expression that often struggles to survive in larger building projects". These spaces are potentially a great starting point from where we can begin thinking about our own commercial spaces. I'm not suggesting of course that we take 'pieces' like this and simply placing them within a commercial environment. This kind of 'pick up and drop' is endemic in retail. However, what I am suggesting is that these beautifully design spaces can be used as inspiration in the development of retail concepts and thus avoid the 'White boxes' that we are expected to accept for most of our retail experiences. What do you think?

Levis, London

Don't you just love this store? OK, well I'm not personally over excited about the brand or in fact the merchandise but this store is simply delicious. This site really does go from strength to strength. It may be that as it is a newly revamped store it perhaps has been given a larger budget and I guess it is a flagship store after all. From my experience, these kind of stores get all of the attention for the first several months in order to launch them and then the focus strays elsewhere, malaise appears to set in and then the marketing budget simply drops away or goes elsewhere. The Marketing budget leaving is fine, the VM budget leaving is not. Still, enjoy it while you can. The repetition of these templates / patterns / slopers or blocks, depending on what you want to call them work particularly well in this warehouse style environment. Ebenezer Butterick and James McCall would be proud.

Fortnum and Mason, London

If anyone can handle merchandise and present a perfect finish ( and I say this globally) it is the team here at Fortnum and Mason, London. They don't change their windows as often I would like personally (but that's only because I am impatient and excited and want to see what they do next). However, when they do change their schemes, they really do, do it exceptionally well. This kind of product is very difficult to handle convincingly but this creative team make it look so effortless. Its not effortless. In discussion with colleagues within this industry I've been looking more and more recently at the finishing around the presentation, as much as the presentation itself and whether it has a narrative, or message of some kind, and whether I understand what and why something has been placed where it has. I do attempt to deconstruct and unravel what has been produced and presented to begin to understand if anything is being communicated. As I travel around the world and friends share their images, I cannot think of a single competitor (from a visual perspective) globally who even come close to these guys with this type of product. OK, well Fortnum's is, I guess, essentially a grocers or supermarket to some degree, but if your grocers looked like this, wouldnt you spend all of your time there? I would. This is the standard we all need to aspire too and the benchmark from where we need to begin with regard to this type of product. Thank you F&M.

Maison Martin Margiela Exhibition, London

Simply delicious is the only way to describe the exhibition of Maison Martin Margiela at Somerset House here in London. If you haven't been yet, its open tonight until 8.00pm so there really is no excuse. This is simply the must see show to see this Summer. The emotional response to this exhibition I can only liken to the Viktor and Rolf exhibition at the Barbican a couple of years ago - extraordinary, cleansing, inspiring, and where we need to be. This exhibition "pays tribute to 20 years [of Margiela] and salutes one of the world's most influential fashion houses". Even from the entrance along the embankment, trees are wrapped in White fabric, a caravan complete with plasma screen showing excerpts from Maison Martin's show play on a loop and images of work are fly posted on the entrance. I could hardly drag myself to leave this exhibition and I am certainly going to make another visit. Simply the hottest thing in London right now, if only life was like this every day. I wont give too much away, just go and see it. I am in awe.

Cos, London

The third scheme as part of the London Festival of Architecture can be seen at Cos, along Regent street. The decal reads "Because we like the same things we thought it would be fun for Spacelab who are great at Architecture to design the window for us". I am not sure 'fun' is the word I would use, 'interesting' perhaps, and there is no doubt that Spacelab do create, actually incredible Architecture. I am, of course pleased to see another interesting collaboration happening here and that retailers are yet again utilising 'localised' creativity. These collaborations of course are incredibly important for several reasons. Localised Architects / Designers have the opportunity to work with retailers on projects that they wouldn't normally work on and this in turn breathes new life and creativity back into the stores and store windows. Companies or individuals who would not normally work in this area are being encouraged to do so and therefore enhance the differentiation of their visual offer rather than retailers continuing along the lines of 'bland branding'. We may, just may then finally see an end to the dreadful corporate look of globalisation and over zealous marketing that plagues and pollutes so many of our cities stores worldwide. I would however suggest that when these projects do happen, and of course they are fantastic, that the Visual Merchandisers / Display crew need to be included too. What is missing here are the nuances that these guys would have 'picked up'........for example there is no product, humour, interest, aspiration, desirability, or combination of any of these or. a real understanding of the lack of them either and therefore what we are left with are simply the Architects concept and we as shoppers also are a little more savvy.

Anthropologie, London

Following on from Austin Reeds window yesterday and the London Festival of Architecture, Anthropologie have created their own cityscape from every day objects. "The city has been rescaled using items that Londoners may discard or discredit". These are great fun and yet again communicates how wonderfully creative this team are. However, I do feel these are not as polished skill-wise as their usual schemes and perhaps appear a little hastily constructed? St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge and the Millennium wheel do look a little amateur with the use of plastic straws (I think I would have painted these White to work tonally with the models themselves as they just look like straws which have been cut - which of course they are) although I love the idea of the 'Oyster card' river Thames and the plastic spoon Millennium Dome look superb. The second window spelling out the word London, again, a great idea, but perhaps just not quite up to the usual high standards of finish that I have seen regularly at this store since it opened. I am sure we as Londoners throw away or discard a lot more than this and perhaps this installation is part of the festival of Artchitecture and not the work of the in store team, who knows?

Austin Reed, London

While Sale windows dominate London right now, there are a few little gems out there including this one at Austin Reed along Regent St. This installation by Tonken Liu produced as part of the London Festival of Architecture looks absolutely incredible. Individual cardboard people are dwarfed by these huge structures which are so elegantly lit and cast lace-like shadows across the back wall. It really is a shame that this is the only window out of the Austin Reed run of windows which has this installed. The rest of them sadly are the usual dated 'bus stop' format which never seem to change. How wonderful the windows here would look if all of them were installed with this installation. Add a few well heeled mannequins and 'voila' - aspirational, creative, desirable, interesting and cool. We can only hope that Austin Reed read this and give us something visually beautiful to share with us all. I know they would certainly be on my list of places to record for you all. What do you think?

Smythson, London

I rarely record Symthson along Bond St. here in London. Possibly because they don't normally have very interesting schemes or my interest in their product is at the same level as my interest in the World Cup - zero. I suppose, also, I just cant ever imagine purchasing a silver pen for £400.00 or a mans leather dressing case for £1,435.00 to hold my cuff links and watches - if I ever wore either of course, which I never do. However, this is not to say that the product is not desirable as there clearly is a market for this luxurious stuff. Also, interestingly the company seem to have changed direction a little in their presentation of their product. Here we appear to have similar links to Vivienne Westwood's concept that I published in April from the 1920's which saw the release of films by icons such as Douglas Fairbanks in The Mark of Zorro and the Thief of Baghdad and Errol Flynn with his legendary parties on his yacht, Sirocco. This scheme, it seems, is also possibly influenced by the same genre of the society of the time with new adventures, excessive dinners and the beginning of Ocean travel. It is at least a refreshing change to see this brand do something different but perhaps it needs to nudge itself a little further and begin to become a little more daring and exciting for me to keep checking them out......what do you think?

Paul Smith, Albemarle St., London

I always like to press my nose up against the glass of this Paul Smith Store along Albemarle st. in Mayfair, London and simply drool. The most delicious (and incredibly expensive) objets d'art perfectly placed simply oozing sophistication are contained within this site. Perfectly and elegantly, that is, 'stuff' that you never knew you wanted and possibly couldn't afford. I recently saw a piece of graffiti by Futura 2000 placed in the windows taken from The Clashes 1981 tour produced as a backdrop which was a snip at £35,000 - ouch. The windows here have chromed 1970's cubed side tables with a combined purchase price of £3,400. Still, if you have the cash, do go along and buy your piece of history. If, like me, you don't have the cash, do go along and enjoy the spectacle. There are some beautiful things here to view and enjoy, and well, viewing is free.

Salvatore Ferragamo, London

London is looking a rather poor on the visual front right now. Some stores are in Sale, some are about to launch Sale and I guess some are just waiting to launch their new schemes. Unfortunately therefore, I think I have covered just about every interesting scheme that is currently in place here in London (unless you tell me otherwise), so we are just left with the usual bland stuff that can be seen just about anywhere else in the world. This is not to say that this brand are bland (as their merchandise certainly is not), but their windows schemes are not the most exciting thing to be seen. Here Salvatore Ferragamo have used the 'step' dynamic in a pyramidal format to display their footwear and accessories. White headless figures have been placed next to these structures wearing SF merchandise. Gripping stuff hey?

Daks, London

I have to confess that I am really struggling to talk about this scheme at Daks along Bond St. here in London. I really want to be positive about it but I just cant think of very much to say. Is this a good thing? Possibly or maybe probably not? I have had these images collected and gathered in my archives for several weeks now and I keep returning to the store each week to see if there is anything that I have missed? OK, well the merchandise has changed but the context remains the same. It looks, to me, at least, a little Burberry-esque in its design and execution but that's it really. I know this brand can do better, perhaps budgets are tight? How knows? In the mean time......creative team please at least straighten your base plates.

Vivienne Westwood, London

I have often wondered what kind of minds produce for this brand? While my immediate thoughts of the mind of Dame Viv' would be quite chaotic, the reverse is actually probably true. OK well, I've always shuddered a little that the merchandise is rather 'borrowed' from History, so I am not particularly enthralled by it, although how these things are put together is quite another thing. I am a huge fan of the chaotic nature that I perceive this brand to have. The window schemes, while not the most lavish themselves, are always produced so well (although I don't particularly like the way that 'they' dress the trousers on the bust forms), the bust forms themselves are really great fun. It is refreshing to see retailers use some of their signature designs with which to cover these forms. If you don't know any of these stores, do go and take a look. They are fun and witty and while there is probably no great narrative behind their schemes, they do look like they might have.

Nicole Farhi, London

As the world is gripped by World Cup fever (although I am managing to escape the hysteria myself), surprisingly only a few stores are seeing this as a windows scheme opportunity. I cant bring myself to read the news headlines or even turn on the television for fear of being tainted by this stuff, but I guess an enormous amount of people love it and follow it just as much as I record these schemes for this site, so I can appreciate their passion. It doesn't however float my boat. However, as I mentioned, very few retailers, surprisingly are seeing this as an opportunity to engage the wider public, and interestingly, a lot of these seasonal events which traditionally were always so marked in store windows seem to be slipping by unnoticed these days - clearly a sign of the times and tighter budgets. Nicole Farhi, as ever are again leading us through this year, not only with their current wire mesh animals but also with their World Cup window. While I am not a World Cup fan, thank goodness for this pioneering brand.

Tiffany, London

I do like to view Tiffany's windows when they change their schemes. I am always amazed at the creativity the team here illustrate with such a small product that really is difficult to show well. The latest scheme appears as a wonderful entomological display case, in some ways similar to the kind of thing one would view in each of our own countries Natural History Museums. The faux exoskeletons here have been strategically placed around the product. The product itself is highlighted with the use of desk top magnifying glasses, perhaps highlighting the preciousness of both the jewellery being sold and the delicacy and fragility of the butterfly species? Always beautifully produced the teams here really are the masters of product display. Just as an added note the Natural History Museum in London hold over 3 million different butterflies in its collection. It is well worth visiting both sites mentioned here.