G-Star, London

I've really grown to liking this brand. They have produced some really fascinating and creative product presentations which continue to impress and surprise me. For such an enormous global brand this is a remarkable achievement which I feel indicates how well they are run and by people who are clearly passionate about what they do. Their website too is quite visually mesmerising which oozes the coolness indicative of denim brands. Here the brand have produced these three dimensional look books "re-introducing [their] raw essentials, elevating everyday denim to a highly refined mix of vintage and modern". Product encapsulated within these 'books' have been been over laid with cut outs in black which suggests this fusion. The backdrop has been produced in bright yellow hanging banner. This is such a good example of how something quite simple can be thought through and communicated to have impact. I was drawn in to take a closer look, job done. I'd work with these guys.

Louis Vuitton, London

In response to all of your wonderful and overwhelming messages.....here are larger and some additional images further to today's post as you all requested.

Louis Vuitton, London

Can fun scream any louder? Louis Vuitton have quite literally just installed their new scheme at their monolithic luxury space along Bond st. here in London. I am in awe. I adored the previous scheme which I recorded previously for this site (and I do miss it at least a little) but things change and move on. On move on they have. How incredible are these windows? Life sized Ostriches with wonderfully elongated necks fill this huge space (some across two floors) and carry the latest gorgeous Ostrich skin merchandise in jewelled tones. Ostrich eggs, some massively out sized 'hatch' the most desirable shoes in a repetition format (below are the watches). Humour is lacking here in London right now in product presentation, with the exception of some of the department stores. This concept has given me renewed hope (and thankfully no large format graphic in site) particularly after viewing so many bland 'multiples' recently. You must go and see this new concept for yourself. Even if you don't buy this product, looking is free. I guarantee that you will love it.

Guess, London

Its very difficult to be positive about brands like this and I am sighing in despair at this installation. Having shown some incredible places and sites to seek inspiration this week, I just cannot comprehend how such an enormous company can allow this to happen? I do however fully comprehend why this is happening. So, why therefore are these brands still using the old format of 'headquarters' in a completely different country and culture dictating what happens in another? This is how it works right? The Saturday / part-time person receives the manual that was probably sent by e-mail, the store manager who downloaded it and printed it and thought to themselves 'who shall I get to to this job?' So there's the manual with the images of the mock up produced somewhere 'out there' and the formula is followed to get the look. Bonkers. Truly bonkers. But hey, how much money did that save? And sadly this is what this is all about. While I understand this brands positioning, perhaps they need to realise how much they are actually undermining themselves? In the meantime the usual old format of coloured angled fluorescent's have been used (contrary to my advice re. 10 commandments for 2010 launched in January), with the usual large format monochromatic graphic and mannequins positioned incorrectly on their bases correctly. I shudder.

Fendi, London

I frequently view the Fendi store on Sloane st., here in London, although unlike its enormous sister store in New York, the brand don't often seem to do anything very creative - that I have noticed at least. However, the handbags previously lined up in every colour imaginable have been swept out of their normally hermetically sealed horizontal presentation window and fresh air has been breathed in with this great little installation. Phew. And what an interesting installation this is. Small television monitors have been installed (and actually switched on), surrounded by cinema reels and old film itself winding its way throughout the scheme, tying the whole thing together. I shall be paying more attention to these guys to see what they come up with next. Onwards and upwards, hey?

The DnA Factory, London

Image Courtesy and Copyright DnA Factory

There's something quite cleansing about being in creative environments. Several months after first discovering DnA Factory from seeing their incredible 'Tree of Life' at Amouage here in London which led me to their website, I finally managed to meet the guys behind this incredible work. Hidden away underneath the arches of one of the main railway links out of the city in South London, Dallas and Angel, the guys behind DnA Factory work tirelessly to produce the most incredible work. Crammed to the rafters of their studio I found countless ephemera and object d'arts used as inspiration for their work further surrounded by their signature drawings, paintings and incredible high gloss sculptures. DnA met while students at Goldsmiths College in the early 1990's and have shared this studio space for several years. Their clients read like a who's who - in a global context. It is refreshing to see that these guys begin with initial drawings to work through their concepts, generating collage constructions from found materials before creating their three dimensional pieces. Lolita (DnA's fictitious character) crops up quite frequently across their work in a variety of guises, forms and outputs and surrounds the studio space. DnA's work is loaded with passion, anxiety, character and love and possibly any other emotional response you care to mention which gives their work the kind of depth that can, as high art does, appear elusive and exclusive to the general viewer. However, these guys communicate their thoughts so eloquently and thoughtfully that there clearly is no hidden agenda or sly means of revenge that we need to be afraid of (their work simply has depth) and they are so wonderfully nice too that I cant help but want to be a part of it all. These guys are inspiring and passionate about their work and I can visualise all types of contexts using DnA's work within a commercial environment without wishing to undermine their clearly thoughtful concepts. Dallas and Angel have worked with some of the major retail players developing and executing the most incredible concepts, so, if you haven't met or seen the work of these guys, what are you doing? If you happen to be in New Orleans (USA), swing by the Good Children Gallery or very soon at the Multi-Species Salon (also in New Orleans) to get your fix from this amazing work. In the meantime these guys have to be on your speed dial and at the front of your contacts list. Dallas and Angel can be contacted via info@thednafactory.com or check them out through their website at www.thednafactory.com .In the mean time, like me drool over these images and feel cleansed too.

Image Courtesy and Copyright DnA Factory

Tiffany, London

Well Summer is virtually over here in London after just a few weeks of warm weather, but that's living in the UK for you. Tiffany's windows along Bond St. here in London, always seem to create these wonderful narratives wrapped up in a game of hunt the jewellery. Tiffany's product presentation of course oozes the quality one would expect from such a luxury brand (although I do wish they would do something with their dated interior). I haven't quite worked out the narrative here yet, as the wooden articulated hands hold postcards with images of exotic places (well exotic from a London perspective) together with the pieces of jewellery that one would have expected would have been contained within a letter? Maybe the jewellery in this context is being used as a reminder, a kind of personal romantic reminiscence of wonderful experiences from places visited and experiences shared, who knows. However, one of the elements that I do particularly find fascinating is what I call postcard 'realities' and how the images of places presented are not always as they actually are. The lighting is altered, dramatic clouds digitally enhanced behind the image of the Taj Mahal, the deserted palm tree edged beaches which in reality are crammed full of lobster coloured tourists baking themselves until they resemble old saddles or worn out leather handbags (we don't see that in the 'idealised' image do we?) Anyway, whatever the brief given here and how the outcome has been achieved, one thing we can always be assured of is the quality of the product.

Harrods, Buenos Aires

Image copyright La Nacion

Further to my post earlier this week, my Buenos Aires contact very kindly translated the newspaper article that she sent to me announcing that Harrods Buenos Aires was due to re-open. It is a considerable article so I can only offer a synopsis of it here. However, this store first opened on 31st March 1914 and was in fact the only branch of the store we know so well here in Knightsbridge, London. This store has been closed over a decade (since 1998) and the worked planned renovating it back to its former glory will cost, it is estimated, more than £25m. The new store will "conserve the model of retail store by departments" distributed across five floors. "The upper four floors are planned to be used for hotel services and offices." In a frozen scene from when the store was last open "black and White barbers chairs are still subtly leaned". "The ceilings and floors will be conserved...as well as the marbles, bevelled glass, and the covering of the impressive columns" . Within the article it also mentions how two doormen, one very tall and one very short would receive customers with an umbrella on rainy days and even the managers offices still have pictures hung on the walls of the celebrities of the time. This is such a fascinating insight to times long gone. With Internet shopping so prevalent this is perhaps indicative of an interesting cultural shift towards shopping habits -albeit locally - and maybe what customers actually want after all? Time will tell. However, as creatures of habit, and our love of nostalgia, perhaps (depending on which sources you read) 'Internet shopping only' customers may still not be in the majority for a little longer?

Images Copyright La Nacion

Banana Republic, London

This really must be the best scheme from Banana Republic that I have recorded to date. The overall scheme is based on 'Life at Work' with stacks of newsprint piled around the figures in some windows and the multiple use of these umbrellas printed with newsprint designs in another (as above). I also had flash backs to the, was it the early 1980's? when the Newton's cradle was marketed as an executive toy (or executive ball clicker as it was affectionately known) firstly by Harrods here in London. Of course it actually dates back much further than that and actually is a great example of both the conservation of momentum and kinetic energy (perhaps the information around this is a little too complex for our purposes within this context). However, although this is an electonic version it is nonetheless great fun and speaks to me on all sorts of levels. I must go in to the store and see if this has been carried thoughout the site. Job well done guys.

Two Point Nine Design, Australia

Its always so interesting to find new contacts within this industry and a wonderful pleasure enabling people behind them to communicate their work on this site particularly from a global perspective. With seventeen years experience under his belt, Michael McBean has recently launched Two Point Nine Design in Melbourne, Australia. “Small businesses particularly, as well as large corporations in Australia are realising the importance of Visual Merchandising within their stores in enabling them to maximise their sales.” In addition to this “Clients witness financial growth within their business”, says Michael. Michael enables retailers to create stimulating and visually exciting environments – a much needed creative input to so many brands out there in the world. To date clients have included Cradle Rock (children’s vintage on-line retailer), Borders as well as a variety of other influential Australian brands with future projects planned for a Fashion Vintage store. I am really excited that Visual Merchandising is being taken seriously beyond the major influential design capitals of the world such as New York, London and Tokyo, so I guess watch this space and I’m sure Melbourne will be one of our next destinations in search of inspiration and creativity. If you happen to be in Australia and you need a consultant Michael McBean at Two Point Nine Design needs to be one of your must have contacts. Contact Michael :- Michael@twopointnine.com.au

Dior, London

I saw this scheme at Dior in New York recently from the images sent by my colleague in New York and loved it immediately. These 'clouds' of what appear to be ping pong balls, ironically similar to the molecular structure of water are suspended within this scheme either hovering above the merchandise or carrying merchandise itself. And as in the image above, a fully dressed mannequin. The simplicity and sophistication of this scheme is incredible. While this scheme has been here along the Dior store in Sloane st. for some time now, I haven't had the opportunity until now to recorded it for you. However, this is definitely their best scheme for 2010.

Harrods, remains closed until 2013

Images Copyright La Nacion

OK, don't panic, I'm not referring to the monolithic shopping destination based in Knightsbridge. Ironically, I have always questioned the Knightsbridge, London, world famous department stores strap line, "There is only one Harrods". The reason for this is that I do remember reading about this store in Argentina a long time ago in one of the Sunday newspaper supplements (which I always regretted not saving but must be archived somewhere) although this store has been closed for a long time. Anyway, in a recent article sent to me by one of my contacts in Buenos Aires (Argentina) it transpires that this old store which if I remember correctly was actually a branch of the original here in London - although dont quote me, I may be wrong and I need to do more research - during a period of great wealth in South America is actually due to re-open in 2013. I also seem to remember reading that anyone wealthy at the time when this store was open, sent their laundry to Paris because it came back smelling so wonderfully 'fresh' (although I may have made that up). However, the site remains a sad reminder of faded glory, at least for now. Although, how exciting is this? Unfortunately my Spanish is very rusty so I will have to dust down my dictionary to translate the newspaper article and accompanying video sent to me to find out more information for you. In the meantime, here are just a taster of the visuals of the existing building from a whole selection sent to me. I am really looking forward to seeing this open again, and really hope they maintain the character of the existing structure itself which after all would be one of the main reasons to see this store. This store must be on your list of places to visit and if you get there before me, be sure to send me some images. In the meantime will the new marketing strapline be "There are only two Harrods"?

Images Copyright La Nacion

Liberty, London

I had been wondering if anyone out there in retail world would link in their window schemes with the Surreal House Exhibition currently at the Barbican here in London. I visited the exhibition myself several weeks ago and was rather underwhelmed I must say, particularly as the Barbican usually present some incredible exhibitions and I did leave it feeling rather uninspired and feeling 'well so what', also particularly as the Maison Martin Margiela exhibition at Somerset House was so incredibly exciting. Different kinds of exhibitions, I know, but this is how I felt. Anyway, what I would recommend is visiting Liberty here in London to have a look at their installation which is fun beyond belief with product tied in to their own version of Surrealism. OK, it doesn't quite have the depth of the original, but it doesn't matter. Of course Salvador Dali designed windows in New York which is another interesting historical link (I seem to remember in 1939 for Bonwit Teller the long gone department store). What has been created here is, of course, to the usual exceptional standards this team at this brand are known for.

Harrods, London

Image courtesy of Justso

Its quite odd to view Harrods with their blinds down from the outside looking in while the team work through the night to bring us their latest scheme. Its also incredibly exciting and I am dying to see what the final scheme will look like. Fortunately we have a tiny preview to whet our appetites from the latest scheme being launched. "In collaboration with UK based visual communications agency ‘JUSTSO’ (London), has turned the world famous Knightsbridge windows into a visual tour de force of the globe’s most stunning architecture fused with the A/W 2010 collection from iconic brands such as Valentino, Armani, Fendi, Givenchy, Bulgari and D&G". Knowing how hard these guys work I imagine the scheme will be completed very soon, however in the meantime here's a little snapshot for you all to enjoy. Also check out http://www.justso.eu/ they certainly are one of those must have contacts for your address book.

Image courtesy of Justso.

Nicole Farhi, London

If I didn't live in a house that is 110 years old (at least) then I would certainly live in a loft apartment, particularly one of those old factory conversions (as long as I had a wonderful terrace with incredible views of course). Nicole Farhi, along Bond St. here in London have managed to capture my desire within their scheme in a wonderfully simple statement that captures that feeling of an artists studio in some very cool part of town. I love the paint brush stokes in vinyl on the fenestration and the series of artists canvasses strategically placed within the scheme. The figures as always are impeccably dressed in a way that only this team seem to know how. I have been following this brand for quite some time and this year they certainly are leading the way while the multiple brands seem to be struggling their way through the seasonal calender. Anyway, thanks to the ever talented team here we are continually being entertained, provoked and enticed into their stores (I was even drawn in myself to have a look around)

Daks, London

Daks, London, Rescued.

Daks, London

Who is shopping at Daks these days? If I'm honest with you, I have absolutely no idea. I have seen some incredible schemes from this brand over the years and at this store in particular. They have gone through some interesting concepts and they are obviously a wealthy brand if they can maintain a presence along Bond St. here in London but who on earth is shopping here right now? Clearly the product is incredible and beautifully produced, however, this really must be one of the dullest presentations I have seen of 2010. Big words, I know, I appreciate that these things are easy to say when one doesn't have to come up with a solution (however, I am available to work with you to come up with a solution) although if we say nothing then these 'things' are accepted as 'OK' and yet are they? From a potential customer point of view, this is a great space to shop in and a great opportunity to make this brand so wonderful, but I do feel looking at this brand that it lacks anything that would entice me in. Come on Daks, we know you can do it, so please lets see something a little more desirable than a dull large format graphic from a studio somewhere anonymous behind the product and can we see it change a little more often too?