Asprey and Garrard, London

It was a pleasant and refreshing experience to see the final installation of 2010 from Asprey and Garrard recently.  I havent always liked what they do but I must say I am rather surprised and pleased to see such a sumptuous and beautifully produced nod to the season without being too obvious.  I think the fact that we can now see a little inside the space really adds to the appeal here too and gives a wonderful sense of space around their installations which perhaps have looked in retrospect a little claustrophobic over the year.  With this gorgeous purple 'leafed' background and repetition of radiating forms on which product has been placed on and around, we are ending the year on a high note with this brand for which I am really pleased.  Go and have a look at their Christmas tree too - magical stuff.

Boutique, One New Change, London

I haven't been to One New Change yet - London's newest shopping Mall near St. Paul's Cathedral.  One of our regular readers however sent this incredible image of some bust forms wearing lingerie.  OK, well, whats so odd about that I hear you ask?  Well, if you look closely, these are very hairy hessian covered bust forms wearing lingerie.  Bizarre hey?  I don't know who has produced these bust forms as I don't recognise them from any UK based quality manufacturer's collections, but with their dreadful cut out heads too I just don't know what these guys here were thinking?  Why on earth would you put gorgeous delicate lingerie on a hairy old bust form?  Of course I appreciate that the hairier female is attractive in some cultures (but we're not viewing Eastern European Olympic athletes from the 1970's if you get my drift?) so I cant imagine why this boutique have done this?  The seasonal and obligatory snow on the floor surrounding these forms can only make it look like the lingerie has badly chaffed these figures and left  piles of skin flakes making this even less desirable and with the merchandise hanging like an old rag why would you want to shop there?  I empathise with independent retailers like this to a point, although you get what you pay for and if you wont invest in quality Visual Merchandising kit, then I'll just have to swing by and tell everyone.  I am shuddering as I write.