BVLGARI, London

We quite like this Gold and historical referenced scheme at Bulgari right now.  We've seen the use of Gold cropping up in a multitude of schemes around the world and therefore it is no surprise to see it at this lux-brand.  We can also see of course the use of historical imagery and a nod towards nostalgia - another key trend that we will see happening very soon here in London with the Queens Jubilee.  But goodness knows what the rest of you around the world will be doing then.  Anyway, these incredible Golden 'fixtures' which give the illusion that they are spherical (but aren't) really make this window really zing, don't you think?

Marina Rinaldi, London

Apparently, 'Colour Blocking will be the major trend for SS12'.  According to Marina Rinaldi's site, 'a rainbow of colours, chromatic contrasts and unique combinations of shades will overwhelm us making this season even funnier and brighter'.  Yep, we're laughing as we type.  Anyway, that said, we do actually like the dynamic strength of this scheme as the monochromatic tones do create a powerful image.  We could do without the marketing malarkey however although we are following her instructions and working on becoming 'the woman who adores playing with contrasts which become distinguishing traits of her personality'.   Heheheheheh, you really couldn't make this stuff up, eh?

Alexander McQueen, London

We had to start the week with this incredible scheme at McQueen (apologies for the dreadful and unintentional rhyming).  Anyway, how wonderful is the merchandise here?  Just delicious.  We would possibly have had a scheme with a lot more detail and possibly some kind of narrative if Laurent was still here (please come back to London?) but still, the merchandise is amazing at least and we will just have to accept the large format graphic images that support it.

Banana Republic, London

One week later............clocks still there then.........

Miu Miu, London

We are really trying to love what this brand do, but, unfortunately big bling just doesnt float our boat and therefore we only just quite like it.  However, does that matter?  Well, no, it doesnt.  Anyway, with their big bling attitude these guys are bringing and blinging their way from the high street.  Go and take a look and see what you think?

Jack Wills, London

We haven't always said kind things about this brand, and well, they did appear, at least from the out side looking in to have no clear direction - fair enough?  However, we are gradually warming to what they are doing and they clearly have their fingers on the pulse of the latest trends.  Here we have the 'Art' trend that we have seen from some of the luxury brands in New York, such as Fendi, filtering further down the high street to the multiples.  We still prefer Anthropologie's version, however these guys are looking rather cool, don't you think?

Moschino, London

It was a genuinely wonderful surprise to see this scheme at Moschino recently.  This brand, at least at its London store, tend to use a lot of out-sized props in this gorgeous space.  We're not always fans of what they do, however, hands up, the props here are superbly produced.....the detail is fantastic and our mouths watered at this sight.  How cool do these guys look, hey?

Oasis, London

How cool is Oasis looking right now?  We've been following their recent schemes as they really are doing some fun stuff.  In conjunction with our gorgeous friends at SFD, the team here have produced this incredible London Fashion week scheme.  These rotating mannequins dressed in their latest cool merchandise move as if appearing from a giant cuckoo clock, complete with winding keys.  The colours and tones, the movement and the various layers, from vinyl graphics to the life-sized cuckoo clock structure create a really fun scheme and we are so incredibly excited that this brand are rocketting from the retail background once again.  Watch this space we guess......

Jaegar, London

We rarely include Jaegar on this site, however their London Fashion week scheme is so incredibly on trend that it is wonderfully painful.  We love the 'wired' look that we've seen around the world recently both in product, in windows and interiors.  Anyway, we thought we would share out delight that this brand have done something so delicious that we had to include them again.

Banana Republic, London

Oh VM gawd help us....not the repetition of clocks......again?????  How may times do we need to see this on the high street...like we've-never-seen-that-one-before?  Strangely we really do like what this brand do and the team are clearly more than able to produce quality schemes, so we suspect this is one of those global-head-office-completely-out-of-touch-with-what-is-happening-anywhere-else kinda schemes?  The out-sized angle poise lamps look great (although Harvey Niks did the cut out malarkey a few years ago).  Cu'mon guys....your implementation is superb but the concepts are dated, done before countless times and we're bored, bored, bored with the same stuff dredged up time and time again.  If we say nothing, then we accept everything as it is...and that's just not right, is it?  Follow your own strap line.....'work different'??

Cheap Monday, London

We havent received our invitation to the opening of this store yet......we expect its in the mail, although we already have one of their cloth bags that they tied to the tree surrounds on Carnaby street and had a sneaky view inside of their 'wired' interior.  It does look cool so we are quite excited to see the finished product anyway.  Subtle?

Selfridges, London

Have you seen Selfridges latest scheme yet?  We saw it a while ago but have only now had the chance to  show you here.  Anyway, do take a look.  The night we checked it out some of the windows were in darkness so quite hard to record, however, this is abstraction at its best.  With its Bright Young Things installations this brand continues to support the latest and greatest - pure benevolence or marketing malarkey? who knows?  Anyway, someone is doing it and that has to be applauded, right?

Pink, London

With their out sized illuminated lettering, we could agree more with Pink's statement.  This is another trend that we've seen appearing on the high street across the world, so clearly these guys have their fingers on the pulse of it all. Debenhams and House of Fraser have recently used out sized lettering and / print blocks as have a number of other brands such as Upla in Paris and we also saw this at Pret-a-porter.  Well done guys.....this looks really cool.

Zara, London

We've included the new scheme at Zara for a few reasons.  Firstly it is of course enormous fun, but also as we've seen an increasing trend to using Clouds in schemes - yes clouds.  Anyway, from the current scheme at Harvey Niks in Dubai, the Apple store along Regent st. here in London, J.P Metal America and Le Bon Marche in Paris we've seen this trend bubbling up around the world.  It may only be an emerging trend and completely coincidental although interesting that very unconnected brands around the world are picking up on this nonetheless.

Matches Fashion, London

Images Courtesy and Copyright Matches Fashion

We adore Matches Fashion right now.  How cool are these guys?  Did you see the Post-Modernism exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum last year?  If you did you will instantly recognise where these guys are coming from.  The exhibition itself included our own particular favourite, Venturi's 'Learning from Las Vegas'  (images from our own personal research in Vegas can be viewed in the pages above).  The exhibition itself also included outfits worn by Leigh Bowery in Michael Clarke's production, 'Because we must' at Saddlers Wells Theatre, which we saw in 1987 - yeah we know..!  Anyway, if you missed the opportunity then you missed an enormous gem as one of the most recognisable trends right now is the influence of Post-modernism in store windows and the Bauhaus in some product.  One only has to look at the current schemes at Burberry and Hermes to confirm this.  Matches Fashion 'wanted to capture and communicate some key visual motifs across this period to create some super-bold visual statements! The concept links directly to one of the biggest trends of SS12 "New Neon" and focuses on a powerful and iconic window display & translates through our in-store environment, the scheme also features pieces of Neon artwork by www.godsownjunkyard.co.uk'  '

Debenhams, London

We've never included this brand on this site......even after all of this time.  They don't normally do anything that particularly draws us in, although of course they do what they do very well and have a particular target market that they clearly understand.  However, we were rather drawn in to this scheme as it is massively on trend.  We've seen a few schemes with outsized lettering, printing blocks, stacked letters and so on.  Here we have out-sized lettering in corrugated cardboard in a kind of locker room environment.  How cool are these guys, eh?

Fortnum and Mason, London

With their usual massively sophisticated style, the team at Fortnum and Mason never fail to impress and draw us in.  This is a style 'of the old school'  and very much in tune with this brand and therefore it is clear that the creative team really do know their market.  After all, it would be rather odd for this brand to adopt a 'global' look and we are at least glad they don't.  We occasionally see products from this brand on the shelves of only the best retailers in the world - thankfully the brand values here are in very good hands.  Anyway, you must go an have a look at their fabulous newly launched Jubilee scheme at the store right now (and do make sure you check out the exterior of the store too).  If you cant, then luckily for you we made a short video which scans the installation here and can be found at our Youtube channel: http://youtu.be/1xMrhdlYc98

Miu Miu, London

We strangely like this addition to the Miu Miu scheme right now.  OK, well we do tend to groan a lot about motifs (and there are clear reasons not to use them) however what the guys here have done is as always superb quality and works really rather well even if we are exhaling a weary sigh.  Happy Valentine's then.......

Mathew Williamson, London

Well, we guess its that time of year again.....groan......we're not huge fans of heart motifs...well motifs anyway just make us nauseous, but luckily the scheme at Mathew Williamson is actually rather cool.  Now, in order to appreciate this we had to make a video.  While it is in HD, this scheme rather confused the camera so it does blur a little while it finds its points of reference.  Anyway, check it out here:  http://youtu.be/egyRFZQNPRs

Whistles, London

Images Courtesy of Whistles

Its so incredibly interesting to see Geometric patterns and designs featuring in store windows and interiors at the moment.  One only has to look also at the trend pages of various magazines and newspapers to see the influence of the Bauhaus and Post-modernism - our favourite period.  At Whistles under the creative directorship of the clearly talented James Sheppard, this brand has never looked so damn good.  We love whats happening here and how incredible to see this brand shout just a little louder from the high street after years and years as a shrinking violet - wonderful.

Burberry, London

It is so interesting to see the Geometric trend coming through at various brands at the moment.  We can see it at Hermes and Whistles right now.  Strangely,  Burberry seem to move from their usual over sized brand motif to some really interesting schemes.  Of course the product is absolutely delicious and it is refreshing not to see a graphic in sight, so how wonderful to these gorgeous colours and shapes in conjunction with the beautiful product.  Job interestingly done we think?

Nicole Farhi, London

Wow, have you been down to see the Nicole Farhi scheme on Conduit street?  Sadly the lovely Jamie Shouli has now left the brand, however, he has returned to create their latest installation, which of course has his wonderful handwriting all over it.  This is quite a difficult brand to work with visually and since the brand moved from the gorgeous Bond street site, the windows are very hard to work with also, we think?  However, with these wonderfully suspended natural forms supporting the beautifully made product, we cant help but wish the cold weather away.  We've been following Jamie's work for some time now and loved every scheme (we've covered most of the schemes here).  Anyway, the very good news is that Jamie hasn't left the country and you can tap into his knowledge and skills by contacting him at  jamesshouli@me.com 

On the Streets, Paris

On the streets, Paris, 2012

Louis Vuitton, London

Have you been down to Bond Street to see the new scheme at Louis Vuitton right now?  Well probably not as its just been completed, so here it is for you all.  The use of horses in schemes has been bubbling up for a short time, so here you go....not just absolutely on trend but leading the way in their usual show-it-like-is-style, confident as always with a quality of finish that most can only envy.  We love it.  Its freezing cold in London right now so we made a video for those of you reading this in far more exotic places and cant get to see this scheme in person to enable you to experience it a little better than static images.  You have to forgive the shaky camera work as we were shivering while we captured this - but absolutely worth it.  The link: http://youtu.be/gQy_3ChcgCM  

Diptyque, Paris



Images Courtesy of Diptyque



If you happen to be along the Boulevard St. Germain then you must go and have a look at Diptyque.  We love the product at this brand so it is even more fortuitous that they have just launched Eau Rose and Rosa Mundi within an imaginary garden of ferns, ivy, tropical plants - a tropical paradise in the freezing weather, just wonderful.  The promotion only lasts until March so if you happen to be along St. Germain, and lets face it, this is the best place for shopping in the world, then do go in and enjoy this incredible experience.

On the Streets, Paris