Gant, London

We love this scheme at Gant right now...!  This is probably one of the best we've seen from these guys recently, and which really hits the mark.  The nostalgia references are absolutely on trend and the execution just beautifully produced.  The attention to detail is incredible (we had been wondering who we had been bidding against us on eBay for these copies of 'Life' magazine and clearly these guys won).  Great fun and definitely worth checking out if you can along Regent st.

Oasis, London

Images Courtesy and Copyright Hawkesandforman.com

Wow, Oasis just keep getting better and better, don't they?  Working in collaboration with the clearly ever talented Hawkes & Forman this brand looks so incredibly good.  Oasis is another brand that appears to be breathing life into itself after a long period of appearing to gradually disappear from the high street, however with creativity in tandem with a commercial mind at the forefront and an obviously confident backing, we're dying to see where they go next.  Fun and creative yet promoting the product and the brand as the place to shop = job well done.  What do you think? 

Burberry, London

Clearly Burberry can do  no wrong right now and they have certainly upped their game and looking incredibly good.  The product is gorgeous, the experience is second to none and they look so damned good.

Wallis, London



Images Courtesy and Copyright DisplayOne / Wallis

When did Wallis start looking so fricking cool, eh?  With so many brands on the high street; most looking so identical that one can only wonder how they ever make a profit?  However, Wallis is screaming through the malls and high streets across the country that once again they are a force to be reckoned with.  In conjunction with the incredibly talented guys at Displayone.co.uk Wallis looks good again.  We finally have something to say about these guys and are therefore gladly sharing the love.  For so long, this brand seemed to whither away and only just about teetered teasingly above the parapet keeping us wondering whether they would be 'doing the walk of shame' back to the Green room of no-brand-land and sitting on that no-brand-land-couch with Barratt Shoes, Woolworths and The Pier while we all stood back and wondered.....'wha' happen'.  But, now..........taadaa....someone clearly has their finger firmly on the pulse and breathing some life back into this monolithic company.  Just watch this space, we want to see what they do next - no pressure though guys.

LampArt, UK



Images Courtesy and Copyright Jessica Gill

Whether for photographic shoots or props for in store then these gorgeous lamps by Jessica Gill are clearly a must for the Summer season that ooze the warm glow we all need right now.  Up-cycled, re-cycled and beautiful found objets d'arts are transformed by this fabulous Artist into these amazing pieces.  Our favourites are the Golden Seaweed Lanterns, so check out her site and see what she can do for you http://www.jessicagill.net

Duchamp, London

We've never included Duchamp in this site before, although that's probably because they don't normally do anything very interesting.  However, we stopped in our tracks on the way to the tube last night, in between the downpours of rain to capture this little gem.  What a relief to finally find something creative at this end of Regent street that grabbed our attention....and we weren't the only ones either;  while capturing this scheme with is gorgeous nostalgic references, which of course are absolutely on trend right now with prose from the timeless Wordsworth, several tourists were doing the same and sharing the love.  We finally have an anchor at this little abyss at the end of Regent street here in London and will keep an eye on these guys to see what they do next.  Job well done we think.

Mathew Williamson, London

Aren't the colours used here at Mathew Williamson just so wonderfully vibrant?  Over the past few months we've seen an increasing use of balloons in schemes around the world from Loewe in Paris to French Connection here in London. We've placed them all under a kind of 'air trend' in conjunction with the use of clouds that we've seen at places such as Zara (globally), the Bon Marche in Paris and even being used at the Apple store.  Schemes at this brand can be a little 'hit and miss' although this one does look rather cool, dont you think?  We would had far more of these balloons in place though ourselves however and added in some giant ones at that.  Still, the product looks superb and is of course after all, king.

Ralph Lauren, London

We haven't included Ralph Lauren on this site for some time now.  This is not to say of course that the guys aren't always doing something special, however we were rather compelled to include this scheme simply because it is so beautifully and elegantly produced.  This scheme oozes sophistication and the tones used here are so wonderfully delicate that we just want to step inside this scheme and be a part of it.

Alexander McQueen, London

As always, the guys at McQueen continue to deliver the Uber quality schemes that we always expect from this brand.  Here's a fantastic example of a fashion-led scheme to create the outcome, i.e. take the product and design around it accordingly.  Of course, at McQueen everything presented is done so to within an inch of its life and with the attention to detail that keeps this brand at the pinnacle of design and us at the Ubermensch (the higher state to which we aspire)

Imagine Group, New Mannequin Collection 2012

If you happen to be looking for a new range of Mannequins which encapsulates, Design, Functionality,  Innovation, Quality and Difference, then look no further than 'Imagine's' brand new collection, 'Seven'. At the Imagine Group, a fabulous contemporary venture by the ever prolific Bob Volpe (and incidentally one of VM industry favourites) began as a purely bespoke manufacturing business in order to provide for brands on the high street with the opportunity to cost effectively develop a whole new mannequin collection or a wide variety of VM solutions no matter how big or small the budget.  Of course if one has a budget on the larger size and has multiple stores to stock with some of these little beauties then this is no problem.  Alternatively why not develop a brand new collection which is absolutely exclusive to your brand in order to support your brand differentiation? With very competitive prices you must get 'Imagine' on speed dial.  So what are you waiting for?  Your competitors don't just 'Imagine' it, they're doing it.

Cos, London

Someone at Cos is clearly a huge fan of Margiela as we see reference after reference from the incredible luxe designer whose work we adore ourselves also.  With their 'runner rail' of crisp White Shirts in various cuts we just love the simplicity of Cos's schemes and their direction.  We were so wonderfully overwhelmed with the Margiela exhibition at Somerset house here in London a few years ago that we actually saw the exhibition 5 times (Yep..!) Anyway, with their very sophisticated yet ever so simple schemes, it makes us want to shop here, although unfortunately we do need a little more differentiation with the in store product as Zara does what these guys do but cheaper and Selfridges already stocks the higher price point stuff that is worth the extra.   But, in the meantime we can admire the view which as ever is absolutely free.

BHS, London

We're just a little shocked that this is the second time we have included this brand just a few weeks apart, having never included them ever before.  Well, hats off to these guys, as they clearly have their fingers on the pulse of the high street and the latest Visual Merchandising trends.  OK, well, we're not particularly overwhelmed by the large format graphics, but, well that kind of stuff is what the corporate environment is all about, however, to be able to sneak in a few glorious bits of 'display props' simply elevates this (and lets be honest, very dull brand) into one which appears to be rising like a phoenix from the high street ashes and with a wonderfully and carefully thought through injection of creativity.  Of course we want to see more, although large leaps could kill the considered move towards what are perhaps attempts to make this brand just a little more interesting.  In the meantime we'll keep a distant eye on what these guys are doing and hopefully the CEO will read this (and we know all CEO's love to read blogs about their brands)  and support these guys..........we want more creativity BHS...! (else......just go rogue and do it anyway and lets see what you guys can really do?)

Desigual, London

We have such insatiable appetites for creative schemes which is why we are always on the look out for the latest and greatest.  At Desigual, these guys do produce such fun schemes that we are ever more thankful that we live in our modern western society (bring on the sinning and debauchery).  If Desigual had installed this into a window in the Middle East where we have recently been showing you schemes, with their references to-dare-we-say-the-word-sex,  then they would probably have found themselves in prison for a few days - bonkers, eh?  Thankfully here in 'GMT' we can express our thoughts, poke a bit of fun and celebrate our fabulous freedom to entertain, to be creative and say what we like (with respect to others of course).  Thank goodness for democracy and the creativity that enriches us all and make our lives a lot more interesting and enjoyable.  Rock on Desigual and your creativity.....lets keep it coming?

Diptyque, Paris



Images Courtesy and Copyright Diptyque, Paris



If you want to see how fragrance and candles can look so cool then look no further than Diptyque.  The wonderful thing about this brand, from a visual perspective is that the concept of globalisation is cast aside and localised creativity appears to be key.  This is so different from the London store and yet each equally looks just so incredibly good.  If, like us, you love to shop (or at least look or be seen) along Saint Germain in Paris, then do drop by and take a look here at La Boutique du boulevard Saint Germain and allow yourself to be drawn in.

VM & Display Show, London 2012

Electrosigns

Have you been to the VM & Display show here in London yet?  Well if not here's a snapshot and some of our favourites pieces from the show.  We adore the neon from Electrosigns that we showed recently courtesy of Matches Fashion Boutique and of course DZD are looking as cool as ever; what a fantastic concept for a Christmas scheme or event?  (If you want to see more of what they do just click on the link on the right hand side of this page)  Millington Associates of course are rocking with their incredible technology; we are truly stunned by what these guys are producing right now.  Technology is clearly the future.  New collections are being showcased by the guys from Panache with the launch of their Jersey Kids collection and Matt Wingfields incredible creativity drew us to them immediately.  We recently showed some of the mannequins produced by the french company 'Window Mannequins' at Bloomingdales in Dubai which we absolutely loved and Rare Basics have launched a semi-covered (in fabric) mannequin with a high gloss finish; the poses of these are so elegant how could one not snap these up immediately and interestingly enough, Topshop are showcasing another one of their collections at Oxford Circus right now which we will include shortly.   If that's not enough the lovely guys from Blacks can produce your complete scheme from start to finish.  You only have today and tomorrow to get yourself to the show at the Business Design Centre (nearest tube is Angel) and we guarantee that you wont be disappointed.  This show rocks. 



DZD



DZD

Millington Associates

Panache

Matt Wingfield Studio



Windows Mannequins

Rare Basics

Blacks



Salam, Dubai

We do love having a scout around Salam although it always feels a little like they have closed the store just for us as there is absolutely no-one else here and there is complete silence.  Eerie and dull but visually really cool.  This also must be painful for the sales staff;  after all how often can you rearrange the same fixture?  But anyway, every area   within this store has been carefully considered and creatively produced but sadly we only have the squeaking of the soles of our shoes while walking across the glossy floor to amuse us.

Bugatti B>More, Dubai

Like a beacon of creative hope at the Wafi Mall (the one with the hideous plastic Egyptian theme), Bugatti BMore shouts its presence.  Sadly the Wafi is almost always empty of people and the number of empty shop units here is quite surprising.  This is a shame really as there are some little gems of stores to explore including the department store Salam which looks very cool, but it appears to be dying a very slow and painful death given that the Mall of the Emirates has its ski Dubai and the the Dubai Mall is so vast that we can only do bite sized visits and is jammed full of shoppers after 4.00pm.  Anyway, with their fingers clearly on the pulse, Bugatti BMore have a least three current trends here with their wired, Neon and of course the references to Fine Art with its nod to Mondrian.   

Galeries Lafayette, Dubai

It somehow seems so odd to see a Galeries Lafayette in a Dubai Mall, although here it is.  We're guessing that this is another franchise of course, just like almost every other brand here, although most of these stores do manage to maintain the brands' standards that one would expect.  Anyway, we haven't had time to have a scout around inside here and although the schemes here are interesting they do seem to lack the sharp cultural references that we see in London or New York but then there is so little in the form of cutting edge stuff happening around the country to draw upon, the most being Madonna in concert and censorship is painful so we have to overlook this for now.

TWG Tea, Dubai

Even in its franchise faux-ness, we thought TWG Tea looked rather impressive.  How clean and crisp is this presentation?  OK, well its not the most exciting thing in the world right now, although these guys clearly know how to merchandise product and this is so shoppable and so teasingly fully replenished that we were very tempted - but resisted at least for now.  We may go back and take a longer look at this small but perfectly delivered space.

Hermes, Dubai

Wow, we are loving the 'street' approach by Hermes in Dubai right now.  How cool are these guys?  These massive window schemes and their urban approach with their use of graffiti in conjunction with their gorgeous luxe product, how could anyone not love this?  How this is translated in store we're not quite sure as we only had a fleeting visit but this is a refreshing change from the global corporate schemes that we see on our travels from luxury brands, mid-range and dare we say 'value' (OK, cheap stuff) that we see everywhere else.  These guys are so fricking cool, it hurts and we love it.

Harvey Nichols, Dubai

What an enormously fun window scheme at Harvey Nichols, Dubai.  We made a bee line for this store just to see what the guys here were doing and we weren't disappointed.  As usual, with their brilliant wit and humour the team here have presented a kind of underwater theme.  If you happen to be at this fabulous anchor store at the Dubai Mall then do have a look at this incredible scheme.  They have a big push with Illimasqua too which breaks up these huge windows and fabulous wig and make-up on their Rootstein's Erin O'conner mannequin.

Valentino, Dubai

We're not entirely sure why, but Valentino never seem to do anything very interesting in their windows.  We've seen these stores the world over and every single store simply has the product displayed quite simply.  Of course Valentino is master absolute of the fashion biz, so we guess its a case of why try and gild the lily?

Laboutin, Dubai

How incredibly fun is Laboutin's store?  We were drawn in immediately, particularly as they also have an exhibition area just outside in the main walk way. The interior of the store is a little disappointing, although this may be because the outside is just so amazing and exciting.  A variety of materials have been placed on the outside of the fenestration in a whole variety of colours and his signature shoes placed so beautifully that why would anyone not want to own a piece of his work?  Just delicious.