Dolce and Gabbana, London

We do feel that we have been on a bit of a rant mode this week (again) but really, do we as customers have so suffer mediocrity and banality for much longer from luxury brands who, of course want our cash?  We feel that the answer is a probable no.  Here at D&G we do love the bird cages with shoes contained within them, and while it genuinely does look great.......we have seen it all before countless times.....Louis Vuitton and even Oasis did this previously.  Therefore, this 'theme' has already done the rounds and we do expect a lot more from a brand that charges such huge amounts for their merchandise and yet is supposedly at the forefront of design.  We just have to exhale a weary sigh once again and hope that they move on and put someone creative in control.

Asprey, London

The quality of schemes at Asprey (we no longer say.....and Garrard.....apparently they've split but we don't talk about that bit) is its usual fantastic quality and we absolutely adore these British brands with such a massive history; one cant buy that, only buy into it and the tourists love it.  Anyway, the scheme here looks great but the videos do rather jar with the static scheme.  Maybe we are being a little picky or perhaps niggly, but it just doesn't turn us on.  It looks great.....we really, really want to love it (as it is brilliant quality) but we just feel that it ticks a box and job done.  Disappointed really......Merry Christmas then.....sigh.  Why dont you guys project a bit of fun?  Entertain us, not just tick a box?

Moschino, London

Oh VM Gawd help us.  A mannequin squatting on the roof of  faux house in a cage?  WTF is going on with this brand apart from feeding us the fodder to giggle about it?  There is clearly something rather unhinged about this brands presentation, although not in a clever way.  The schemes here always appears to be an attempt to be 'oh so arty' and 'oh so misunderstood geniuses' when the outcome is actually quite banal.  Oh you know that we provoke and poke, at least a little and this brand never bite.  So far so good then, but dreadful scheme none the less.

Belstaff, London

We cant help but love the humour behind this simple yet perfectly pitched scheme at Belstaff right now.  Clearly the team here have really thought about what, with regards to their products, sums up this brand and yet communicates that its Christmas without being intrusive and taking over the whole window scheme.  Brilliant stuff. 

Alexander McQueen, London

We do love to go and visit the McQueen store here in London now and again, even if just to will some of the merchandise out of the window but mostly of course to view the latest schemes.  Here we have an image of the Taraxacum (oh ok, dandelion to most of us) gently blowing its seeds into the wind and placed behind the product.  The product itself of course oozes the fantastic personality known from this brand and as always is absolutely stunning.  Another simple yet beautiful presentation from the team at McQueen.

Daks, London

'D' for Daks or 'D' for Dull?  What a shame this brand isn't just a little more exciting?  We are willing it to be, but the word 'frumpy' just springs to our minds.  Unfortunately a big thumbs 'D'own for this scheme.  But, you may think otherwise?

Cos, London

Ooooohhhh......we do like the anti-Christmas scheme here at Cos right now.  Change the colour of that lighting and who would know?  This is clever stuff and Cos are really 'cutting it' with their clever subtlety.  The simplicity is fantastic, the wonderful 'fine art installation' approach is looking so fricking cool and we are loving it.

Selfridges, London

If you happen to be passing Selfridges soon here in London, then do go and take a look at this incredible window.  Love Creative from the Uber Cool city of Manchester and in conjunction with the lovely guys at Millington Associates have created this incredible scheme for the Johnnie Walker brand as part of the Christmas offer.  This fabulously theatrically themed window draws inspiration from the complex flavours of the Walker brand and and introduces the striding man as the central man to the scheme.  We love this video and do also check out the agency behind it.  We did, and wow are these guys are fricking good.  www.lovecreative.com

LOVE. Johnnie Walker, Selfridges Christmas installation from LOVE. on Vimeo.

Etro, London

The schemes at Etro appear to be falling into a bit of a formula this year, don't you think?  The scene seems to change and the mannequins appear to move around different rooms in the country mansion somewhere European but the formula is still here.  We actually do really like this scheme in many ways although 'that' mannequins arm at the forefront of the image looks a little freakish, doesn't it?  Anyway, the layers of interest are here and it looks wonderfully glamorous (but that mannequins arm still looks freaky....;o)  We're just saying what you were thinking.

DKNY, London

Sporting their Hearts for Haiti Campaign, DKNY is looking rather good, don't you think?  Of course, motifs make our eyes smart but given the campaign and who  its for we are doing our best to look past this for a worthy cause.  However, could we possibly find something beyond the literal please and have something a little more hard hitting and dare we say that Charritttee can be De rigueur can't it?  If not, then why not? 

Nicole Farhi, London

We love the latest scheme at Nicole Farhi right now.  Unfortunately this store usually switches their lights off at night time so its always difficult to capture their windows most of the time.  But anyway, thankfully British daylight saving time has allowed a window of opportunity to capture their latest offer for Christmas.  We love these animals surrounding the mannequin and product.  So simple yet perfect for these window spaces which are not very forgiving usually.

Louis Vuitton, London

It seems like an eternity since we last included this brand, so we are really pleased that the latest scheme has been launched here at their Bond Street Maison.  The colours of the merchandise, of course, is absolutely stunning and the scheme has these extraordinary fan shaped structures filling the surrounding space complete with highly polished silver coloured wish bones and clovers.  A delicious scheme from this top luxe brand.

Zara, London

We like a good bit of Zara and in particular their flagship stores where they are a little more experimental.  Here at one of their larger stores the installations while of great quality of course, the interest is not so appealing.  Gawd it really must be Christmas soon and looks like Copper and Gold tones will be appearing all around town and in huge quantities we guess.

Esprit, London

We passed this brands scheme here along Regent st., London yesterday as the latest one was being installed, therefore this scheme is a little out of date now.  However, this one was quite dull anyway so it doesn't really matter anyway does it? (we're not sure if the latest one is actually much more exciting) but just in case.....strap yourselves in......and we will reveal the latest one shortly in order for you to decide.

Lanvin, London

Oh.........we really do honestly try and love what this brand do, we really, really do (wry smile).  But when we are presented with the hangman scenario it really is so, well, very difficult.......don't you think?  We know the product is luxurious (well, actually bloody well damn pricey if the truth be known) but do we really want to wear fashion from a scene that eerily communicates dead men's clothing?  Isn't that the reserve of Chaaaarriittteee shops? (thrift stores for those of you stateside)  Anyway, here we have it....Lux-arity without that awful smell....we know you are thinking it so...we're just telling it like it is.

Dior, London

We've been seeing this 'flight' and 'space' theme happening around town a lot recently and here at Dior its all about the seaplane.  Yeah.....we don't know why either.  Anyway, apart from the wiggy looking wigs (do the same team dress Chanel?) it works beautifully from a tonal perspective, but apart from that.......ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz................next (not the brand of course) 

Anthropologie, London

Ooohhh we do love a bit of Anthropologie.  We are always stunned at what these guys do and their re-use of old materials in order to produce such exciting schemes.  Here we have several layers perfectly spaced and focusing on our eyes on the scene beyond.  Why cant more companies adopt their working methodology?  This localises creativity and really does put the Art and Design back into windows.  We love it.

Brunello Cucinelli

We don't think we have ever included this shrinking violet of a brand just around the corner from the obnoxious smelling Aber-Zombie store (which always looked so much better as the Jil Sander store, albeit for just a very short time).  Anyway, we love this kind of mood board of a scheme at this store; this is particularly interesting.  OK, well some of the drawings are.......well.......crap really and a little embarrassing to show the world...... and so hilariously shamelessly too......... we're gasping in amazement and amusement.  Golden rule Number......'something'......never show what you cant do.  

Liberty, London

Well, its that time of year again.  Christmas really does creep around so quickly doesn't it?  We've been dying to see what Liberty would do and here we have it.  All aboard the Liberty Express.  Corny we know but anyway, we love the glitz and glamour oozing from these windows.  Fantastic.  

Ozwald Boatang, London

We aren't entirely sure how we feel about the presentation at this brand.  We want to love it, but it doesn't really do anything to lift our boredom of men's suits.  Still, they've given it a whirl and thankfully at least we have something to look at?

Dorothy Perkins, London

Images courtesy and Copyright SFD

Wow, who would have thought that the brand Dorothy Perkins would actually look so cool?  We are quite stunned at this transformation.  We rarely include these guys and tend to give it a wide berth as we like to seek out the less ordinary.  However, hands up, this brand looks incredible, don't you think?.......whats that?  But its the Kardashians.  Well, yes, but you know what, it works and works well.  Its still a bit of a shame that the brand is called what it is and the 'mother ship' have considered a brand name change over the years as it is so incredibly dated (maybe there is an opportunity now?).  That said of course, if they are making it all work then fantastic.  Well done guys, you have done an amazing job with this tired old gal of a brand and it really is stunning. 

Hobbs, London

OMG, WTF is going on with Hobbs?  Oh we do wish that these guys would raise their standards, in fact we are sending you guys creative vibes as we type.  This is just too awful to even comment, isn't it?  We've decided to include this brand in the hope that someone somewhere within the brand reads this and grabs this frumpy 'ole puppy by the throat.  We've all said sayonara to the likes of 'Woolies', the Pier, Barratts and so on.  Will this brand be one of those where we all say, 'Oh do remember Hobbs? maybe not, but in the meantime guys, do you really think anyone is going to steal merchandise from your windows? (remove the tag.....the jacket is not hand spun by nuns in Utopia, is it?)
 

Juicy Couture, London

Whats going on with Juicy these days?  They launched in London quite some time ago and looked so incredibly exciting, but now look like a suburban retailer that has no cash to spend and have moved into an old DIY retail space in a very dodgy part of town.  Of course this can be cool if you happen to stock luxury brands, but this market stall approach just undermines what they do well.  It seems obvious that no-one is looking after this brand in London; indicative by the lack of retail standards also.  How long does it really take to put the vacuum cleaner around such a tiny space?

Cos, London

Cos is looking so hot right now.  With each scheme we are drawn back again and again.  Clearly there is someone here very creative looking after this brand.  Look at the fabulous detail and the thinking behind the simplicity of this scheme.  That said of course, the backdrop is hanging like the old laundry at our local dry cleaners.  If these guys get the finish right (and dust occasionally) they would look brilliant.  Don't you think?  Creativity is in place, possibly staff development in understanding the importance of presentation is in dire need? 

Church's, London

Have you noticed how cool Church's shoes has become lately?  We're loving the product here and definitely going to pop by and take a closer look.  We always enjoy the Britishness of this brand and they do occasionally produce a great presentation.  However, would someone tell them that the Olympics are over?  Come on guys, you're looking great but lets get rid of the references to sports? 

Timberland, London

Wow, we love the direction that Timberland is taking right now.  We've been  looking at this brand for quite some time and they are clearly becoming stonger and stronger visually which is a great sign for such a large global multiple brand.  We dont underestimate how hard it is to keep on top of the 'visual' of such a massive company so this is paticularly great to see.

Biba Exhibition, Brighton, UK

 

Wow, have you been to see the Biba Exhibition yet at Brighton's Museum and Art Gallery?  This incredible retrospective of one of the UK's movers and shakers of yesteryear and current Miami, (USA) interior design guru has to be seen.  We savoured every moment and talked to some incredible people who were actually there and who shared their fantastic memories of the coolest place to shop, possibly ever?  Anyway, the dark cavernous shop which apparently smelled of a mixture of bodies and marijuana was one of the first places where communal changing rooms became cool and boyfriends actually shared the experience.  The stores blasted out the sounds of the times and celebrities endorsed their products during this 'Peacock revolution'.  It is always romantic reflecting on these times, but.........we want to go back again and again.  A huge thank you to those who shared their amazing memories of this period.