Anthropologie, London

We've been searching the markets all week to view some of the key trends in props and naturally have come across some delicious finds.  Of course Anthropologie always do this so damned well anyway, so we might as well just swing by and get our 'fix'.  If you haven't been to see this brand recently do go in and have a look.  This is definitely the place to see if you need inspiration.

Chanel, London

..........and here's that shade of Blue again.  Chanel have been very visually poor for such a long time, only really noted as we would have expected this brand to be a leader on the visual front.  However, with the launch of their new store along Bond street recently, this scheme is definitely one of their better ones.  We still don't like these pin head mannequins, but the we 'get' the narrative here and the scene does actually work very well.  There is a VM God after all?

Tiffany, London

Repetition of these beautifully produced radiating forms are absolutely on trend right now.  OK, well this type of Asian paper parasol has been done countless times before, but the mini scale with just one piece of gorgeous jewellery highlights the luxury of this particular brand, don't you think?  We're also seeing this shade of Blue quite frequently at the moment around town, particularly at some of the Luxe brands so no doubt the laggards will be following shortly?

Guess, London

Globalisation and mass brands are not exactly our favourite things to look at, particularly when so little skill is involved in implementing schemes such as this.  The layers of graphics of course work very well suspended in a 'gravity' fomat but the images themselves are of the usual hideous lifestyle that make our you-know-whats clench.  Still, there is a market for this kind of malarkey and some people clearly love this stuff; just not us.

Juicy Couture, London

This is a much cleaner scheme at Juicy right now, well certainly compared to their usual installations.  OK, well it is just a panel with letter form and a vinyl on the fenestration so hardly revolutionary but certainly much better than the stuff we've seen before.  We just wish they would dust once in a while.  Dust bunnies galore in this store along Regent street.

Harrods, London

Images Courtesy and Copyright Minki Balinki

Have you seen the delicious handbags currently at Harrods yet?  Those ever talented guys at Minki Balinki were commissioned by Loewe to reproduce their cult classic Amazona bag alongside the likes of Mulberry, Fendi and Chloe.  The bag itself is produced from these highly reflective tools suspended by 132 vertical transparent wires from a bespoke steel grid to recreate this giant handbag.  Absolutely stunning, don't you think?

Lanvin, London

Now this is an interesting scheme from Lanvin.  So often we are really quite critical of their schemes as they aren't always the best executed ones in the world, although this is a bit of a winner in some ways.  We love the boxy dogs in leopard which look almost like pieces of Memphis furniture, wouldn't you say?  But, how tight are those trousers?  Ouch..! squeaky.  

SFD, London

Images Courtesy and Copyright SFD

We're big fans of this retail supplier and how fantastic to view their amazing showroom.  With the recent launch of their new ranges, SFD have also just produced this incredible new scheme; the Art of Retail.  The scheme features four of their White mannequins with cans of different coloured inks placed above them and slowly dripping down onto the mannequins heads.  As is the unpredictable nature of the drips each figure looks completely different and over a series of weeks the cans will be refilled slowly building up layers to create four uniquely covered mannequins.  Why cant we see more of these things happening out there on the rest of the high street?

Hackett, London

Oh those clever boys at Hackett have done it again.  How different is this scheme to their previous ones eh?  And we are loving this direction.  We're guessing this refers to a particular part of their collections and what a fun narrative.  Perhaps slight references to the 'Avengers'? (the 1960's British Version).  Oh who knows,  but fantastic guys, keep 'em coming; you are rocking the high street....! 

Retail and Visual Merchandising Calendar, 2014

As the nature of the Visual Merchandising business demands that we work often many months in advance and key trends Spring / Summer 2014 already out there in the public domain, what better way to help you plan ahead than your very own 2014 Calendar?  This one produced by the ever creative Red Border highlights not only the key events but reminders well in advance of them happening in order to help you prepare.  Whether you are a small retailer or a global player this fantastic tool really helps to keep things organised.  Launched today, go and check out the Red Border site and order your very own http://www.redborder.co.uk 

Issey Miyake, London

We haven't included this brand in absolutely ages, probably as they don't do very much visually but the merchandise is always so incredible.  This light box installation hasn't changed in a few years but now and again when the brand launch a new special product we see at least little excitement happening.  Here we have a promotion for the Pleats Please perfume which we are guessing has just been launched.

On the streets, London

We just loved this sign at the beginning of Carnaby street that we just had to share it with you.  We regularly look at what is happening on the streets as well as within the windows and this key element to the journey to Sale looks particularly cool, don't you think?

Prada, London

This an interesting scheme at Prada with their use of both horizontal and vertical lines.  The merchandise has changed slightly since we took this image a few days ago but we prefer this version ourselves.  With their almost concrete-like background Prada is cool particularly cool.  So many of the luxe brands of course are beginning to show their A/W collections but in this particularly freakishly hot weather here in London, fur jackets and heavy coats are look rather odd.  Are they actually selling much of it?  Who knows?

Brooks Brothers, London

In this sweltering London heat, Brooks Brothers have hit 'it' right on the nail with this scheme.  A tropical paradise and the holiday season is summed up in this scheme.  If you are in London right now, a big cooler box filled with cold drinks is just what you will need.  This vintage coke one is super cool.

Cos, London

Is it us or does there appear to be some kind of abstract arty theatrical production, possibly in a local theatre going on here at Cos?  Can you imagine the scene?  Man meets lover when wife walks in?  Or is it, man confronts wife's new female lover?  Man has dinner with new lover while wife (possibly dead by now?) hovers ghost-like in the background?  While the scheme actually does look incredibly slick in reality (although dust bunnies galore on the floors as always), looking at it from a greater distance there does appear to be some kind of an ever so slightly sinister narrative going on here, don't you think? 

Esprit, London

Finding schemes which are not in 'Sale' is like trying to hunt for Unicorns.  Few and far between if they exist at all?  Anyway, thankfully at least Esprit is emerging from the curse that is Sale time if only in just one half of their run of windows.  If you have ever been into one of the larger LV stores or 'Maisons' then you would have seen trunks like these in various combinations of luxuriousness. Here of course this prop is not in the finest leather money can buy but in the finest cardboard.  Still, a simple and clean scheme which is much appreciated in the sea of Red that is London's west end right now.

Liberty, London

There's something very pop about Liberty right now.  What a fun way to show Accessories, home and all the the bits this brand sells don't you think?  We've seen similar schemes in our time of course but we do love the quality that this brand projects to incredibly well.

Gucci, London

Its always so difficult to to photograph the windows at this brands store along Bond street as everyone is so security conscious, however their Sloane street store is bigger and better anyway, and Gucci is sporting these blinging swings which present the merchandise.  All luxuriously produced to perfection of course.

L.K.Bennett, London

This is such an interesting scheme don't you think?  We weren't quite sure when we first saw it and how we felt about it but we do love the pixels and slightly blurred window.  The merchandise in the below image could have been presented rather more effectively of course as it does look quite value retailer, but an interesting scheme nonetheless?

Roberto Cavalli, London

We were a little surprised that we haven't included this brand before now.  Bizarre, eh?  This may possibly be due to the fact that the brand rarely do anything interesting.  But look at this little gem.  We've always seen this brand in the same light as Cardin; i.e. over done and not very interesting, although the original work from both brands was incredibly exciting.  Anyway, we screeched to a halt when we saw this scheme.  We are not massive fans of the easy solution large format graphic but we love this one.  Just look at this colour Red, just stunning and the merchandise is to die for; delicious.

Fendi, London

There's a strong whiff of Buckaroo going on here at Fendi, don't you think?  Those of us of a certain age may remember that jittery old plastic horse onto which one had to place the various pieces of baggage such as the cowboy hat, the shovel, the saddle, the frying pan and of course lets not forget the dynamite.  Of course the aim was to place as much 'baggage' onto the old delicate springy plastic horse to avoid 'excess vibration'. i.e. the stuff shot off when the horse or mule bucked, so to speak. (you really couldn't make this stuff up).  Sadly in 2006 Buckaroo was considered unsafe; it was launched in 1970 and considered unsafe in 2006?  The usual health and safety gone bonkers then.  Anyway, a great fun scheme here at Fendi and a romantic look back at times gone by.  Looks like the nostalgia trend is back again then.

John Lewis, London

We don't often include John Lewis for some unknown reason, although they do produce excellent quality schemes.  In celebration of the Coronation Festival, John Lewis have included these four dresses from their archives of sketches and prints from 1953; the year of the coronation.  How incredible is this?  We wish these guys would do more of this stuff.  In the meantime, we love this installation.

Harvey Nichols, London

If you happen to be in Knightsbridge here in London then do have a look at Harvey Nichols right now.  Wow, isn't this scheme stunning?  Layers of foam, tonnes of feathers and very glossy uber sexy mannequins rocking the latest fashions.  

Selfridges, London

Thankfully new schemes are beginning to come through so that we can now move away from Sale schemes. Here at Selfridges, with the launch of their new Denim Studio, everything is bathed on Blue, including the building here.  The windows of course look superb, so we may well include a few more images later this week.  Blue wigs, blue denim and blue just about everywhere.  Cool, clean, masculine and absolutely on trend.

Pull and Bear, London

Chain mail Sale scheme at Pull & Bear, London.  Particularly useful if there is an explosion, apparently?

Uniglo, London

This scheme slightly reminds us of the 'new age' collections between 1989-1990, don't you think?  Everything went White for a while, albeit with glittery bumbags and Silver trainers. Anyway, this is a really fresh scheme from Uniglo, oozing the coolness we really need right now.

Cos, London

We really are running out of schemes to show you right now as its all Sale, Sale, Sale, (unless you know otherwise) so here we have Cos.  There aren't many Sale schemes of interest around town right now apart from the current amazing Hackett scheme which we showed you recently who always make such an incredible effort; this is always very much appreciated.  So, we are reduced to showing you this one.  OK, well actually this isn't terrible in the slightest, these guys have very difficult spaces to work with and clearly have a wonderfully dry sense of humour.