Anya Hindmarch, London

If you happen to be along Bond street then do go and check out the new scheme at Anya Hindmarch right now.  This brand have comparatively small windows within which to work and their schemes don't always tend to photograph very well because of the heavy security grille behind.  However this little gem stopped us in our tracks while we dodged the pouring rain we've had.  A very talented taxidermist has woven their magic over these little ducklings as they look particularly good, and dare we say 'fresh' to help create this simple narrative.

Pull and Bear, London

We don't often find Halloween schemes here in London as everyone seems to skip from 'back to school' or London Fashion week etc. straight into Christmas.  Here at Pull and Bear, who incidentally do produce some great schemes which we often forget to include and have their latest offering beaming scarily on to the high street.   Great fun scheme and refreshing to see this event back on the calender.

John Lewis, London

Possibly the most talked about (and certainly written about) is the Christmas scheme at John Lewis right now.  If you thought this brand were stuck in a time long forgotten then you couldn't be more wrong.  These incredible creatures produced from everyday objects was produced in collaboration with the ever creative team at Chameleon and Billie Achilleos is quite a corker and how refreshing to see such innovation and a whole lot of fun on the high street again.  There is a VM God afterall. 

VM and Display Awards, 2013

If you happened to be at the VM and Display Awards on Friday then we're sure you had a fantastic time...!  This year was introduced by the fashion Designer Wayne Hemingway, co-founder of the fantastic Red or Dead and currently HemingwayDesign.   A huge congratulations to all the winners which included Urban Outfitters, Harvey Nichols, Bloomingdales, Ferrari, Topshop, House of Fraser, Topman, Hackett, Bentalls, Harrods, French Connection, Selfridges, Jaeger, Nike and Miss. Selfridge.

Ermenegildo Zegna, London

Images Courtesy and Copyright Elemental Design

If you happen to be anywhere near Harrods here in London any time soon then do go and have a look at the new Ermenegildo Zegna installation which celebrates the 50th anniversary of their Extra fine Wool trophy.  The installation tells the story of the process from raw material to completion leading the customer on a journey through the space.  The mannequins above are stood on this incredible bespoke glass and brass staircase complete with stunning large manufacturing cogs of varying sizes which communicate the process and are used to show some of their accessories.

Tods, London

Nothing amazingly revolutionary or entertaining but just a good old fashioned 'nice' scheme.  Large format graphics and product on tables in a step / pyramidal format.  It isn't going to rock the world or even raise a tiny smile; it just is.

Etro, London

Well, looks like the Etro scheme has kicked in full force.  With references to the pending 'big' season, Etro is leading the way with Green wreaths and, well, other bits that we cant quite make out.  Anyway, the screens here really are quite magnificent and probably cost a  pretty penny to install so goodness knows they will be squeezing their monies worth out of this little gem.  What we did particularly enjoy viewing is how they have customised their bust forms for this scheme.  Finally some experimentation.

Fortnum and Mason, London

We have been dying to see what this store would do next and as usual they never disappoint us.  As we always say, if there is one brand than can handle this type product then this is the one.  Our photographs don't really do this scheme justice so if you happen to be passing by along Piccadilly at night time then do go and check them out as the lighting here is so superb and the products glisten and sparkle beautifully that the whole installation can only be truly appreciated through experiencing it.

Liberty, London

If you saw this window at Liberty when it was covered in a vinyl with its tiny reveals then, taadaahh.....here's whats behind it and the new sneaker boots are here (incidentally when did we all become American?  No offence to our readers in the US but we are British and European and we call them trainers and no big brand will tell us otherwise).  A combination of Nike and Liberty, yes it is.  We don't like the product.  The presentation is however superb, fun and exactly what we would expect from Liberty.

Cos, London

We were a little bemused initially when we saw the latest offering from this brand.  However, with just a minor bit of perseverance (really very minor if you are sat at home on your computer) we did find that this was a rather exciting collaboration.  If you follow this link, all will be revealed..http://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/cos-x-patternity  Very interesting indeed.

Daks, London

We have seen the use of these spools recently across a variety of brands at the moment from luxury all the way down to the mid-range brands so clearly they are on trend right now (although they also were around two years ago but we know you wont tell anyone)  Still, this installation at Daks is quite a corker, don't you think?  We're not huge fans of some of their installations although this one is very interesting and particularly love the references to the hand made which highlights the superb quality of the product.

Topman, London

If you ever needed an example of Visual Man-dising then here it is.  We've always felt that Topman is quite a difficult brand to make 'interesting' although these guys always seem to manage very well.  OK, well its lots of 'males' looking up at a mirror image of themselves so we could read all sorts of stuff into it but we have a feeling that it simply is what it is.  Anyway, it does actually look rather dramatic none-the-less.

Warehouse, London

Wow, Warehouse have a personality after all?  For such a long time this brand appeared to sink deeper and deeper into the retail no mans land (wherever that is) ever since their break up from Arcadia.  However, bit by bit they seem to be clawing their way back up onto our radar and doing some innovative stuff.  We cant remember what the signage on the fenestration said, so we're not sure if Wool week is approaching?  Anyway, little lambs in a repetition format.  Abstract, for sure.  Attention grabbing, definitely.

Desigual, London

From just this one little window along Regent street, Desigual really does scream out their presence.  We always look forward to what they will install and this week we have these beautifully coloured forms creating a theatrical set layout.  Will you do something with your other window at this store though?

H&M, London

What fantastic fun is this scheme at H&M?  These guys are thankfully not shy in injecting some fun onto the high street and this little gem is no exception.  Giant knitting needles, a giant tape measure and giant knitting.  We've see a few references to knitting recently, in fact we seem to remember reading (but do correct us otherwise) that John Lewis has had or have a section within their store dedicated to encourage men to get knitting.  It really is a pleasure to see that the 'old' craft skills are being encouraged again and the notion of the handmade and therefore some level of sustainability, whether directly or indirectly is supported by the high street.

Burberry, London

Burberry really is rocking London and beyond so brilliantly.  Thankfully the days of regurgitating their signature pattern into as many formats as possible seem a long way behind and every single scheme oozes the luxury that this brand is all about.  We love these articulated arms and hands projecting from the background and holding and presenting such a wide range of their product.  So much more interesting also than the usual shelves and plinths adopted by so many other brands on the high street.

Bershka, London

It is so interesting to see how some of the key trends are translated into stores, don't you think?  Last week we posted images from Fendi who used La Rosa mannequins with punk hairstyles, just yesterday images from London's subcultures of the 80's and here we have Bershka.  This is a particularly interesting example of how these key trends diffuse from exhibitions, luxury brands and all the way down to the mid-rangers.  What is the most remarkable of course is the fact that it is happening so quickly and therefore almost flattening the usual curve from Rogers Theory of Diffusion.

Subcultures of the 80's Exhibition, Old Selfridges Hotel, London

If you are anywhere near Selfridges here in the centre of it all then do go and pop around the corner to the old Selfridges hotel and check out this incredible exhibition in conjunction with the ICA.  Subcultures of the 80's, at least for us is a flashback to halcyon days.  The likes of the sadly missed Leigh Bowery who made the whole period so colourful and memorable are referenced as are Body Map and the House of Beauty and Culture to name but a few.  Wonderful times and we even have some (and more) of the flyers in our scrap books as below.

Hackett, London

Images Courtesy and Copyright Melvyn Vincent

If you happen to be along Regent street, then do check out this scheme at Hackett.  With just a short while to go, their new flagship will open in the old Ferrari store further along this iconic street; its so close that we can almost taste it.  Very exciting stuff.  In the meantime, we love this scheme at their existing store.  A bit of greenery, a bit of taxidermy and and whole lot of styling.  This brand is so exciting don't you think?  And, isnt it so damned refreshing to see a menswear brand ooze not just a bit but of fun, but barrels of it.  Men like to be entertained too.  Yes, we do, and these guys draw us in time and again to spend, spend, spend.  Oh those devils.

MCM, London

Oh Jeez.....what can we say really?  Comic strip-like exploding mannequins and handbags?  No, not quite.  We do really want to like this brand, but well, truth be known we were scrabbling around for something else innovative in Knightsbridge but no, we found MCM.  We've never known anyone here or actually know much about the brand, however, clearly luxe, but who knows what they are doing, do you? 

Versace, London

We haven't visited this brand for quite some time.  Is it us or have they lost their edge and look a little like this is the kind of merchandise one would expect to find on a market stall somewhere in a dodgy part of town, but with a high price tag?  Or, is it that this brand is so copied that the merchandise one can view in the dodgiest parts of town just appear to emulate it?  Oh anyway, who cares really?  They certainly aren't paying our salaries so we guess we can assume anything.  This probably is one of their better schemes, just for its simplicity really.  Illuminated floor, one mannequin, brand logo behind.  Bring on the VM revolution we say.

Alberta Ferretti, London

We haven't seen anything interesting coming from this store in a while, but wow, looks like they have got their act together and looking rather hot, don't you think?  OK, well, we have seen film strips before now but as the previous schemes here were, shall we say, lacking in any personality at all, yes, lets just say it, this really is a leap forward.  

Louis Vuitton, London

We only occasionally step beyond the LV Maison on Bond st. as they always produce such magical schemes.  The smaller stores of course always have not just smaller versions of the flagships stores, the format for which we would normally see from mid-rangers, but a whole different personality.  This store along Sloane street has a combination of these same sized cubes in a diagonal format on which the product has been placed in addition to a format similar to a hyper-matrix kinetic wall.

Tom Ford, London

We haven't seen this store since it opened a short while ago and have actually only seen one other from this brand during our visits to New York.  Anyway, while the visual merchandising is not the most exciting ever that we have seen, it is of course superb quality and naturally the focus here is on the product itself which knowing the Tom Ford brand is the best quality your hard earned cash can buy.

Harvey Nichols, London

If you remember the 80's in London then you will know exactly what we mean by references here to Leigh Bowery.  Bowery of course was nearly always on the front cover of ID magazine in particular in his black sunglasses, or rather several of them glued on top of each other with White tippexed eyes, crash helmets covered in large sequins or ink poured over his bald head and usually seen wearing high heeled boots inside high heeled shoes which gave him a gigantic stature.  Anyway, with possibly references to Bowery here we cant help but be catapulted back to halcyon days and of course as always in adoration at what these guys present. 

Fendi, London

We are growing more and more to love what this brand are doing and cant wait for their new store to open along Bond Street.  We've decided to change locations this week and refresh the stores we are looking at so its Knightsbridge all the way this week.  Here at Fendi with their furry interlocking signature 'F's and punk style Mohicans are great fun.  The colours as always perfectly selected.