Jack Wills, London

Here we go, more and more cut out graphics.  However, Jack Wills, which although is not our favourite brand in the world does actually look very cool and urban and we like that.  This brand looks absolutely right for its target market and obviously kicking in the Back to....well wherever, but just so well.

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Monki, London

When this brand opened its doors just a few years ago along the iconic Carnaby street here in the centre of it all it looked so incredibly promising.  However, while cut out graphics are seeing a bit of a revival right now (and these ones rotate too) the execution is, we have to say it, and you know it pains us, but so very poor.  There is a potentially interesting concept that just needs to be squeezed harder here.  The lettering font of the vinyl on the fenestration is just so wrong, the rotating cut outs like one of the post slimming adverts and the backdrop crinkled and torn. C'mon guys we're sure you can do better than this?

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Oasis, London

You guys at Oasis are having far too much fun we think with your schemes. OK we're just kidding with you as we adore what you are doing and how fantastic to see the creativity perpetually coming from this brand.  Giant tea cups in collaboration with the ceramicist Peter Ting with a fauna backdrop for London Fashion week is leading the way with the LFW schemes right now.  Thankfully this is one brand skipping that Back to School period.  Phew.  A welcomed relief.

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Bershka, London

Gawd we didn't think that we would see the day that cassettes and ghetto blasters would become retro, but there you go, that's life.  With their out sized props and 'We Are Analogue' strap line, Bershka just keeps getting better and better with each scheme.  Beautiful highlights, fantastic props and perfectly styled; what more could we possibly want?

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Lanvin, London

This is probably one of the best schemes we have seen here at the London Lanvin store (the Paris store seems to have the best ones).  With such a simple scheme that really does 'pack a punch', we are rather impressed.  Maybe it is the ever so slightly sinister edge about this scheme which is drawing us in with its painted Black shadows, recycled old doors and mannequins with pinched angular faces. We are just not sure what it is quite honestly.  But anyway, the image here looks like the kind of thing one would view in a coffee table book but simply turn the page and move on to the next image without really thinking about it?  This wasn't intentional.  That said we are so pleased that this brand looks so good right now.

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Coast, London

We're loving the huge of injection of creativity into this brand at the moment and this scheme with its fast pacing Rolodexes (or Rolodices depending on where you live) is no exception.  And my goodness these things flip over super fast, so much so that we spent ages trying to capture the word 'fun' in our image.  One of the great things about this scheme (actually there are several great things about it, but one in particular) is the amount of movement here in these tiny windows which really does grab the attention of the passers-by.  Job well and truly deliciously done we think.  

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Debenhams, London

We have never seen Debenhams looking so damned good.  We rarely stop to capture the windows here as they tend to be so ordinary and of course we understand their market but always wish they they would do, well, something.  And they have.  Just take a look at this fantastic gem of a scheme.  Supermarket shelves, sprayed shopping trolleys and fantastic mannequins in coloured wigs sprinkled with delicious products.  Debenhams finally looks amazing and we wanted to shout about it.  

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Scotch and Soda, London

We have really warmed to this brand and have seen some interesting schemes coming from them recently.  This scheme we guess refers to the Scandic collection launched on their website and contains some delicious photography in a repetition of various sizes format.  Thankfully this is one brand which has a certain amount of manoeuvrability within it which enables them to adopt a variety of looks.  Just check out their website and particularly their blog to see what we mean.  We may even need to swing by when they are open and make a few purchases ourselves ready for the London winter season.  Looking so cool right now.

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J Crew, London

We're quite impressed with the 'Are you a collector?' Denim props here at J Crew.  OK, well stacks of books have been used countless times although we find ourselves being drawn to the interesting backdrop and the way the text on text has been used.  BUT, lets sort out that dressing guys?  Those armless bust forms are doing you no favours whatsoever and a cap on a headless a bust form, criminal.  We always cringe when retailers put caps on bust forms like this and even looking at it right now as we type our toes are curling and buttocks clenching, its just so wrong.  We just have to tell you; a cri de coeur if you like.

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G-Star Raw, London

We've noticed quite a lot of cut out graphics recently across several brands so clearly it is a key trend happening right now (although when does this never happen, really?) OK, so here's our thinking.  We do have to say that we don't not actually like what G-star have done in the slightest (and who cares what we think anyway) however wouldn't it have been just a little more interesting if the brand had adopted some fine Artist techniques such as below (we forget the name of the artist now but captured this image recently at a show here in London).  This is not to suggest of course that the brand should have copied what the artist has produced, after all that would be plagiarism and that should be given a very wide berth.  We have a hint of a narrative within the G-star window but look beyond the images and well there isn't very much else, is there?  Even flicking a few inadvertent shadowy-naughty-boy V's or a surreptitious shadow of a penis only noticed by the few would have at least given us something to be vaguely amused by or possibly offered a bit of a girlie giggle and probably a bit more social media coverage, but no, not a smidgen, non, no way Jose, nothing.  Missed opportunity possibly or is our thinking just a consequence of our malaise?

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Proportion>London, London

Images Courtesy and Copyright proportion>london

Proportion>london, the leading UK manufacturer and supplier of retail mannequins, bust forms and display accessories have just announced their recent completion of a management-led buyout.  The team, Antonia D'Marco (Sales Director) Tanya Reynolds (Creative Director) in conjunction with the appointment of the current chairman of Gieves and Hawkes Mark Henderson we know will take the company into pioneering territory and support our industry needs well into the 21st Century.  There are very exciting times ahead.  With such a distinguished heritage and well-respected reputation within the visual merchandising industry, proportion>london's client list reads like a who's who of fashion retail, spanning global luxury fashion brands and high street multiples. Clients include M&S, Ted Baker, All Saints, Chloe, the list goes on and on.  New proportion>london product collections launch at their Clerkenwell, London showroom September 1st too. This includes Capsule; a female bust form and accessory concept, Boudoir; a lingerie and hosiery range and Theory; a female, young fashion fibreglass mannequin collection.  If like us you have an insatiable appetite for new things then just get in contact with these guys to view their delicious new additions for yourself http://www.proportionlondon.com/.  

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Brooks Brothers, London

We haven't included this brand for a while so we thought we would give them another go and see what they are doing.  The brand of course is very 'state side' in its presentation although we're not so sure that this is so aspirational to the European customer?  Maybe you know better and love this brand but that 'preppy' look is a little dated for us but not in a vintage cool way but just past its sell by date.  But anyway, that's not to say that the presentation isn't there, because it is, although we do get a feeling that their warehouse filled to the brim with old props somewhere out of town has been raided and then the found bits placed within the space to support the graphics here rather than an interesting concept developed and produced that has some level of depth?  That said, there clearly is a market for this stuff and perhaps this is all we are ever going to get; we just want to see something a little less ordinary that's all.

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Coach, London

Grrrrr......Wild Things.  Check out these windows at Coach right now.  OK, OK, we photographed these on the ever security concious Bond St. here in London which of course at night time, even though there is a security presence is actually very quiet and therefore the need for the security grilles which kill our images, but then with the ever growing 'smash and grabs' it is understandable we guess.  Gorgeous animal heads, beautifully executed and of course ties in perfectly with their website.  Nothing better than joined up thinking.  These guys are clearly communicating with each other in house.

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Hackett, London

Gravity defying mannequins and bust forms have been appearing a lot lately on the high street (check out our entry on Harvey Nichols for example).  With their gambling references and 'if there's no risk, there's no reward' strap line, Hackett as usual are leading the way with their menswear presentation and strong narratives.  If you want to see menswear windows at their very best and currently most interesting then do check out these guys.

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DKNY, London

This is probably one of the strongest windows that we have seen from this brand in a while.  Very impressive photography and flashing images in a repetition format.  Nothing more than that here although it did stop us and encourage us to take a closer look so job well done we guess.

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Lladro, London

We haven't been to visit these windows other than passing quite quickly after a little Sunday worship at Fortnum and Mason.  We adore these origami fish and well, the product fills a gap in someone's life we guess and while it is appreciated that these guys have clearly made an effort its just such a shame that this scheme looks so meaningless?  Cu'mon guys this isn't rocket science.  Begin with the product and build a scheme around it, taa daa, a product led scheme.  Done.  

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