Legs 11: Selfridges Denim Devolution takes Shape

Selfridges destination denim stretched its legs and stepped out as the World’s largest dedicated denim studio.

 

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No idle fascination this 2500 square metres throws a curved ball at the conventions of category collections with Selfridges claiming jeans from £11 to £11,000 in a range of over 11,000 pieces.

Denim journeys unfold past acrobatic mannequins and parades of pillars bedecked in blue. Our denim fabric focus, our fibre fascination is satisfied in the special space of the “Fit Studio,” the designate “Denim Taylor.” Denim specialists guide the traveller through the myriad of cuts, fits and fashion washes, ensuring every curve is flattered, every nerve un-shattered by the burden of choice.

For those with individual taste and dreams of denim devolution the Denim Taylor offers the perfect “nip” and “tuck” and the promise of a creation from scratch to satisfy the itch of even the most demanding denim devotee.

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Make the most of your category heroes…

The Streets of London – Primark’s Second Coming Stands Tall

OMG for HMV. 9000sqm of fashion oxygen was injected into the East side of Oxford Street with the opening of the retailers second flagship store in central London on the site of what was once HMV.

 

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One year on, and with an extension looming the Primark band-wagon shows little sign of slowing, and why should it. The Oxford Street second store proving to be a watershed moment bringing tears to the eyes of competitors across Europe.

The design marked a more contemporary move from video walls, walk-through entrance tunnels with wall to wall graphics, the continued evolution away from impractical table displays to hanging garments and a variety of display developments inspired by the relatively new visual merchandising department.

And so the empire grows across now established markets in Spain and Portugal and through the still largely unexplored but potentially massively profitable cities of Germany and continental Europe with plans to cross the Atlantic. A watershed in deed!

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Are you at a crossroads moment in your retail history?
What does the future hold for your business?

Kaleidoscope Kiko: Colour with Confidence

The Kiko Kaleidoscope engulfs the assortment of sunglassed shoppers, adding sparkle and excitement, converting bright young things into dark heroines.

 

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Colour blindness soon recedes to an appreciation of order and authority in regimented rows of ranges and categories coordinated and segmented by size, colour and collection. Kiko carefully controls its space avoiding the chaos that such a vibrant product range could create, overpowering the customer and sending them in rapid retreat to locations of dull salvation.

Walls present logical essential categories and accessories where ranges are relayed with simple packaging and ordered colour palettes, whilst the floor modules present the personality permutations, the possible personas afforded by the clever coordination of eyes, lips, nails and skin.

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In a world of oneness the steady growth of Kiko across international boundaries is certainly not one to be experienced from a safe distance.

Varvatos Momentus : A Genus Genius

New York is awash with John Varvatos, from Converse collaborations to the distressed corners of Bloomingdales.

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However on the eastside of the city discover the brand in its natural habitat lurking to surprise anyone passing The Bowery. The store is a temple to Rock ‘n’ Roll evoking the steamy atmospheres of underground clubs and crowded all night venues. The poster strewn walls evoke the great bands, reminiscing about historic improvised concerts and chance meetings with the hall of fame.

The store itself transforms into a venue with an intimate stage, set off with discarded instruments and the moodiest of lighting.

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Is your heritage shining through the dust of the years?

Take a tour around West Elm: London

Style travels well, and judging from the stunning arrival of West Elm on this side of the pond, the American home fashion retailer is about to make serious waves in the UK decor market.

The essential elements have been transported safely with its distinctive high wall displays, blocked shelving, colour story chic and opulent ornaments still in tact after the journey East.

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Mango bearing Fruit: Sewing Seeds of Kids Success

Mango Kids

Assortment leads the way as Mango open its first kids store in Valencia.

Unremarkable in terms of store environment the space sings with the colours and craftsmanship of a well conceived and commercially developed range. The walls play home to carefully constructed coordinated stories, bringing together classic silhouettes and best seller categories for both boy and girl. Colours are clean but commercially conservative whilst unnecessary enhancement is avoided to good effect.

The delight, not the devil, is therefore in the detail of everything from denim to dresses. Frontal hanging on stepped levels coordinated into silhouettes whilst allowing the simplicity and sensibility of each line to shine through the collection.

Floor space is dedicated to authority tables of basics and best seller classic in a god combination of seasonal and core colours with summer patterns to raise and highlight the collection. Whilst the store and display leave plenty of room for further improvement in brand engagement & store experience, the evolution of the Mango kids concept is at the very least going forwards from a position of product strength.

A refreshing contrast to many new concepts and developments where the form leads the function and the creativity leads the commerciality to the ultimate detriment of all.

Mango kids coordinates  Mango kids wall collections  Mango kids tables

When you develop new initiatives are they always built on an assured assortment?
Resist the temptation to be creative without commercial acumen.

From Boys to Men: Mango comes of Age

Mango Menswear

Fashion credentials do not always translate easily between genders.

Particularly when a dominant female perception has been built for many years, the move to menswear can be difficult and delicate to position. Ironically the stronger the female brand, the more successful the style, the fashion and the focus, then the more difficult for menswear to find its voice. It often becomes the “black-widow spider” groomed for success, but ultimately devoured by its stronger bride.

Mango menswear has finally found its voice, thrown off the shroud of ladieswear and found a comfortable, commercial place of its own. The new store in Valencia is standalone, and standing tall and has discovered something it has never had before – authority.

The clothes have style and sharpness but are built around solid categories, delivered with boldness as walls of shirts, tables of denim, mannequin rows of trousers where coordination is restricted to combining categories in an obvious and appealing way.

From top to bottom, short to shoes, Mango Men has come of age! 

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Do you have the problem of balancing the proposition of mens and womens fashion? Which came first, the chicken or the egg – and do you have the recipe for the perfect omelette or does the classic mixed salad prevail?

 

“Curated by”: In JL we Trust

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‘Curated By’ …

is a new space in the nations most trusted retailer – John Lewis – which offers customers the chance to selectively shop key pieces from premium fashion brands. Handpicked, the first edit includes exclusives from Sacks, Pyrus, Stella Forest, Charli, Muubaa and Second Female as well as Avoca Anthology, By Zoe, Bensimon and Rene Derhy. “In John Lewis we trust!”

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UnFurling the Flagship: The Pavement Statement

Furla _ Regent Street

A classic Italian expansion settles gently in the fashion streets of the world.

Furla is an old hand in the new world of brand flagships as it eases its way onto some of the most elegantly desirable shopping streets of the world. The new stores reflect perfectly its timeless obsession with quality, luxury and effortless style.

Behind the scenes the social slack is taken up by a carefully constructed brand calendar, bringing to life the virtues of the company’s heritage, dedication to design and increasingly frequent forays into the more frantic fashion arenas. Throughout all Furla remains loyal and consistent to timeless values propelling the proposition firmly into the future.

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