Visual Merchandising Principles Project #1 By: Asia T. Williams
Sir and Madame The Basics: Founded in 2007 by Brian and Autumn Merritt, husband and wife. There is one location 938 N Damen in Ukraine village. There was a brief pop-up shop in 2013 located in Hyde Park. The Store There is currently only one however compared to the ne in Hyde Park it was smaller and slightly different. The S&M on Damen is larger with slightly warmer lighting, mostly wood furniture fixtures, vintage rustic décor, exposed piping and copper details, and several pillowed seating. Where as the location in Hyde Park was smaller so it used more wall space going upward and recycled wood tables made of doors, piping as fixtures with a few wooden tables, and large glass windows that allowed natural light to come through. The Damen location is the flagship location. Sir & Madame sells apparel for men, women, and children as well as accessories. The kind of apparel is “Classic with a Twist”, vintage-inspired, utilitarian and also known for their brand of leather goods. Very inviting lighting is bright and can be seen from the outside as well as the sign facing the sidewalk with the boutique name. Looks like the front of a small brownstone. A small headless mannequin is in on of the window along with the a lamp and table giving it a homey look. The other window allows the onlooker to just see into the store.
Ukraine village location
Ukraine village location front.
Hyde Park location during installation. The store is long so the walls are lined mostly with fixtures made of pipes, dark wood and pipe-made tables, dark hardwood floors, a brick wall and bright but warm lighting. The colours are mostly neutral dark browns, with accents of red periodically in the curtains and some vintage decorations. The overall look is industrial, vintage, yet modern. The exterior is brick with large windows that makes it easy to see inside, so they directly relate to one another.The vintage yet modern aesthetics is a direct reflection of the clotheing, the neutral clours of the furniture allows the colours of the clothes to stand out more also. The logo is a top-hat and umbrella the text is and cured designs seem 19th century-like. I was immediately greeted once I entered, there is music playing at a moderate volume. The associate was very accommodating yet once I told him I was just browsing he left me alone. He also was attentive to when I asked questions about a shirt I was looking at. The store was easy to navigate throughout and very organized sections and sizes.
The Web: Much like the store the webpage is visually spacious with light colours and seems to be geared towards the same kind of client as with the store. This client is someone who likes a classic, vintage, and modern look.
The homepage has a slides featuring images of the store and merchandise sold instore and online. The colours are neutral much like to the stores dÊcor, with deep crimson as an accent colour just like in the store. The fonts are simple and the brand logo is seen on homepage. The navigation is simple, very bold large font identifying the categories of womens / mens on one side of the logo and the blog on the other. The women’s/ mens tab opens downward to the clothing and accessories categories. The images of the clothing are professional clear with detailed yet concise descriptions. Overall the website could appeal to their younger and older costumer. Lastly, look at their social media accounts. They have a twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and Instagram, and can also be seen on yelp. The twitter account has new posts a couple times a week with links from their other social media accounts, 2280 followers. The Facebook is also updated regularly throughput the week with 949 likes. The images on the Tumblr show the merchandise and how to wear it, information about production and local designers. The instagram (4,378 followers) is similar however it also features events happening in the store. The posts most have a informative tone and the images are artfully taken with colour schemes and interesting compositions. The language is casual, they let the pieces speak for themselves. The, social media, website, and in-store atmosphere all seems cohesive. Throughout the colours, overall aesthetic, and mood, classic, effortless, vintage, and contemporary. The same client is being targeted throughout each channel. However I noticed that the website is a little more subdued in comparison, therefore it may be to attract a more diverse range of consumers from other cities and states who may not know much about the brand.
Would you like to work for this company? In what regard? I would certainly work for them, to design more leather and denim goods for the brand.
CH Carolina Herrera The Store: Carolina Herrera New York was founded in 1980, CH Carolina Herrera a sportswear line in 2012, bother operating with 18 boutiques worldwide. Each store is different visually customized to the market and consumer of that region. However they are all modeled to look like Carolina’s New York apartment interior as stated by one the house representatives in reference to how the Ginza Japan store might look. They all have the same CH font and some form of the black, gold, and/or red on the façade. Singapore, China
Paris, France
Morocco, Africa The Flagship is located in Upper East Manhattan New York, and is the Carolina Herrera New York line of the brand. The CH boutique sells Ready-to-wear, and accessories like handbags, shoes, and fragrances. They offer a fitting room, and mailing list to inform clients when new or preferred pieces have arrived in-store.
The CH fracture of the brand sells the Ready-to-wear line. The store’s façade is very sleek and modern, the Black and gold font make the store look very high-end. The inside of the store can be seen from the outside but the lighting puts focus on the front so it is not very noticeable, there are also large windows on the other top levels. The store is longer and narrow with spot lighting focused on the racks of clothing lined against the walls, the overall look is warm, with black furnishings, and a red accent wall. The sense of being in an upscale New York apartment of a designer is certainly present. However the large windows let in plenty of sunlight, which think appeals to the Midwestern consumer who is certainly urban but also has a love for nature and a slight southern edge. Many Chicagoans families come from the South or neighboring suburbs where there is more natural scenery. The exterior is just as sleek and geometric as the inside, with the same black and gold façade. The exterior looks smaller on the outside due to the black and narrow nature of the building however the big windows lets in light that makes it look more spacious and again it is a long and narrow store. The same black Plexiglas as on façade is seen inside as shelving and a divider in space of the store. Overall the geometric straight lines of the outside is mirrored on the interior in how neatly arranged everything is neatly with clean lines, the large black and dark wood shelves and tables. CH Carolina Herrera, is a sportswear line that has clean lines and made for a more active lifestyle (work, school, meetings, etc..) someone who may live in an urban environment. So the black Plexiglas, red walls, bright lighting and billboard divider in the store mirror this kind of mood. Which can also be seen in the clean lines, vivid colours, bold prints that are accents for the neutral colours, in the clothing. There are a few large print images of Carolina Herrera when she was younger in the 80’s as a style icon, of her in the city running somewhere. This image speaks to the type of woman she is appealing to. There are some floral arrangements and high-fashion magazines on
the tables, a lot of wooden pieces as well. This may speak to the soft yet earthy and urban lifestyle the CH woman has.
Visually the store is vivid in colour and bold with lines and sleek. The associates looked much to the same aesthetic, at the door I was greeted and they weren’t hovering over me while I browsed the store. After a while they did ask me if they could help me
find anything in particular, they were still pleasant after I told them I was there for a school project, and glad to answer some of my questions. The Web: The website is to navigate and simple in layout and font. The first homepage shoes the different fractions of the Carolina Herrera brand; Carolina Herrera New York, CH Carolina Herrera, 212 Carolina Herrera, and The House (the history of the brand).
Once CH was selected it took me to that line’s page and to the left is a black band with sections of the collection, the look, fragrance, eyewear, stores, and The House sections, once scrolled over drops down to womens and mens, or click to the page. The store location page is a list of countries boutiques where located, which is clean, clear, and concise. The House page is a timeline of the brand and Herrera’s achievements that can be viewed by just scrolling down. Black and white is the main colours used to visual categories and colourful images to express what they are about. The overall website is blocked and organized well with large images mostly and simple font, and concise text. Black and white in bold geometric shapes and sections is mirrored in the store giving again the New York urban look. Red is a key accent colour as well. The big vividly colored image is accentuated by the simple black, white, and red background much like the store.
The brand has Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Youtube, and Googleplus. All with the same vibrant youthful tone, colourful, images of behind-the-scenes development of collections, Carolina Herrera’s advice on beauty, style, and living life beautifully. By the tone of the instagram images, and posts, it is most likely managed by Carolina Herrera herself and/or a young intern. The posts certainly seem less formal and more carefree, focusing on the lifestyle of Carolina Herrera, yet are also promotional at times of the current collection. These posts are updated weekly or daily several times. The twitter is nearly non-existent and hasn’t been updated since 2012 and not even a link to the account is on the website. However, the Facebook is regularly updated as well on a weekly basis, featuring similar content as the instagram just more so a timeline of the brand’s development overall an product details, rather than production details. The Google plus and YouTube pages are very similar to the website focusing solely on the collection and fashion show development. All the accounts seem cohesive in aesthetics an formatting, vibrant colours, and the trademark black, white, and red is seen through the fonts, and blocking of images.
The website, Googleplus, and Youtube, are for a more mature consumer perhaps 35and up or even buyers because they seem more simple and focused on the collection themselves. The instsagram, facebook, and pinterest are all targeting a younger audience 25 or younger. However, both are women who are busy and respond better to vivid and detailed images rather than wordy posts, and who like to see beauty in all things much like CH herself.
Would you like to work for this company? In what regard? Of course, specifically in the Atelier, there would be so much I could learn as and intern first and then I would not mind having a salaried position as a sample maker. The textiles and work environment seems positive and rewarding. Or as an associate at the boutique, visual merchandiser for the Chicago boutique to create the illusion of more space and monopolize on the natural sunlight that could come through the store more.