CHRISTMAS DISPLAYS
CHRISTMAS WINDOWS & DISPLAYS LONDON 2015
CHRISTMAS INTRODUCTION
LONDON... ...IS ONE OF THE WORLDS LEADING FASHION CAPITALS AND EVERY YEAR THE RETAILERS SPARE NO EXPENSE IN CREATING INNOVATIVE AND CONTEMPORARY DISPLAYS, COMBINING TRADITION WITH NEW INTERPRETATIONS OF THE CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE. HERE WE SHOWCASE A COLLECTION OF DISPLAYS FROM A BROAD RANGE OF RETAILERS, BOTH LUXURY AND HIGH STREET TO PROVIDE INSPIRATION FOR YOUR OWN VISUAL MERCHANDISING IDEAS...
ACCESSORIZE
This renowned accessories brand utilised soft materials and textures for their wintry Christmas displays, the inclusion of small owls and birds added a real sense of fun to the window scheme.
AUSTIN REED
It can be difficult to make mens formal wear fun or exciting, especially at Christmas. The product is by it’s very nature is structured and refined. These windows aim to inject some fun into formal wear, showcasing display figures taking part in festive outdoor activies in their finest suits.
BANANA REPUBLIC
A minimal scheme, with geomtric pyramid timber forms topped by a band of mirror gold, almost as though they have been dipped in a vat of molten metal. The hanging lights provide a small level of sparkle and are in line with the minimal display theme.
BERSHKA Stars feature prominently in a number of windows this year, this brand make the most of them. The stars are made from OSB board and then finished with lights bringing to mind the visual language of fairground rides.
BURBERRY
There’s lots to see in these windows, and the team at Burberry must have had a lot of fun pulling these displays together. From the wooden guards holding forth the luxury products, to the bulbous santas (combining traditional Christmas themes in a thoroughly contemporary manner). These windows also manage to use digital technology as an integrated solution, with wooden soldiers bouncing up and down in background window opening, it feels part of the scheme and serves a purpose as oppose to being their for it’s own sake.
CLARKS SHOES It can be challenging for shoe retailers to create eniticing window displays. The product is quite small in comparison to fashion and they cannot use mannequins as they detract from the product. Clarks have combined Christmas elements with a hint of their product, with large snowflakes featuring moulds of winter boots, mistletoe and Christmas fruit. Covered in a white glittery finish, the scheme provides a fitting backdrop to the product whilst celebrating the festive season.
COACH CHRISTMAS
The windows at Coach feature mirrored half spheres to house the luxury brands product, protruding from these are a range of glittered shapes, utilising signature elements that can be found in the brands leathergoods and accessories such as carriage wheels and the letter C.
COACH AUTUMN
Dramatic use of forced perspective in this Autumn scheme, with a very detailed and intricate representation of the Brooklyn bridge, carrying just two bags.
DEBENHAMS
The windows at Debenhams have taken a step forward over the past 12 months and the Christmas ones are no exception. Using the star shapes which is a common theme this year, the combination of acrylic, glittered and illuminated stars flow up, down and along the windows (supported by a metal structure underneath). The dark and moody windows with careful use of lighting are certainly a punch above their high street credentials.
EVANS
Nestling at the Marble Arch end of Oxford street, Evans incorporated a large iced effect structure into their full height window space, softened with hues of blue and pink.
FRENCH CONNECTION Restrained and almost painfully minimal, the word ‘Christmas’ being included to remind people that these are the seasonal windows and not left over from Autumn.
FOREVER 21
GANTT
A simple scheme, with graphic hanging tree backdrops made of mixed media, including acrylic and glitter card.
GAP
H&M
Celebrating Christmas with ‘exploding’ oversize H&M bags, the use of flat sillhouete shapes combined with a strict white/gold scheme means the product is clearly visible and a sense of depth is appropriated in the scheme. There’s a lot of thought gone into the various forms and shapes, with streamers , stars and balloons vying for attention, clearly shouting a message of celebration for the festive season.
H&M
Continuing the explosion of festive shapes from oversize H&M bags, a different version of the windows features not just a mass collection of large confetti popping out from the bags but mannequnis as well. The mass of shapes means the product is less visible, but the schemes are certainly eye catching and full of movement.
TREND IT’S ALL IN THE STARS STARS were popular this year, as can be seen from this selection of retailers, whether illuminated or freestanding, or even just as graphics on the window, the star motif stood out as a common thread across Londons retail display universe.
HARRODS The ‘Once upon a Christmas’ windows launched for the festive season in one of Londons (and possibly the worlds) most famous stores showcases a concept of amazing make-believe and enchanting discovery - the tale of the magical marionettes who work behind the scenes to pull together the window displays.
HARRODS
The windows are based on the scenes from the theatre, complete with floorboards, vintage lighting and red draped curtains, meanwhile underneath the floorboards the festive mice scurry to prepare a Christmas celebration of their own.
HARRODS To complete the look the Harrods team worked with the Global display artisans to renovate all of the mannequins figures, developing unique wigs for all of the scenes and with our makeup artists create hand painted faces with the feel of puppets in keeping with the theme of these Christmas displays.
HERMES
HOBBS
This elegant womenswear retailer showcases a restrained scheme, using only a repeated hanging element of different sizes, a starbust form in polished gold finish to sit against a brushed gold backdrop.
JOHN LEWIS
JUICY COUTURE A disconnected shceme, with an arctic floor morphing into a mannequins dress, whilst on the other side a giant letter form covered in chains of various shapes and forms.
KAREN MILLEN
KARL LAGERFELD
Befitting this brands serious but fun nature, this bold and bright scheme with flat almost childlike graphics is clearly inspired by the kind of retro travel patches that used to be collected by avid adventurers. Note the use of stars along the bottom - it has to be 5 stars of course!
LUSH COSMETICS
The new store on Oxford street hasn’t even been open for 12months and for it’s first Christmas display the theme is fantasy fairground and retro amusment arcades. The window display featres flashing fairground lights, spinning Zoetropes (animated cylinder toy) and vintage colours and graphics.
M&S
MATALAN
MISS SELFRIDGE
A glitzy and glamorous window display, the dressing room style light frames standout from the dark almost gothic style backdrop (and clothing).
NEW LOOK
Utilising the simple premise of mass repitition there are very few elements to this window display, a sparkly backdrop, mannequins and then hundreds of plastic ‘star bust’ forms liberally placed and stacked on the floor, hung from the ceiling to frame the mannequin displays.
NEXT
OASIS
RIVER ISLAND
As a nice touch, the dogs in the scheme will be auctioned off for charity after Christmas.
SCHUH
SELFRIDGES
The ‘Journey to the Stars’ windows launched for Christmas in one of Londons most famous stores showcases themes based on the 12 signs of the zodiac. Featuring dramatic and eye catching displays which glisten and sparkle in time for the festive season, and completed with contemporary display mannequins adding the final dramatic focal points to the window scheme. A bespoke finish was specially created for this contemporary scheme, the results of an intensive development process by the team at Global Displays London studio - and like every good Christmas story requiring a secret ingredient to provide a truly unique finish.
SELFRIDGES
TOPMAN
A semi abstract scheme incoporating the use of projection mapped imagery onto faceted ice forms, there is a slight disconnect between the mannequins and the backdrop, but an intriguing use of this technology which could be developed further.
TOPSHOP
TOPSHOP
The window display features a crystaline strcuture that flashes and illuminates with an almost strobe like effect, the sharp mirrorored and relfective surfaces acting to multiply the visual effect. In contrast the mannequins stand on simple mirror podiums with very little intereaction between them and the crystal light show.
WALLIS
WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND
This brand continue to make some highly detailed and eye catching windows, which had people stopping in their tracks. With such a large window and a very small product, the big challenge is to maintain product focus whilst creating an inviting display. The decorations are straight forward, inspired by the workings of the product, and the linear, repeated display ensures a premium luxury feel, whilst the neon text clearly defines the brand message - with just enough of a hint of personality.
WHISTLES
ZARA
Another scheme involving stars, this time made from smoked acrylic and floor standing, adding just enough of a festive feel to these restrained windows to remind you just what time of year it is.
ZARA
In another of the Oxford Street Zara stores a more traditional Christmas scheme is on show, simple trees and garlands with a high number of LED’s creates a much waremer and inviting window concept, but still in keeping with this brands premium aspirations.
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