( m i a re x a c h )
( one )
( two )
EVERYDAY UTOPIAS
E L E VA T E D MINIMALISM
( t h re e )
( four )
SOFT POP
DEEP SUMMER
( one )
( march 25 / 2015 )
The dematerialization that we have been witnessing in the Digital Age for the past years has driven consumers nowadays to develop a growing interest in having a more tangible appreciation of their surroundings by finding pockets of paradise in their everyday life. Fields such as Visual Merchandising and Retail Design have finally reached a turning point and have accomplished to satisfy the object nostalgia consumers have been living with. The Everyday Utopia trend celebrates the growing need in society to connect beyond the digital, so by incorporating everyday materials such as household objects into displays and arranging them in a way that takes the “mundane” off the objects, it allows consumers to connect on a more creative and spiritual level to these; it allows the consumers to find significance in what is considered ordinary and it reminds them of their go-to-comfort paradise in their everyday life. It’s about reconnecting and accepting simplicity. The Everyday Utopia inspires consumers to re-engage in micro adventures in the everyday life through creative and spiritual approaches by forcing the viewer to spend more time looking at common objects in an uncommon way. Not only that, but also with the good use of such objects, retailers can create a sense of effortless luxury and quality, which ultimately speaks to the consumers and sells the products. This neo-materialistic trend has also provided a costeffective solution for visual merchandisers because the materials are easily available and affordable for any store. This trend not only pushes consumers to see beyond the mundane, but it simultaneously sparks creativity in the designers of these spaces because, as a society, we have become numb to our liveliness and our surroundings due to the overly saturated world we have created, which has resulted in a lack of spiritual connection. Therefore, even though we have built this pitfall for ourselves as a society, visual merchandisers are building a net for us to fall back into; it’s a two-way solution for a one-sided digital society and the retail industry is undoubtedly benefitting from this longing to re-connect with our surroundings, appreciate the details and see beyond what is given. Everyday Utopia will transform the way retailers create spaces and how consumers interpret, engage and act upon these.
( two )
( april 1 / 2015 )
As society continues to grow in terms of complexity, there is a need in consumers to experience the simplicity and the underlying elements in life. Elevated Minimalism focuses on satisfying the psychological and spiritual desire to go back to basics and transcend beyond the complicated lifestyle we are accustomed to. In retail, it is easy to get lost in all the clutter because the space is strategically designed to catch the viewers’ attention and in order to engage with the customers, merchandisers have gone about it by adding more and more stuff, but have they become too much? The answer is yes and both consumers and visual merchandisers agree. Minimalism in retail is necessary because it allows the consumers to experience a less stressful ambiance to shop in which ultimately allows them to really focus on the pieces and appreciate the central theme to retail, which is an effortless shopping experience and gaining true value from such. Minimalism has always been associated with luxury and quality, so by stripping down to the basics and creating strong visual displays with as less materials as possible, merchandisers have successfully appealed to the fundamental notion of “just being” to the consumers and have reached a higher level of percieved quality in retail. In the consumers’ eyes, for example, the pieces are being displayed in such way because it deserves to be seen and appreciated; therefore the pieces become focal points that automatically demand attention. Furthermore, by using this minimalistic approach, the pieces communicate value and luxury regardless of what they are. Besides this concept of luxury and quality through minimalism, consumers have finally realized that there’s more to life than having too many material possessions. For this reason, consumers are drawn to simplicity and good quality; consumers get more from one well-constructed piece instead of investing in fast fashion that is meant to be thrown away after a while. Society has grown into a more thoughtful and conscientious culture so they don’t seem to be interested in prolonging the “fast fashion” concept and merchandisers have taken advantage of this. The Elevated Minimalism trend will take the casual out of the products and will inspire consumers to aspire for quality and not quantity.
( t h re e )
( april 8 / 2015 )
The Soft Pop trend is all about the “it’s so tacky I love it” concept and jaunty color palettes that focus on ethereal pastels and washed out tones, which is perfect for the Spring/Summer season. This trend is the perfect blend between kitsch feminine meets sophisticated minimalism and structured angles meet colored precision. This trend refines the throwaway aesthetic and fast fashion concept that society is so accustomed to; it gives multiple purposes to mundane or “tacky” objects by using contrasting objects and introducing angular props against softer color palettes and ombres to create balance, as well as contrasting lively color palettes and simple objects. This trend is perfect for product displays because of its flexible nature and generally simple aesthetic; it is also ideal because the products will stand out in each setting, just like color blocking but with products and props. Nowadays, in the fashion industry, the lines between feminine and masculine are being blurred not only because of the collective consciousness about the issue of sexism and gender equality, but because consumers now mostly purchase for quality, not for quantity, gender-based concepts or brand names. Furthermore, consumers nowadays truly care about the whole retail experience and how brands come about showcasing their products in store without looking too desperate to sell. So, by creating spaces that speak to the customer without screaming culturally defined lines and boundaries, visual merchandisers have focused on mixing ethereal color palettes, mundane objects, linear patterns and the calculated precision against the softness of objects to blur these rigid lines society has created and it then allows the consumer to be inspired by these displays regardless of its components. Blending such concepts provides a visually pleasing and exciting experience to the consumers, which ultimately inspires them to interact with the objects and ideally, be so inspired by them that they want to purchase the products. The Soft Pop trend focuses on creating spaces that are visually magnetic to consumers by combining precision with elevated novelty by focusing on subversive color and texture.
( four )
( april 15 / 2015 )
Consumers have finally realized that the Digital Era has disconnected us from reality and our surroundings leaving us longing for more contact with the outside world. Instead of micro-adventures like the Everyday Utopia trend, Deep Summer focuses on the otherworldly, macro experience in retail by introducing solutions that have a profound effect on consumers and their desire for the world beyond. The trend is approached in a mystical and deep sense in order to inspire the fundamental human need to expand from the dimensions and realities we are accustomed to. The Deep Summer displays create ephemeral and darkly compelling ambiances that hint at a deep-sea aesthetic while showing glimpses of iridescent accents that blends the sea with the deep space. Visual merchandisers have drawn inspiration from these similar opposites and have implemented these in window displays and retail settings by focusing on textures, installations and lighting, especially with projections. The connection consumers feel when they enter a space that has been designed with the intention to remind them about the wonders of the universe definitely triggers something within them that also inspires them to focus on the smaller things too, which in this case would be the products. The Deep Summer displays are immersive, pragmatic and mystical; the spaces are designed to have a profound effect on the consumer through the effective use of lighting, colors and installations, which by doing so, they make an impact on the consumer and inspire them to purchase the products while simultaneously creating a stronger customer base. Visual merchandisers have focused on the concept of “more than meets the eye� by creating scenes that remind the consumer there is something bigger than us and it’s about time we recognized that after many years of disconnection to our surroundings. Visual merchandisers have been filling in the gap and focusing on the real needs and desires of consumers.
a l l i m a g e s h a v e b e e n t a ke n f ro m P i n t e re s t a n d t h e t re n d s a re f ro m W G S N
( m i a re x a c h )