NYC Trend Report

GEOMETRIC SIMPLICITY VS DECONSTRUCTED EXPRESSION

NEW YORK- THE STREETS. When looking at large, long term trends in New York, I decided to analyse the make up behind NYC. New York is famously made up of a grid structure.

I felt like this grid structure mimcs the lifestyle and day to day routine of many New Yorkers, who are busy, hectic people but still have order and a rigid setup in their life.

The New York exterior is also mimicked inside shops and with instore layouts. An example being lines. Everything is organsied in rows and collums, systematically processed and placed, whether it be clothes, shoes, accessories, food, cars, perfume etc.

It’s also important to note that New York may seem on the outside crazy, bright, bold, busy and intimidating but when you enter the shops their instore design and atmosphere contrasts significantly with this emotion created on the outside. They create an escape from the hustling and bustling world of NY. This is an overall atmospheric and emoitonal trend I picked up on during my week in NYC.

It is interesting to see that New York has a different feel and character when looking at it from a distance and also during the daytime.

The buildings in NYC are very tall skyscrapers that form long orderly queues up and down the already discussed grid that makes New York.

This double page spread demostrates the positive relationship between Luxury shop layouts and NYC structure and makeup as a City. It is clear to see the parellel. This is a trend and recurring pattern I noted during my research week.

Colour is a big part of New York and is reflected inside shops. On this page I have selected photos of LV instore deign. The shop is covered in black, whether it be gloss or matt but it is the colour of the shoes, cluthes and handbags that comes to life against the black dulset tones. This is an ongoing trend i noted down- using pop of colour as opposed to walls and desks and surfaces of colour.

The idea behind this is to advertise the products as opposed to marketing the brand.

When analysing shop layouts and instore design I noted a repeating pattern and trend of geomotric shapes. Although structure helped formulate the layout and created a symetrical, formal atmosphere to the luxury shop, squares, cirlces, rectangles and triangles were seen everywhere.

This ‘shape’ trend was carried through by various luxury stores and was even tapped into by coffee houses and restaurants. The images on this page demonstrate this.

They are of local coffee houses and vintage shops, proving that it is not just the luxury high end clothing stores that incorperate this trend within shop design.

CB I HATE PERFUMEChristopher Brosius initially set up this company when he was disgusted at how many people got in his taxi wearing the same perfume, smelling the same yet acting completely differently. He saw it as a mask to their personality and character and hid the true person. He also hated the synthetic fake smell that lingered in his taxi cab after someone left. Therefore he came up with a brand that only invented and sold natural perfume.

When I first entered this store in Brook-

lyn I was hit by verious contrasting smells from the perfume bottles stacked up to the side. I then noted down the shop layout and simplicity of the brand. The contents in the perfume are natural and simple, no extra ingredients. This idea is reflected inside the store and on the packaging used for the perfume. Simple is the key word.

Again, in relation to the trend already expressed minimal geometric shapes and structure were found inside the store.

Moving from instore design to clothing and products I spotted a trend that links o the idea of structure and format in NYC. Here we can see that the clothing from BCBG , Prada and Zara are all fitting in with idea of black vs white and playing with minimalism and simplicity but making it fun and uplifting. The idea of using leather is an example (as seen on the left page.)

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The architure of The Guggenheim links to the linear and minimal trend already discussed and seen around New York. The outside relates to the inside and gives a peaceful tranquil feeling and emotion when inside.

The circluar theme of the Guggenheim is translated to almost everything within the Guggenheim intself. The glass window at the top gives the illusion of space but also relates to the circular strucutre of the building. The taps and seats around the Guggenheim were even circular! This links to the Geometric tren already stated,

Even the artwork inside the Guggenheim linked to the formulated rigid structure of the builidng.

The Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition again reinforces the already established trends I picked up on. The birth of black and white and minimal creation was stated alongside shape and structure.

When I looked up JPG i noticed the same theme running throughout- stripes, shapes, black and white.

Graffiti is a sign of expression in Williamsburg. It is seen as deconstructed artwork.

Colour shape and pettern are all involved in the art and it is seen everywhere, whether it be to your taste or not.

Jean Paul Gaultier also designed pieces of clothing where the fabrics were segmented and deconstructed. This links to the theme of deconstructed expression. There is a lot of detail in the items of clothing and they are far from simple and easy to break down.

The Guggenheim also reflects the idea of breaking down and object or form.

Eventhough the Guggenheim is know for it’s clean cut lines and geometric shapes there is also a contrast between that and the wacky informal artowork inside and sculpture seen outside the entrance of the museum.

Sophie Churchill FCP New York Trend Booklet