Made You Look! - The Art of Window Dressing

Daphne Guinness in the windows for Barney's

As a consumer, I've never thought much about how much effort goes into dressing a window however, with online retailing becoming more and more popular, there is increasing pressure on bricks and mortar retailers to attract customers into their stores. Have you stopped to think about what catches your eye when you're walking down the street? Is it a certain colour, shape, object? There are many techniques shops can use to catch the attention of passersby.

Unsurprisingly, there is a science behind the art of window dressing. Different colours are used to elicit different emotions from consumers. Hot pink suggests youthfulness, red is eye catching and usually associated with something passionate or a safe, blue promotes calmness, yellows and light pinks are feminine, the list goes on. Even the placement of products are important, with objects placed at eye level perceived as more important by viewers.

General Pants' controversial Ksubi campaign

Even shapes can influence consumers. Curvy lines suggest something natural and organic whilst square and rectangular shapes suggest stability. Strong diagonal lines are dynamic and are linked to movement.

Surprisingly mannequins can even influence a consumers perception of clothing. I always wondered why headless mannequins were used by stores. It turns out, they allow viewers to more easily imagine the clothes on themselves! 

Australian stores are taking the initiative to create more interesting and engaging window displays. General Pants' recent provocative window for Ksubi's Sex! and Fashion campaign had to be censored so as to not offend young viewers. As the saying goes, any publicity is good publicity so I don't think General Pants were complaining about the media coverage the display got. 

Australian pyjama king Peter Alexander knows the importance of window displays. Each display is planned six months in advance, with campaigns such a hit with customers that they buy the props after the campaign's over.

Overseas, retailers have mastered the art of window dressing, many employing local artists to assist with the design process. Barney's and Topshop have taken window dressing to a whole new level. Earlier this year socialite Daphne Guinness prepared for the Met Gala in the windows of Barney's. The adjacent windows were filled with stunning pieces from her collection from the late Isabella Blow. To promote her new Topshop collection, Kate Moss posed in the window for Topshop bringing passing traffic to a halt.

So next time you're out shopping, take the time to look at the window displays and think about what grabs your eye!

Check out some of the most interesting displays from around the world:

The amazing Bergdorf Goodman holiday window

Interesting use of an ostrich in the Louis Vuitton window

Calvin Klein's suspended mannequin display

Hermès' creepily interesting display

Barney's window display designed by artist Dennis McNett

Chanel-Kubricks window display in Nippon

Lanvin's Paris windows using fans to bring the clothes to life

The Hermès window display in Tokyo design by Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka.
The installation used cleverly timed videos of women and hidden fans to create the perception that the women were blowing iconic Hermès scarves. 

These many surveillance cameras would make anyone
think twice before trying to steal these Louis Vuitton bags.

The Calvin Klein Collection store in New York
featured a display of some of the world's most famous couples.

Post-It Pop Art in the window of Berdorf Goodman 

Apple for iPod Hi-Fi

Takashi Murakami wrapped the Louis Vuitton store in its signature 33 colours for the holiday season

The beautiful floral display in Le Printemps

Images courtesy of http://style.com, http://stlyenews.peoplestylewatch.com, http://vickilovesclothes.blogspot.com, http://ournipponjourney.blogspot.com, http://modernmet.com, http://illawarranmercury.com.au, http://digitaljournal.com

Information sourced from Shop Til' You Drop, http://mymodernmet.com

Désir du jour - Hermès

Hermès is one of the most well known fashion houses in the world. Established in France in 1837, the label specializes in leather, ready-to-wear, perfume, lifestyle accessories and luxury goods. Although one of the most successful fashion houses today, Hermès wasn’t always so profitable.

Victoria Beckham's Birkin collection is valued at $2.3 million

With the fluctuating economy and changing consumer demands, the company experienced ups and downs during the 1900s. However, Hermès were able to respond to changes in the market quickly and with smart marketing, were able to ensure the company didn’t go under. Originally starting as a harness workshop, the company graduated into production of leather saddles, which lead to leather bags. Obtaining the exclusive right to use zippers for leather goods and clothing in the early 1900s, Hermès introduced zips to France. The company quickly expanded into producing their now famous silk scarves, which were twice as strong as scarves available at the market at that time. Responding to consumer demand, the company soon introduced ready-to-wear and perfumery into the brand.

One of the first companies to link their products to celebrities (the Kelly bag, named after Grace Kelly and the Birkin bag, named after Jane Birkin), many Hermès products have themselves become fashion legends (Michael Tonello's book Bringing Home The Birkin is a great read). The Birkin bag alone can have a wait list up to six years depending on the type of leather.  The cost of a Birkin bag can reach into five and six figures for larger sizes depending on size, leather and colour.

Not only are Hermès’ bags iconic, but their enamel H bracelets have been seen on the arm of some of the most fashionable women in the world. I couldn’t go past the enamel H bracelet in the iconic Hermès orange. The classic design is timeless and although understated, recognizable by fashion lovers globally. Available through the online Hermès store for $800, this is a piece of jewellery that will never go out of fashion.

Image courtesy of http://www.luxurylaunches.com/celebrities/victoria_beckham_owns_100_hermes_birkin_bags_worth_23_million.php

Information sourced from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermès