Go Green

I have been recently very interested in organic shops, mainly garden and vegetable stores - as I think this is where our highstreet is heading, slowly we are adopting visual merchandising inspirations from them. We have seen and still are seeing the use of crates (see last post Cath Kidston). I love the simple hues, the traditional props and farm inspirations of these stores. See some pictures I have taken again in Tunbridge Wells:

All own photographs

Tunbridge Wells over Christmas

Over the Christmas period I was back working in Hoopers, so spent most of my days in Tunbridge Wells. With an array of store types I was able to get a good variety of photos. Have a gander below:

Firstly Noa Noa - a beautiful store that reminds me of Jigsaw, there visual merchandising is always eye-catching to me. The shadowy hues always make me think if old photographs.

Cath Kidston....again. This time I got some sneaky pics of inside the store.

I loved how they painted inside these crates to give some colour to the display, and the artificial roses against the rose print was a nice touch.

This pink mirror is gorgeous, with the fireplace and seat it gives a homely atmosphere to the store.

I liked the use of maks on the manneuins in this boutique's window, we have seen masks just about everywhere else that it was soon their time to appear in windows.

Joules once again didn't disappoint with this massive book, a family album in their window. A clever alternative way to display graphics in a window.

Mark Maynard, an adorable store with all items shabby chic, had these beautiful parcels in their window. I liked the text on the ribbon, I thought this was an interesting detail.

A childs store had a castle made of cardboard, a popular medium currently.

Hobbs sale window display.

The New Topshop!! - its about time Topshop expanded in Tunbridge Wells.

I liked these enlarged images framed in gold picture frames at White Stuff.

All my own photos

Timberland, New York

"Repurposed objects have always played an important role in Timberland’s desire to connect with the communities in which its stores are located. And the treasures to incorporate at Timberland’s new 2000-square-foot site in New York’s SoHo were plentiful indeed. Located on Broadway between Grand and Broome streets, the space is another embodiment of the Timberland brand and its well-known core values – a commitment to green design and social responsibility.

In SoHo, Keith Taylor, manager of store environments, discovered a wooden shoe stool with a brass ruling device in an antique shop on Houston Street. Remnants of the past were also uncovered when seven layers of old drywall, slat wall and peg board were stripped away, exposing the original brick and a bit of history: The building was an ice skate store in 1861, and then a ladies’ jewelry manufacturing facility. Taylor acquired antique skates and suitcases from the same local shop on Houston Street for his visual program. Elsewhere in the store, a small jewelry case is strategically positioned to display accessories. A coffee table from a salvage yard in Portland, Maine, was placed in a seating area and the cast iron legs from an old factory worktable were contemporized with a steel top to create a presentation table.

Theresa Palermo, Timberland’s senior director, North America marketing, says the goal was to recapture what was historic about SoHo, from graffiti-embellished brick walls to bustling streets and cast iron architecture. Since SoHo comprises a six-by-six grid of streets, from Crosby Street and West Broadway to Houston and Canal, Timberland added a “6 x 6” modular photo montage to the store window, reflective of the neighborhood’s street culture.

Additionally, a “GREENYC” map was customized out of recyclable, hot rolled steel to display parks and green areas in New York. More hot rolled steel is used throughout the space, most notably in a sliding door system behind the boot bar and cashwrap, where key styles of footwear inventory are housed for quick accessibility. It’s an authentic industrial material that provides both an old and contemporary aesthetic.

All wood components in the space are reclaimed or FSC-certified. The flooring planks were repurposed from buildings and barns throughout Pennsylvania and the cashwraps are clad with leftover wood from the fixture manufacturing process. Wall panels were constructed of old Vermont snow fences that were sanded smooth, still revealing the character and weathering of the wood. The New England-inspired architecture features a series of recycled wooden trestle beams suspended from the ceiling, each held by turnbuckles and rods, and gliding on ceiling mounted tracks, allowing them to be repositioned at will for a fresh look. The ceiling is constructed with 100 percent reclaimed wood joists and hand-forged connector points. Even dressing room curtains are made with recycled scrap leather.

Additional green design elements include energy-efficient lighting, reclaimed surface treatments and low-VOC paints and sealants. Ecotech flooring is created from 70 percent post-industrial recycled material that has been ground up to create stone.

Timberland’s commitment to the environment begins with its product offerings (with a range of products using linings made from recycled materials and, for fall 2009, soles made with GreenRubber; only environmentally certified tanneries are used in production). So the product and brand step forward with a reduced imprint on the environment as the company strives to be carbon neutral by 2010. The SoHo store stands as a symbol of the company’s drive not only to do well, but also to do good." - VMSD

http://vmsd.com/content/timberland-new-york

White House | Black Market, Naples, Fla.

"To retain its neighborhood boutique roots, White House | Black Market is constantly seeking ways to connect with its local communities. “It helps differentiate you from the competition,” says Victor Johnson, director of store environments.

The bond for its Naples, Fla., flagship was created by tapping into the vibrant arts community. Working with local curator Trudy Labell, the retailer selected pieces with a fashion theme for its visual program, including a commissioned work by Gabrielle Mayer (at left), who’s known for taking shopping bags and pinning them into 3-D dresses on traditional dressmaker forms before painting a canvas of the finished dress.

Johnson says other art pieces were placed to relate to the different areas of the store, such as artist Susan Freda’s wire, resin and glass dress forms hanging near the dress and shoe areas. “The fine art gives the store a more residential character,” says Johnson, “and that reinforces the boutique experience.”" - VMSD

http://vmsd.com/content/white-house-black-market-naples-fla

Holt Renfrew, Toronto

"“It’s amazing how color transforms our mood,” says John Gerhardt, creative director for Holt Renfrew. Gerhardt himself experienced that power when he received a bright-green wallet as a gift. “I found myself looking at the wallet and feeling happy,” he says.

Turning joy into inspiration, he sought to remodel the monochromatic contemporary department at the retailer’s Bloor Street flagship into an area that would “inspire a sense of hope.”

With a strong nod to the ’80s, including influences from fluorescent light artist Dan Flavin and conceptual artist Barbara Kruger, Holt Renfrew peppered six primary Pantone colors on vinyl graphics, mannequins and fixturing. A white backdrop allows a green display wall or yellow mannequin to stand out, while still making the clothing the hero.
Visual props express Holt’s signature wittiness, including an oversized granite bust that could be topped with ill-mannered pigeons one month and covered in moss the next. “It’s important to be unexpected,” adds Gerhardt." - VMSD

http://vmsd.com/content/holt-renfrew-toronto

Tommy Hilfiger, New York

Images from - http://vmsd.com/content/tommy-hilfiger-new-york - VMSD