Thursday 8 December 2011

My 2D Window Display

Final illastration of my window display:


Very pleased with the out come, would love to create this in real life, all there is to do now is print it off and mount it on a A3 mount board.

Miss Selfridge



1965-1969

Selfridges was given a desperately needed make-over. In the youth-led fashion boom of the Sixties the store – under the direction of Winifred Sainer – opened Miss Selfridge in 1966. With its own entrance in Duke Street, a mezzanine
coffee bar, specially mixed music and an exclusive Pierre Cardin department, Miss Selfridge was a bold gesture by a big department store to challenge the rise of small, fashion boutiques.
In 1969, the store's 60th birthday – its Diamond Jubilee – was celebrated with a lot of the old flair. Exhibitions of jewels drew crowds, while major cosmetics brands like Orlane and Charles of the Ritz created exclusives for the store.
1960-1969
1970s

Building development included the Selfridge Hotel, which opened in 1972. Within two years, London would be off the tourist map as Britain was affected by industrial turmoil and the intensifying of IRA activity. In December 1974, Selfridges was bombed. There were very few injuries amongst the shoppers and staff and by the next day, it was 'business as usual.'
"Television is here," Gordon Selfridge had said when he launched the store's ground-breaking inter-active studio in 1939. "You can't ignore it." By the Eighties – the decade when shopping went turbo-charged – it was propelled on its way by the weekly fix of TV's Dallas and Dynasty. At the time when fashion on the box was about big hair, big shoulders – and big budgets – Selfridges became the first British department store to advertise on television.


Miss selfridge window displays are also really good, love the way they put outfits together personaly sells really well with me, Miss selfridge is more for the younger shoppers. Miss Selfridge displays have really sronge outfits on the manaquins and a bring printed poster in the background, and if there is a sale you will always know about it because you carnt miss the posters or website is covered in red! I have taken inspiration from these window displays on colours and positioning.


hear are some examples of window displays:


Screen Shots of the Making


Process of the making....



First I started to look on google images for the basic stuff to but the illastration together.

I started off with this selfridges window display, I liked the outside of the image such as the edges and the ground, but when putting it together it needed a ceiling to look more realistic, as you can seein the next image below:-
This is another Selfridges window display which helped me out layout my display, I combined the 2 together and used the inside of this below and the outside of the above, which worked really well.

Using the cut out tool on photoshop getting rid of the white background to make the iteam look more realstic and profetional.
When placing the images and clipping masked them it needed something to make it abit more 3D, so I went on photoshop and played around with the effects, first I got carried away and used a really thick, bright shadow but thought it looked too atifitail so i just used the inner glow tool very lightly and worked really well and made a difference.

Fashion Inspiration

Inspiration on what to hang in the window display as I have decided I am not going to use manaquins, as alot of selfridges window displays they hang things rather than use manaquins.
Celebrities are always a good way to look at for something thats in and new, and thats why i have looked at them, but not always the case because I wanted to look at normal people and what they are wearing highstreet fashion, so mixing both influenses can come up with something unique.


I looked through all these images everyone one of them hepled me decied what i was going to do and what kind of character and theme I wanted in the window, also the kind of style and alot of people wore short denim jeans with a loose vest top or colourful top, very cashual and cool. Have sun glasses and summer hats just really makes a diffence to add so will definately be adding them in, the wellies are a must think i am going to use power flower patterned wellies. you see quite alot of people with cans so i am thinking to hang cans of beer hanging by the clothes, because thats what really happens in the festivals.







Inspiration

2D Window Displays
I was going to do my window display on Valentinesday Day but I thought if you were working profetionaly you would have done that by now and would be thinking of summer 2012, so that is what I have done and decided to do a summer festival theme.
I found inspiration from festival wedsites such as:
  • Reading Festival
  • Glastonbury
  • Creamfields

Here are some print screens of the websites:





Glastonbury website gave me the most inspiration, the kind of sketchy looking style and lots of grass, they all obviously show images of the crowd at the event and this made my mind up what im going to have on the walls of the display, and also looked through some of the gallery images on each website and looked at what everyone was wearing and this helped me alot on what iteams I should put in the display, also nearly in every image you can see some sort of alcohol which is something i might include, to make the display more fun and festive like.

What selfridges Sell


What do we Sell?
(alot)
Womens, Mens and Kids stuff
Denim
Shoes
Bags
Dresses
Coats
Tops
Jackets
Shirts
Ties
Formalwear
Cufflinks
Luggage
Nightwear
underwear
sleepwear
Watches
Accessories
Lingerie
Knitwear
Beauty Products
Hair Care
Cosmetics
Fragrences
Skin
Body Care
Nail Care
Tanning Products
Candels
Cook Shop
Dining room products
bedroom
Stationary
Travel
Gifts
Hampers
Sweets
Food & Drink
Alcohol
Lighting
You also shop Online www.selfridges.com

Andrew Meredith (photographer)

His Biog and some images he took of selfridges....




Wednesday 7 December 2011

Selfridges & Co Window Display's

Hear are some window displays that have inspired me, they are from all kinds of seasons, and are just amazing....











Visual Merchandiser

Visual Merchandiser is someone who designs windows for brands and companies, trying to keep the current costumers and bring new ones in, overall you are trying to increase sales.

As a visual merchandiser you would earning from 12,000 to 16,000 on the first year, then can go up to 20,000 with experience, if you then become a manger you could be earning anything from 25,000 to 45,000 a year.

What the job entails:

  • designing ideas for displays, or following a company design plan
  • creating special displays to promote a specific product or promotion
  • drawing designs and plans by hand or computer
  • deciding how to use space and lighting creatively
  • creating branded visual merchandising packs to send to each branch of a store
  • giving feedback to head office and buying teams
  • setting up displays, dressing dummies, and arranging screens, fabric and posters
  • hiring, borrowing or making props
  • making sure that prices and other necessary details are visible
  • coaching sales staff on how goods should be displayed
  • taking down old displays.

Hours

In a full-time job you would work 37 to 40 hours a week, often including late evenings to set up displays when stores are closed. Part-time work may be available.

Putting up displays would mean spending a lot of time on your feet, lifting, carrying and climbing ladders. Working in shop windows can be hot and cramped.

You could be based at head office or in store. In jobs with chain stores, you might travel to different branches to set up displays and brief sales staff.

Skills & knowledge you need:

  • a good sense of design, colour and style
  • creativity and imagination
  • good IT skills, for computer-aided design work
  • a high level of attention to detail
  • the ability to work to deadlines
  • good communication skills
  • practical skills, such as carpentry and needlework
  • the ability to work well as part of a team and also alone
  • stamina and fitness.

Monday 5 December 2011

Selfridges & Co



Selfridges & co

Background information…

Selfridges is the United Kingdom’s high end department stores, coming second (after Harrods) is the biggest shop in the UK and was opened in 1906 March 15th.

Harry Gordon Selfridge (owner) was born in 1858. He joined field Leiter and company, where he worked for the famous Chicago retailer; he worked hard and made his way up through the firm, he married into Buckingham family and amassed the fortune, which he then built his brand new store in London.

Gordon wanted his stores to be as about entertainment as retail, where mostly women could meet up with their friends and have fun together, he wanted the atmosphere to be a friendly social centre, not a merely places for shopping. He tried to make shopping a fun adventure rather than a chore.

Gordon was interested in education and science; therefore he attracted shoppers with educational and scientific exhibitions. He truly believed that displays would help getting new customers in and the current customers interested and making them want to come back for more if they could see what they could miss out on.

Visual Merchandising…

In 2003 the window displays where so good, that they became a tourist attraction, also being passed by thousands of people on foot, in cars and public transport every day, people can always see what’s new and going on, this shows that window displays are massively important as it increased there business up by 20% (according to VM fashion manager).

When Alison Jackson put her trade mark Tony Blair and David Beckham lookalikes in the window, it brought so much attention to Oxford Street, that police had to tell her she had to finish the project, as it was clogging up traffic and getting way too busy.

To a certain degree Selfridges has become famous for the company and where it has been located in Oxford Street in London. When the Selfridges building was a undergoing restoration, the scaffolding had a giant photograph of stars such as Elton John by Sam Taylor-Wood.

The window displays are always getting attention from tourists, designers and fashionistas alike to marvel at the current designs, styling and fashion trends.

Since 2002 the windows have been photographed by London Photographer Andrew Meredith he has been so successful his work is in things like Magazines such as:

· Vogue

· Dwell

· Icon

· Fame Magazine

· Creative Review

· Hungarian Stylus Magazine

· Design Week

· Harper’s Bazaar

· New York Times

· WGSN

And many more…

(He is someone I will be taking inspiration from his images, such as styling, what angels he has taken his images in and colours he has used in his photographic work.)

Selfridges has stores in

  • London
  • Birmingham
  • Manchester Trafford
  • Manchester Exchange square
Selfridges do seasons way in advanced, hear is a press release created on 27th July 2011, the reson for posting this is going behind the sense and knowing whats going on in ever aspect to get to know selfridges really well,


Press Release

EARLIEST EVER CHRISTMAS

EARLIEST EVER CHRISTMAS SHOP OPENING FOR
SELFRIDGES, 151 DAYS AHEAD OF CHRISTMAS DAY FOR
LONDON’S TOURISTS AS SELFRIDGES’ INTERNATIONAL
VISITORS INCREASE OVER 40 PER CENT (2011 COMPARED
TO 2010)
It may only be July, but London is soon about to embark on a more wintery world as Selfridges, the world’s leading
department store announces its earliest ever opening of its White themed Christmas shop which is scheduled to open
28th July, 149 days ahead of December’s big day.
Sales in previous years have proved that customers are ready to start thinking about Christmas in the summer, especially
visitors from overseas. This year, Selfridges’ international visitors have already increased by over 40 per cent (2011
compared to 2010), which has encouraged Selfridges to reconsider its traditional August Christmas shop opening,
bringing it forward to July for the first time.
Last year Selfridges’ Christmas shop celebrated record sales double on the year (2010 compared to 2009) in its first week
of trade. Tourists from countries including China, Russia, Asia, India and USA see choosing a beautiful Christmas
decoration as the perfect memento from a foreign trip flock to Selfridges during the summer months. Last year,
Selfridges’ Christmas shop sold over 2,000 Christmas baubles in its first week of trade, after opening August 8th 2010.
Among the items on display in this year’s White themed Christmas shop will be make your own and pre-lit Christmas
trees, paint your own baubles and wreaths.
Selfridges’ Christmas hot list for 2011 includes faux fur animal hats by Merrimaking, currently enjoying a cult status in
Japan and amongst festival goers. Selfridges’ Christmas shop will offer stag and polar bear styles exclusively for £100.
White trees are also expected to rival traditional green for the first time, with exclusive trees in six, seven and eight foot
from £159.
Selfridges' hot list for Christmas 2011:
• Multi-texture white decorations including boiled wool, wood, felt and glass from £3.95
• Stag and polar bear faux fur stag hat £100 and polar bear hat £40 by Merrimaking
• White Christmas trees (6ft, 7ft and 8ft) from £159
• Union Jack bauble £11.95
• Selfridges first baby’s bauble £5.50
• Bespoke Selfridges neon crackers made from recycled paper £45 for six
• Game crackers to celebrate the nation's favourite board games including Monopoly and Scrabble £18.95 for six
• Make your own crackers by Robin Reed - roll the up and put your own presents inside £12.50
• Paint your own and sew your own novelty decorations by Gisella Graham £8.95
Geraldine James, Selfridges Christmas Shop Buying Manager said: “Christmas is coming earlier each year. I can
see a time when we offer a capsule Christmas collection throughout the year. We are famous globally for our exclusive
Christmas decorations and this year we are looking forward to transforming our customers’ homes all over the world with
our white themed Christmas decorations, which this year we expect to challenge the traditional red, gold and green.”

Downloaded from Selfridges website, www.selfridges.com (click press room)
contact details
  • Tel: 0800 123 400
  • +44 113 369 8040 (from overseas)
  • 9am - 10pm seven days a week
On selfridges website it has services from A-X on services to make it easier for the customer to get help and easier to find things. The website has everything to know about selfridges such as how it all started, whats going on whats not going on, what will be next, sales, new fashion all sorts of things, which is brilliant because its all there when you need it.




Research

Visual Merchandising

Visual Merchandising is active and professional display to maximise sales, this enables you to highlight their features and benefits. The purpose of visual merchandising is to attract, engage and motivate the customer towards making a purchase. Visual merchandising commonly occurs in retail spaces such as retail stores and trade shows.

Why visual Merchandising helps sales…

· Makes it easier for the customer to locate the item they wish.

· Makes it easier for the customer to self-select

· Makes it possible for the shopper to co-ordinate and accessories

· Recommended highlights and demonstrate particular products.

Visual merchandising builds upon or augments the retail design of a store, it’s one of the final stages in setting out a store in a way customers find attractive and appealing. Many elements can be used by visual merchandisers in creating displays including colour, lighting, space, product information, sensory inputs, (such as smell, touch and sound), as well as technologies such as digital displays.

Window displays can communicate style, content and price. Display windows may also be used to advertise seasonal sales or inform passes by of other current promotions, planogram is a diagram or model that indicates the placement of retail products on shelves in order to maximize sales. Planogram allows visual merchandising to plan size, price or some other category, it also enables a chain of stores to have the same merchandise display in a coherent and similar manner across the chain, and Planograms are also known as Plano-grams, Plan-organs schematics and POGs, used a lot in Visual Merchandising. Schematic is a diagram that represents the element of a system using obstract, graphic symbols rather than realistic pictures.

Personal Opinion on Window displays…

I think a window display brings character to the store and shows off what kind of style and price range they are, also makes you think shall I go in and try that on? Really brings your attention only if it’s worth looking at, so needs to be lots going on, colourful and never bland (innless to fits in with the theme or style). Personal Experience I really liked a H&M window display, but I will only ever go in and try it on if there is a price on it, I think this comes down to target market such as Low class, Middle class and High class, because I have noticed that the higher brand displays not always have prices but seems like lower market does nearly every time.

Hear are some images that helped me get to grips of how window displays and visual merchandising works.

You may not think it when you look at this image or when you look in a store but when you are looking for a product, all the products have been placed and coloured to attract your attention, such as when you see red you instantly think sale and buy it, same kind of thing when they create there brands have to think really hard on what they think will attract there costmer and what kind of customer.

Creating outfits really attracts customers, and personally always gets me into the shop, because I really like how they have put the outfit together and I know what to wear with what.