As most brands are beginning to inject more warmth into their window displays by introducing fall/winter inspired themes. Scarves, knee-high socks and jackets seem to be a common style trend for most mannequins, which is no surprise that H&M have swapped their summer inspired themes to fall/winter. Personally, I think that the most striking element in H&M’s window displays, setting them apart from other brands this fall/winter, is their clever use of mannequins.
H&M has decided to showcase its transition into fall/winter by swapping the heads and hands of some of the window display mannequins for giant knitted versions. I feel that this striking concept is very compelling with the clever addition of mannequins seemingly designed and dressed to entice passersby with the promise of warmth and comfort. The whole display effectively functions as an attention grabbing magnet that no doubt helps to lure in more customers, especially as the temperature continues its descent into cooler depths.
We all love a bit of Zara! who can resist the temptation to pop in and have a ‘quick look’. Whenever I visit Zara for just a ‘quick browse’ I usually always end up joining the forever long fitting room queue with an armful of clothes, which of course results in an increased dent in my bank account!
Zara, Autumn Winter, 2014
Zara, Autumn Winter, 2014
Zara, Autumn Winter, 2014
Zara, Autumn Winter, 2014
Zara, Autumn Winter, 2014
Zara, Autumn Winter, 2014
Zara, Autumn Winter, 2014
As most of us are now in the process of swapping out our bikini’s and summer dresses for trousers, long-sleeved tops and jackets etc. It is definitely the right time to start investing in warmer clothing pieces. I personally think that Zara’s the place to be if you want decent priced and quality fashion pieces this fall. So why not check out their latest collection, there’s no harm in looking…right?
As I walked through NYC’s Bloomingdales to get to the Hugo Boss tailored clothing section, I passed through the bedding department where I found myself surrounded by luxurious bed sets from brands such as Vera Wang, Calvin Klein and Hudson Park.
Bloomingdales NYC, Bedding department, 2014
This department’s visual merchandising was so amazing, I had to actively restrain myself from diving on each bed as I walked through. While exiting this department I spotted this sign ‘sleep well tonight’ and thought it was very fitting for the department, and is a clever strategy to encourage visitors to ‘dream’ about the various luxuries the department has to offer and possibly to ensure a subconscious link between the department and ‘sleep’ to help lure customers back into the department. I for one would most definitely sleep well in any one of these luxuriously soft and silky looking beds… if only.
I took a little stroll down Fifth Avenue on Saturday and stumbled upon this beautiful window display in one of Lord and Taylor’s windows. I am not too familiar with the brand ‘Obsessed but I love this!. Just amazing.
Obsessed VDC, Lord and Taylor NYC, Fifth Avenue, 2014Obsessed VDC, Lord and Taylor NYC, Fifth Avenue, 2014
It was so exciting to see Jason Wu’s latest Spring/Summer 2015 ‘ThisIsBoss’ Womenswear Collection! The garments looked absolutely beautiful and to top it all off, I was lucky enough to get involved in transferring this collection straight off the runway and onto the mannequins in the Hugo Boss club room which I help supervise. Seeing the fashion pieces in person and being able to touch them and truly appreciate the fine details was a real treat!. Jason Wu has an amazing talent and is a good asset to the Hugo Boss brand. Click on the link below to view the Hugo Boss NYC Fashion Show.
Whilst Visual Merchanding for Hugo Boss in Saks last week I got offered a personal tour of the whole department store by Hugo Boss’ Regional Manager and fabulous Senior Visual Merchandiser Jose Tabares. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I will just let my pictures elaborate. The following pictures highlight some of the the key interior and exterior visual displays which caught my eye during this tour.
Sometimes customer service in NYC’s fashion retail stores is almost as frustrating as the many bugs and Mosquitos lining up to drain your blood!! However it differs from store to store, the high end and more expensive stores tend to be more accommodating and offer more assistance, while stores like ‘Forever 21’, H&M or ‘Zara’ offer little or no assistance at all. The reason for this is very simple. There are far too many customers in the lower-end, more affordable stores which makes it difficult for the store staff to offer personal assistance.
This can take some getting used to if like me, you are travelling from places that take pride in providing excellent customer service. For example, during a visit to the W34th Street Forever 21 store, I fell in love with a pair of shoes that were on a mannequin in an in-store visual display, and since I could not see them anywhere on the shop floor, I located a member of staff. This alone should have been fairly easy but it took a long time to find someone that actually worked at this store, and when I finally did the staff member simply said ‘those must be the last pair’ in a dismissive ‘you’re bothering me’ attitude and that was the end of it.
BOTTEGA VENETA, Fifth Avenue, NYC 2014
Contrastingly, I went into Bottega Veneta on Fifth Avenue, the staff were so welcoming, although this was clearly due to the fact that this brand is high end, so therefore it was not crammed to up the ceiling with shoppers. To my delight, upon entering I was greeted with seemingly genuine smiles and as I perused the shop, another member of staff approached me after I had politely declined three earlier attempts of assistance. What made the difference in this store was the way in which the staff appeared as if they genuinely wanted to assist me, unlike busier stores in locations such as W34th street and Times Square, where if you’re lucky you’d be approached by a member of staff who is most likely to disappear the first chance he/she gets.
The ROMA Bag, Bottega Veneta ($ 3,520)Inside The Roma Bag…
The woman who approached me in Bottega Veneta’s Women’s Bags department politely offered to give me a tour of the shop and to show me ‘her’ favourite bags. This was in a very natural and friendly manner so I had no reason to decline. While we went around the shop, she asked me lots of questions about myself and the type of things I like in a bag, she showed me several bags, two of which matched me perfectly. The way she presented them to me was an art in itself, in fact so much so that I even considered buying the beautiful ‘Roma’ bag that I had completely fallen in love with!. Priced at only $3,520 it would definitely leave a huge dent in my already practically empty bank account! This was one of the best customer service I have ever received, I felt valued as a customer and I would have definitely bought that bag right there and then. I still might…
With so many tourists and so many distractions, visual merchandising plays a major role in New York City. Competition is high and in order to thrive, retailers are constantly finding new ways to entice their customers. To achieve this, retailers such as H&M have ensured they remain available at every key point in the city, and they even go as far as to appear three or four times within the same street!!!
One of the many H&Ms in the City
Zara is another retailer that is prominent in the city! Here tourists and New Yorkers find themselves working their way through one of the many Zara stores which are not too far apart.
This clever notion not only cultivates customer loyalty but also ensures that customers will always be able to find what they seek, and they would not have to travel too far to do so.
Having had first hand experience of shopping in New York, all that can be said is that there is a dazzling atmosphere, it’s almost hypnotic, as it lures you in and offers you many enticing gifts, at a price of course, and before you know it, you would have blown your life’s savings or rent just walking down a couple of streets. Fifth avenue is the most tempting of all, housing luxury brands such as Valentino and Prada, Chanel and Dolce and Gabbana. These stores are so luxuriously designed inside and out that one is almost nervous to go inside, out of fear of being too ordinary or emerging far poorer!
Armani Fifth Avenue, NYC 2014
FENDI Fifth Avenue, NYC 2014
GUCCI Fifth Avenue, NYC 2014
PRADA Fifth Avenue, NYC 2014
Interestingly enough the NYC stores’ opening times are similar to London, you can literally peruse the stores until 10pm! Stores like Forever 21 are open 24 hours a day, to accommodate those impulsive and in some cases, alcohol influenced last minute purchases. However as amazing as the New York City shopping scene may be, it certainly cannot be enmbarked on cheaply. In order to positively absorb the full experience one must have no financial constraints before succumbing to the many awaiting, irresistible but money dissolving shops.
Spending a long time in the city can sometime make you feel claustrophobic, which is how I started to feel after only a week in the city. However approximately 10-15 away from mid-town manhattan, you will find the Hudson River, it is amazing and such a welcoming view after spending so much time surrounded by buildings. Here you will find a lot of runners, running is such a big thing in New York City, it amazes how so many people can manage to run or do any form of exercise in this heat. When I first arrived in NYC I literally only managed to walk a few blocks before feeling over heated and sweaty.
Moon Coated 