POP UP SHOP

POP UP SHOP FOR MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL

Montreal Jazz Festival

Inspiration

The concept for the pop-up shop is a combination of two elements; wood the Canadians natural resource and jazz music. The construction of the container is solid and classic. Walls are covered in a black colour, spiced with an orange in reference to vivid notes in jazz. The display units are inspired by the shape of music coming out of a saxophone or a grand piano.

The Montreal Jazz Festival takes place every year in July and it is the largest jazz festival in the world. Every year it brings in around 3000 artists from 30 countries. The festival hosts in around 2 million people every year.

If it ever came to a construction of this pop-up shop converted from a freight train container I imagine it in a dense greenery, park or in the forest. Often, the deep, dense of greenery is so dark it appears black. Therefore, the colours of the pop-up shop would balance very well in nature, creating a coherent unity.

Pop up shop for Montreal Jazz FestivalPop up shop for Montreal Jazz Festival — Pop up shop for Montreal Jazz Festival

Author: Walkowska Aleksandra

2017-05-092018-09-28

SUMMER WINDOW PROPOSAL FOR DESIGUAL

Desigual summer window proposal – day view

This is only a proposal without any budget limitation. The concept was to design a summer window for a fashion brand that took part in New York Fashion Week 2016.

Desigual is a casual clothing brand based in Barcelona, Spain. Founded by a Swiss man Thomas Meyer in 1984. Desigual in Spanish means uneven/unequal and the concept is applied in the brand design, through the use of asymmetry, patchworks, prints, graffiti art, and splashes of intense colour.

Desigual at Placa Catalunya in Barcelona (ft. Sparky)

CONCEPT

The project involved the design of two window display for the summer season. One for a large window at the front of the store with a dividing panel in the middle and a small window which in real life, would be somewhere off the main foot traffic. Both windows had to follow the same theme. I called the theme Summer in the City. Summer in a very hot climate can be hard to bear, without much greenery and water to cool down the end of the day is a blessing.

INSPIRATION

My large window is based on an idea of a play. A bunch of friends feel comfortable with each other jumping across cascading water. The heat is making them crazy, they feel free and they need to cool down, la vida es loca (life is crazy) as Desigual motto says.

Desigual window proposal with cascading water

The smaller window is inspired by a city seen as a concrete jungle. A couple of friends are hanging out in the skatepark preserving their energy chilling out.

Skate park window proposal for Desigual — Skatepark window proposal for Desigual

Perhaps at the back of my mind, I was designing the windows for Barcelona city where the hit can be as high as 40 degrees. Probably in other cooler places the concept would come across more like people having fun rather than an escape from the heat. At least I would hope so 🙂

Author: Walkowska Aleksandra

Post created in collaboration with Sparky Magazine.

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2017-04-052018-09-28

EASTER WINDOW DISPLAYS IN DUBLIN

NOT MUCH EASTER IN THE WINDOW DISPLAYS,
DUBLIN 2017

Early morning on Sunday is the best time to take photographs of the window displays, the town is still sleeping and the streets are empty. The only problem is the reflection of buildings, buses, cars, and myself! But this time I tried to turn it into an advantage and show a bit of Dublin architecture at the same time. Like kids who are looking for chocolate eggs hidden in a garden, I went searching for an Easter window display!

For some time, I wasn’t paying much attention at all to the windows of Dunnes Stores in St. Stephen Green Shopping Center … simply because I did not think they were that great. But I was nicely surprised during my walk, last Sunday. Their style very much resembles displays on George Street, in my opinion, one of the best in town. Always.

Saint Stephen Green Shopping Center in Dublin

Dunnes Stores in Saint Stephen Green Shopping Center in Dublin

Dunnes Stores in St Stephen Green Shopping Center

Willow in St Stephen Green Shopping Center

JOANNE HYNES DISPLAY IN DUNNES STORES

Joanne Hynes window in Dunnes Stores on Grafton Street

Joanne Hynes in Dunnes Stores on Grafton Street

There is a very strong presence of Joanne Hynes funky style in most of Dunnes Stores windows, the displays are very colourful with a story behind it (what I like the most). A young girl went out shopping, she got inflatable jungle toys in her trolley. The colours and the patterns of a jungle must have been an inspiration for Joanne Hynes collection. It is a bright, tropical and a very playful display.

DESIGNERS WINDOWS IN DUNNES STORES ON GEORGE STREET

Paul Costelloe window in Dunnes Stores on George Street, Dublin

Carolyn Donelly window in Dunnes Stores on George Street, Dublin — Carolyn Donnelly window in Dunnes Stores on George Street, Dublin

Considered window display in Dunnes Stores on George Street, Dublin

BROWN THOMAS

Not much Easter in Brown Thomas windows this year, rather than eating chocolate eggs and bunnies the store is encouraging the potential buyers to get fit, sign up for yoga classes, go for a run or join the gym. I quite like the construction behind the mannequins, it reminds me of a graphic symbol that stands for an option on a treadmill – called Fat Burn! Ha, very clever idea 🙂

Brown Thomas window display on Grafton Street, Dublin

CHANEL

I don’t really get the hidden clue behind Chanel window display … It all looks very digital, electronic, colourful cables connected to the accessories … yet the mannequins style is very 1920s, 1930s. What’s the message? The technology is changing but Chanel style stays the same – is that it?

HERMÈS

Hermes window display in Brown Thomas, Grafton Street — Hermès window display in Brown Thomas, Grafton Stree

Hermès display refers to the classical Greek columns, here they could mean long tradition. The columns are very elastic. Is it a similar message as in Chanel windows? Hermès is classic and adaptable …? Perhaps.

LOUIS VUITTON

AROUND GRAFTON STREET

MASSIMO DUTTI

Design Atelier window display on Grafton St, Dublin

GRAHAMS SHOE STORE

Grahams shoes store window display for Easter 2017 — Grahams Shoe Store window display for Easter 2017

Very few stores created Easter display in their windows, I find Graham Shoe display very cute with the little chicks and rabbits living among shoes and high hills, like if that was their natural environment. It put a smile on my face 🙂

BUTLERS CHOCOLATE CAFE

Butlers Chocolates Cafe window display in Dublin

glass reflection in Dublin — Naturally created window display

Author: Walkowska Aleksandra

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2017-02-272018-09-29

DUBLIN WINDOWS SPRING 2017

Hermes silk scarf in Brown Thomas window

ANOTHER EARLY SUNDAY STROLL AND SHORT VISUAL REPORTAGE OF WINDOW DISPLAY IN SOUTH DUBLIN

The town is not very big, so I tend to stay in one area with the most attractive visual merchandising. Wish it was a bigger town I could take longer walks and admire the creative work.

My most favourite one is Dunnes Stores on George Street, the spring is there with the colours and texture, all looking very playful and fresh.

Always enjoy Massimo Dutti windows for the perfect composition. The negative space creates an impression the characters played by mannequins are bit dreamy and distanced, they are in the world of their own.

Brown Thomas windows look quite urban with the squared props and minimalistic use of the walls. The colours are selling in the spring season. Even though it is still rather cold outside!

Featured image – Hermès silk scarf in Brown Thomas window, Dublin

Author: Walkowska Aleksndra

2017-02-222018-09-29

THE FUTURE OF TRADITIONAL RETAIL

Shopping is a modern version of hunting, why not turn it into a place of adventure and a positive challenge rather than a lonely planet …

By nature, we are hunter-gatherers we need to work together to fulfil each other’s roles in collecting the essentials to survive. Dopamine is responsible for the feeling we get when we find something we’re looking for or we [achieve] something we set out to accomplish, says Simon Sinek. The hormone is released every time we get closer to our goal. Our bodies feel satisfaction and keep us motivated, without the hormone we would become idle and waste away.

Traditional retail is in a crisis today and the ideas to improve the situation in the future looks sterile, lonely and isolated. If we are served by the robots we will become robots too.

Who will benefit from being looked after by a robot in a store, an app sending messages every time we pass a store or an idea of doing grocery shopping while sitting in a car seat?

The idea of Amazon Go shopping seems most efficient. It’s simple – in and out of a store – no queuing to pay for our shopping means we will have more spare time for ourselves at the end of the day. That’s a positive outcome.

Human contact is a very important part of the shopping experience as we all know it

It is the more personal conversation or a short witty chat with a person behind the counter I think rather than information provided about the product. My Iranian friend can talk to anyone standing beside him in the shop, perhaps it is a part of his culture to treat shopping as a social experience. As a regular customer at the fish counter in Dunnes Stores, I got a small discount which was offered to me by the stall owner – a robot or an app will never do that.

What do you think about the use of an advanced technology in retail in the nearest future? Do you like some of the new inventions?

What do you think about the use of an advanced technology in retail in the nearest future? Do you like the idea?

Hunting in prehistoric art ‘Rock Art of the Tassili n’Ajjer

African market stall photographed by © Derek Speirs

Temple Bar by Market in Dublin by © Greville Edwards — The market in Berlin by © Greville Edwards

Food market in Barcelona by © Greville Edwards

Market in Dublin by © Greville Edwards — The market in Dublin by © Greville Edwards

Author: Walkowska Aleksndra

Featured image – Bansky ‘Trolly Hunters’

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2017-02-142018-09-29

ROMANTIC WINDOW DISPLAY

Today is the 14th of February 2017
The Valentine’s Day

My most romantic window project is called Poetic Technology and at the same time, it is my least favourite window I designed in DIT College, even though I think the phrase is well caught in the design. Somehow I did not feel it, wasn’t sure how to interpret the theme, it felt vague and too philosophical. It was the only time I chose a male mannequin and surrounded him in a pink colour. I was playing with the contrast between masculinity and femininity.

Stella McCartney once said, ‘For something to be feminine it has to be a little bit masculine and vice versa’ I followed her phrase in this project.

Flying birds inspiration for the project — Flying birds project inspiration

Inspiration: Nature and Modern Romance
With the use of advanced technology and electronic devices in these modern times, we are moving farther away from nature. At the same time, we have begun to see the details in the world around us, but we have created a gap between nature and the need to be a part of it. Today we try to resurrect the strong connection we once had but have somehow lost. My model in this window display has a bohemian nature, his attire is contrasting with pixelated patterns of birds in flight in the background.

To develop my visualisation further I wanted to create photomontage and place the window in a suitable window display. That did not work I should approach it differently from the start. I created this single window display, which now looks like a space tube or a condom sale stand with a slogan Buy your condoms from Valento supported by Safe Sex Organisation 😉

Author: Walkowska Aleksndra

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Category: visual merchandising

POP UP SHOP

POP UP SHOP FOR MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL

SUMMER WINDOW PROPOSAL FOR DESIGUAL

This is only a proposal without any budget limitation. The concept was to design a summer window for a fashion brand that took part in New York Fashion Week 2016.

CONCEPT

EASTER WINDOW DISPLAYS IN DUBLIN

NOT MUCH EASTER IN THE WINDOW DISPLAYS,
DUBLIN 2017

JOANNE HYNES DISPLAY IN DUNNES STORES

DESIGNERS WINDOWS IN DUNNES STORES ON GEORGE STREET

BROWN THOMAS

CHANEL

HERMÈS

LOUIS VUITTON

AROUND GRAFTON STREET

MASSIMO DUTTI

GRAHAMS SHOE STORE

BUTLERS CHOCOLATE CAFE

DUBLIN WINDOWS SPRING 2017

ANOTHER EARLY SUNDAY STROLL AND SHORT VISUAL REPORTAGE OF WINDOW DISPLAY IN SOUTH DUBLIN

THE FUTURE OF TRADITIONAL RETAIL

Shopping is a modern version of hunting, why not turn it into a place of adventure and a positive challenge rather than a lonely planet …

Human contact is a very important part of the shopping experience as we all know it

ROMANTIC WINDOW DISPLAY

Today is the 14th of February 2017
The Valentine’s Day

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)

POP UP SHOP FOR MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL

This is only a proposal without any budget limitation. The concept was to design a summer window for a fashion brand that took part in New York Fashion Week 2016.

CONCEPT

NOT MUCH EASTER IN THE WINDOW DISPLAYS, DUBLIN 2017

JOANNE HYNES DISPLAY IN DUNNES STORES

DESIGNERS WINDOWS IN DUNNES STORES ON GEORGE STREET

BROWN THOMAS

CHANEL

HERMÈS

LOUIS VUITTON

AROUND GRAFTON STREET

MASSIMO DUTTI

GRAHAMS SHOE STORE

BUTLERS CHOCOLATE CAFE

ANOTHER EARLY SUNDAY STROLL AND SHORT VISUAL REPORTAGE OF WINDOW DISPLAY IN SOUTH DUBLIN

Shopping is a modern version of hunting, why not turn it into a place of adventure and a positive challenge rather than a lonely planet …

Human contact is a very important part of the shopping experience as we all know it

Today is the 14th of February 2017 The Valentine’s Day

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)

NOT MUCH EASTER IN THE WINDOW DISPLAYS,
DUBLIN 2017

Today is the 14th of February 2017
The Valentine’s Day