Drama King

The King of Drama has done it again.  For the second week in a row, I give Harvey Nichols the prize of Best Dressed Window in London.

Although there may be other window displays that are artistic and tasteful, I have seen none that compare with the ingenuity of Harvey Nichols visual merchandizing.  With an artistic, theatrical presence, the window art of Harvey Nichols is a force with which to be reckoned.

This week, the store has taken traditional items of clothes and visualized and reshaped them until they are as up-to-date as the store itself.

Starting with basic accessories such as hats and purses, Harvey Nichols has taken the ordinary and transformed it into modern art.

I Notice how the faces are illuminated by the large, cartoonist painting of the hair.  Also, look at how the window artist depicts each face by using different products in various locations and incorporating a different colour scheme for each face.

The collection of faces implies to the average window shopper that there is an accessory inside to fit every woman.

According to Bob Taylor, a window display consultant, stores that are known for a certain “look” in their windows can be the most difficult to dress.  “If you have a store known for its avant-garde window displays, and they have to promote products that are more conservative, it can be a challenge for that store to promote those items [of clothing] in a modern way.”

Author Mary Portas, writer of Windows: the Art of Retail Display, credits Harvey Nichols’ success on the open-mindedness of their directors.  “They were prepared to take risks and that’s why they’re the retailers they are today…Window-dressing isn’t just about a set that gets crushed at the end of the month and left on a skip; it’s a tactical marketing method with the same longevity and branding ability as any advertising campaign.”

Obviously, Harvey Nichols understands the importance of window displays.  I look forward to seeing what they create in the future.

Dasia Abel

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