An Oasis of ideas

Even if a trend is considered in vogue, I won’t wear something I don’t like.  I assume a lot of consumers are probably weary of the look as well, which means it will be out of style soon. So why waste my money? 

In other words, success in the fashion world isn’t just about being creative.  It is about being marketable as well.  A fashion frenzy can quickly turn into a fashion faux pas if stores cannot sell the merchandise. 

A reality of business is that the stores are responsible for selling the product to the consumer.  If a store cannot sell fashionable clothing to the public, the craze will end quicker than a marriage to Brittany Spears.  Hence, it is imperative for a store to not only stock clothing that is saleable, but also promote the trend to the potential customer. 

While window shopping in London, I was stuck with one store’s ability to transform a trend into a viable message.  The Oasis store located on Argyll Street has a window display that made me want to buy everything in the store. 

Packed with symbolism, these windows are not just about what is hot in the fashion world.  The displays also explain to shoppers why the trends are a great idea, giving them reasons to buy.  By expressing its own interpretations of the current trends, Oasis is explaining why women should want to wear the latest styles.  Instead of letting the trend sell itself, the store is relating the look to what its customers want.

According to the store’s website, Oasis has a specific consumer base in mind: “The core customer is a fashion conscious, independent, twenty-something woman… The Oasis brand is synonymous with colour and fun. All Oasis imagery identifies with the fun-loving spirit of our customer.”

Oasis advertises its current collection as a “glam, vintage-inspired season.” Ladylike chic is the look of the moment.  Pearls and fur are all the rage, along with corsages and brooches.

By showcasing the store’s fashionable clothing with pictures of famous movie stars, Oasis is juxtaposing the luxury of its merchandize with the glamour of a Hollywood celebrity.  Now, the store is not just selling a strand of pearls or a crotched cape;

it is also selling the images of famous movie stars who might dress this way.  Even if a window shopper might feel silly or costume-like in pearls and fur, they could look at the pictures of Katherine Hepburn or Liv Tyler and have a new appreciation for the spirit behind the style.

Oasis also incorporated the season’s most modern colours into the vintage visual merchandizing scheme. 

The purple shades of one window convey Hollywood royalty, incorporating the extravagance and lavishness of stardom. 

Then, the green shades in the     display symbolize the money flowing through Hollywood.  Since American dollars are commonly referred to as greenbacks, it is no wonder the colour has long been established as a representation of wealth and privilege.

Therefore, the colours in Oasis’s windows cease to simply be the in style hues.  The shades serve as symbols to whoever is peering through the glass, just as Oasis gave the vintage trend new life by using black and white photos of movie icons.

Oasis has successfully linked fashion to visuals women relate to.  After all, what woman doesn’t want to dress like a rich starlet who is the queen of the silver screen?  I believe this window display will result in high sales for Oasis, as well as endear the glamour trend to a new range of buyers.

Dacia Abel

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