Harrods Christmas displays never lack luxury and opulence. This year the windows have been transformed into a steam train carrying festive gifts and passengers. I have a film and stills to show. Enjoy! And Merry Christmas from The Window Display Blog too! Only a few days to shop!

If you live in the UK you may have seen the John Lewis Christmas TV advert; the animated tale of a bear and a hare. The windows carry the same theme with animals made out of household products. A clever way to create windows that are all about the product, but in a very creative way.

Here is a link to a ‘making of’ video by The Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/10399898/Christmas-2013-Creating-the-John-Lewis-Christmas-shop-window.html.

Glorious high heels take the center stage in these glamorous Gina Christmas party- feel windows.

Christmas windows have come early this year, or does it just feel like it’s earlier and earlier each year. Harvey Nics christmas windows are glitzy and sparkling with colour and light. This year I’ll be able to show you just how the lights sparkle with video. I have a new YouTube Channel where I’ll be adding videos of windows with movement especially. The channel is suitably called The Window Display Blog.

Before I hit you with Christmas windows, I wanted to share these images I took of fashion retailers on this West London street.

Roberto Cavalli.

Hackett.

Kate Spade.

L.K. Bennett.  

All three above Dior.

Louis Vuitton.

I know this is not strictly a fashion window, but I always love windows that use multiple windows to tell a message. This one is from Harvey Nichols advertising their foodmarket.

New camera, new string of posts coming up.
I’m gonna keep it short and snappy: here is Prada: It’s the Colours: bright reds and aquas together with greys, that cought my attention.

London based retail design company Elemental Design was commissioned to design, manufacture and install a Harrods window to promote the art and culture of Qatar. Since 2010 Harrods has been owned by Qatar Holdings, a wealth fund of the Qatar State. The window invites people to visit the In-Q café and a gift shop on the second floor of the department store.

 Gary Porter, the founder of Elemental Design has strong relationships with Harrods and visited Qatar in order to learn about the culture and get inspiration for this campaign. In his design the traditional mosaic pattern becomes contemporary 3D sculpture which is created by layers of high spec geometric frames and a gold faceted wall. In the middle stands the In-Q logo. 

I visited the design company to have peak look at the building stages of the window campaign. The turnaround was very fast and I saw most elements been finished in the premises just a day before the late night install.

Above is a prototype for the gold faceted panel and undersneath the gold panel arriving at the workshops.

Metalwork being sprayed and finished.

I caught up with Gary on their recent work for clients such as Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Westfield LONDON, Museum of Islamic Art.. The list is long and impressive. Their expertise include in-store fit outs as well as window displays and can see you through from design, manufacture and final delivery. Have a look at their new website and blog at Elemental.co.uk.

The weather might not be summery yet, but the Chelsea in Bloom in association with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) gets you on the mood instantly with shops blossoming with their amazing installations. The shops are invited to compete for the award ‘Best Floral Display’. The theme this year is ‘Decades’ to celebrate 100 years of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The floral displays reflect iconic periods of British design whilst taking inspiration from participating retailers’ archives from the past 100 years.

Browns.

Brunello Cucinelli.

LK Bennett

Moyles Stevens.

Smythson.

Space NK.

The voting is still on here: http://www.chelseainbloom.co.uk/gallery/

I don’t often do this but I wanted to draw your attention to jewellery and accessory windows as they can often very elaborate or miniature schemes to make such small products stand out. So here are a collection of high-end accessory windows mainly from the Sloane street area in London.

Smythson.

Swarovski

Tiffany’s.

Another Tiffany’s minuature windows. What a small-scale miracle!

Boodles.

Cartier.

Links of London.

MCM.

The last couple of years Harrods have celebrated fairy tales with a great success within their windows, and this year is no dissapointment. Disney Princesses from classic Snow White to a more recent Pocahontas adorn the store’s facade. The images to follow will take you to the luxurous Disney world of Princess stories. And a classic Chanel window thrown in.

Cinderella starts off our tour. I love the clock reflected on the ground.

Princess Tiana from the The Princess and The Frog.

Snow White.

Princess Rapunzel and her long hair.

The Sleeping Beauty aka Princess Aurora.

The Little Mermaid aka Princess Ariel.

Lovely Pocahontas.

This is Mulan, She married a captain of the military. Needless to say I never saw this story..

I love this Chanel no 5 window at the side of the store.