When taking a winter stroll around the more upmarket high streets of London during the festive season you cannot help but be mesmerised not only by the all the lights , but also by the window displays. The primary aim of these displays is to sell products, but they also need to communicate something about the store, or the brand – its image and its story – so as to entice the costumer to step into that story, and that store.
This year Selfridges in Oxford Street chose the theme of ‘Christmas of Dreams’. Managing Director of Selfridges, Andrew Keith puts it this way: “Fuelled by imagination Selfridges is here to make Christmas shopping and gift finding special and fun, and this year, a little surreal.”
This year’s surreal Selfridges world draws inspiration from both the 1930s golden age of Hollywood – with the work of film director and musical choreographer Busby Berkeley as its focus – and the technicolour musicals of the 1950s. The displays feature illusions, stars, feathers and of course a ton of glitter and sparkle, in which designer clothes – including specially-commissioned dresses by Simone Rocha – float like dreams. Each display is accompanied by a caption such as the ones below which read: “Reeling in amazement”; “Otherworldly treasures”; “Rounds (and rounds and rounds) of applause”, “Style in full plume”; and “Raising a glass to dazzlingly good times”.
Some displays, such as the Ralph Lauren one below, evoke an atmosphere but don’t really transcend the products on display.
Whereas others work on so many layers that they are more like works of art.