Halloween Windows Get Crafty

One of the best things about October is observing the deep plunge that Visual Merchandisers take into their Fall displays. The displays no longer skim the surface of back to school, but delve into a realm of dim lighting, goofy props, and frightening mannequin scenarios. Yes, you guessed correctly – it’s Halloween time!

Cole Fox Hardware

At Cole Fox Hardware, a dinner has been perfectly set for a mischievous villain. When viewing this window, you get the spooky Halloween vibe, yet the display can also be recognized for being simply creative and fantastic 365 days a year. My favorite aspect of this year’s window is the chain mail curtains!

Anthropologie

Shout out to my lovely workplace, Anthropologie, and our display of harvested gourds! Hand stitched and wrapped, the gourds and tree roots turn me on to picking a pumpkin straight from the farm this year.

Saks

Saks Fifth Avenue’s textured yarn brings back memories of corn and field mazes.

The Archive
The Archive always has a special place in my heart for their intriguing, locally made window displays. This year, a skeleton offers his tailing services to consumers. Suits from the Crypt, anyone?

Enjoy these Halloween-centric displays until next week, when I reveal more in the San Francisco area!

Written By: Danielle Wallis

Energetic Angles

This week, I tried to contain my urge to write a Halloween-themed post and instead, cover other beautiful window display themes in San Francisco. (Since I’m one of those people who starts conceptualizing and sketching Halloween costume ideas in mid July, this has not been an easy task.) Visual Merchandisers seem to love their Halloween themed windows, but I couldn’t help but bring attention to the great work that’s being squeezed in right before the holiday display installs begin!

Neiman Marcus has infused a bit of youth and texture into their Geary Street window displays. And by youth, I mean that I feel a bit of an Urban Outfitters effect here with the raw wood, and I’m into it! The directions of the placed wood planks are dynamic and energetic.

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A Sudden Fade to Black

Prada

Over the past few months, I was riding high on summer’s trends such as neon hues and bold ethnic prints. I was so wrapped up in donning bright green nail polish and textiles from Africa that the shift in seasons halted my fierce step during a stroll in Soho.

The visual differences were obvious: something that sets New York very far apart from San Francisco is the city’s love affair with the color black. And, it’s not just love, it’s almost like black is a molecule in a New Yorker’s oxygen; and something that I definitely see less of in San Francisco.

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School of Fashion Alumni Grace Neiman’s Windows for FNO

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Banners Illustrated by Gladys Perint Palmer

Fashion’s Night Out is upon us again, which means beautiful Alumni work has graced the Stockton side windows at Neiman Marcus San Francisco!

This year, pieces designed by School of Fashion Alumni Jonathan David Baker and Holly Smith have been spotlighted in the window displays. Layers of knits, leather, and even hoods complete the mannequins looks. I personally fell in love with these garments when I had the chance of handling them months ago on set, so it was very exciting to see them again in person!

Gladys Perint Palmer’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week posters are nestled between the two dressed windows, and yes, all I can think about is how I wish I could be seeing them on the streets of Manhattan! I’m keeping my body grounded (although it’s okay to dream, right?), and am excited that San Francisco, too gets to share and enjoy beautiful work from The Academy of Art University. Check out Neiman Marcus before you stop by the event today, as I will see you there!

Pieces from Holly Smith's Collection

Jonathan David Baker's Designs

Written By: Danielle Wallis

For more Eye Candy, click here.

For all the info on this year’s Fashion’s Night Out event at Neiman Marcus San Francisco, click here.

A Window Display at Bergdorf Goodman

Hello everyone! I have returned to blogging for Fashion School Daily and am excited to give my posts a bit of a New York City – style spin for a few weeks.

When I moved to New York in May, I left a lot of my art and craft supplies at home. I know, I know – how could Danielle survive for over a week without her hot glue gun? Believe it or not, I made it through the summer without one, but with the changing seasons, I was reminded of my packing mishaps.

Glorified Zippers at Bergdorf's

From uptown to downtown, I noticed that a frenzy of every day household items have become the “it” prop or decoration in display windows. With even smaller budgets and serious seasonal transition windows to design, Merchandisers have finally taken their knick-knack collections and put them to use.

More Knick-Knacks at Bergdorf's

The Men Get Crafty at Bergdorf Goodman

Forget eating off Grandma’s china – this season, Bergdorf’s wants consumers to get their dining collections out of storage and mounted on the walls! In addition, seamstress zippers received a glorified moment in Bergdorf’s elegant jungle-like composition. At the Men’s store, geometric rubber band and nail art was created on the back walls, while rope and natural wood planks set the scene. All items found in Dad’s garage, yeah?

Painting Like Pollock at Bottega Veneta

Bottega Veneta gave me a few messy Pollock inspired ideas with their paint can display on Fifth Avenue. A splash of a trend color, anyone?

Records on Display at H&M

And here's their other half!

H&M had a male/female window face off in Soho while using classic vinyl records as props. Merchandisers really stretched their dollar by using the sleeve in one window, while placing the vinyl record itself in another.

Icebergs in the Windows at Moncler

Now for the show-stopper – Moncler’s foam core sculpted iceberg! Let’s bypass Fall altogether and go straight to chilly January in the middle of August. Although it may be ahead of the season, using a little leftover foam core from your past craft projects never hurt anyone!

Vinyl Eyebrows and Eyelashes at Zara

Merchandisers’ new obsession with vinyl sticker makeovers is in full force in New York this summer as well. Cute bob haircuts, striking eyebrows, and even a full pout have been carefully cut out of vinyl sticker material and used in a playful way for fall. If only my body was made of plastic.

Written by Danielle Wallis.

Danielle Wallis is a Jane of all trades when it comes to fashion. She is heavily involved in visual merchandising, she has contributed many blog posts to Fashion School Daily and she has been a styling assistant for the last two issues of 180 Magazine. She is currently in New York interning at Teen Vogue.

That said, we thought that she would be a great interview:

P.S. You can follow Danielle’s adventures on her Twitter account!

This semester, visual merchandising students worked on a window project for the Mark Hopkins Intercontinental Hotel in San Francisco. Since 2005, the visual merchandising students worked with the hotel annually to create new, interior window displays; now it is slated to become a bi-annual project.

The three displays can be seen on the California Level and include the following themes: Art of the Mark (focusing on the history behind the artistic aspects of the hotel), Music at the Mark (featuring musicians that have performed at the hotel), and Hollywood and the Mark (highlights films that have been filmed in, from, or around the Mark). On the Lobby Level, there is the News from the Mark (shares the stories and experiences from employees), and an additional display that showcases the LEED® EBOM Gold Certification of the Mark’s sister hotel, the InterContinental San Francisco.

The unveiling was last Tuesday, May 17th. Instructors Martin Zanfardino and Russell Clower were on hand with students from FSH 472: Visual Merchandising 3. Congrats to the following students for a great job:

- Jefrey Jones
- Treia Young
- Danielle Wallis
- Pei-Ju Chen
- Elizabeth Barta
- Sae Jin Park
- Zhao Qi Wu
- Sye Hwa Kim
- Quincy Gholar

You can take a look at the displays at the InterContinental Hotel Mark Hopkins located at 1 Nob Hill in San Francisco. Check out the gallery below for more of their work:

For more info on the displays, visit www.intercontinentalmarkhopkins.com.

All photos by Connie Perez-Wong

Dries Van Noten

Harry: Dries Van Noten is one of my fashion heroes ever since he sent Indonesian ethnic prints down his Spring 2010 runway show. This season, his inspirations were David Bowie and the Ballets Russes. While I did not get the Ballets Russes inspiration, it was still a great show. Dries is the man when it comes to clashing prints. The black and white prints were giving me an optical illusion. That, paired with the prints, added an element of quirkiness to the collection that’s very Bowie. The socks with heels were pretty spectacular — and yes, there was also snakeskin. It’s crystal clear that snakeskin is going to be in for fall 2011.

Danielle: I can’t stop looking at the shoes from this collection — which means there might be a “department store situation” when I view them in real life for the first time. Overall, I love how balanced these looks are: some overpower with complex textiles, while others dominate in undeniable color blocking (and small details of pattern). The color scheme that flows through the textile mixing is aspirational, and held my attention and interest throughout the entire show. The finale looks made me want to cut up a variety of my own dresses and sew them up (in a blocking style).

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Prada

Danielle: After viewing the detail images of this collection once again, I’ve decided that it was a semi-home run. The ’60s mod, motorcycle look is pretty irresistible –- who doesn’t love a short glove and goggle-esque sunglasses? (Not to mention how much I’m craving the addition of more shag pieces in my closet.) Also, I’m daydreaming about the looks I would get if I aggressively clutched my handbag, sideways, as I walked around downtown.

Harry: It is safe to say that Miuccia Prada is a favorite of editors. Every magazine all over the world always has an editorial with key pieces from every season of every Prada show. Last season, it was the fur stole, banana dresses and the creeper-style platform sneakers. This season, Miuccia challenged herself. The collection consisted snakeskin, colored fur, shiny materials (I still have no idea what those are), a mix of feminine colors, and colored sunglasses. Some of those are fashion don’ts but she made them work harmoniously. In the graphic design world, that’s like trying to make Comic Sans avant garde. That’s Miuccia for you.

Just Cavalli

Danielle: Four words: Finale maxi fur coat. I think that coat is the reason why this collection stuck with me. Otherwise, it’s hodge-podgey and the inclusion of light washed denim is always a huge no-no in my book. (PS: Hello snakeskin, biggest trend of Fall 2011.)

Harry: I imagine the Just Cavalli girl as the little sister of a Roberto Cavalli girl. A Just Cavalli girl is still looking for her identity. Last season, she was a young outdoorsy girl who was not afraid of taking risks. This season, she turned into a suburban housewife with a much more demure silhouette. From wild denim and ripped clothing to a floral print blazer and peasant blouses, it wasn’t bad — but it’s quite a departure.

Marni

Danielle: YAY! Geometrics, leather gloves, and more boring, simple makeup! In addition, the scrunch long gloves worry me — they have such a particular look. I’m concerned with how some consumers might try to pull them off — but points for the large-cut necklaces, and intriguing combinations of fabrics (leather with fur, cut in geometric-strict lines, of course).

Harry: It’s pretty clear one of my favorite fashion houses is Marni — but this time was different. Every look from Marni Fall 2011 was my favorite. Usually designers open and close with stellar pieces, and put some fillers in between. There was no single filler at Marni — or maybe Consuelo Castiglioni’s sense of style just seem to match my personal taste.

Missoni

Danielle: This collection kind of reminded me of myself…if I decided to start streetwalking in solely pastels. I’m feeling excited about the dip dyed pastel knits for fall and Missoni’s signature whimsical textiles. Oh and hey — is that more snake skin? And FYI: Those feathered pants are so mine.

Harry: There’s no doubt Missoni’s forte is their knitwear and they always sends down knitwear that seem new. It’s as if they invent new styles of knitwear every season. This time, they pair the knits with a long silhouette, powdery colors and snakeskin to create a fairytale Missoni utopia. Snakeskin is definitely one of the trends for Fall 2011 — especially colored snakeskin. I’m on the fence with the colors at Missoni. The blue, pink and purple work, but I’m not sure about the green.

Burberry Prorsum

Danielle: Burberry shows usually a) bore me or b) confuse me. This season, I am proud to say that there is a piece (or two) that captured my attention. Unfortunately, I had to hunt and dig to find what I loved (I had to scan through the “details” page of Style.com). I nearly screamed when I saw the chunky, enormous loafer wedge! Although this shape has already peaked at the top of its trend cycle, I can’t help but salivate a bit.

Harry: Christopher Bailey named Burberry’s Fall collection after Jean Shrimpton. The ’60s happen to be my personal favorite time for fashion. For many, the name Jean Shrimpton might not ring a bell. However, she’s a very well known model in the ‘60s. Shrimpton and Twiggy were the face of the sixties. The collection was refreshing. There were lots of unexpected bright colors for fall. One of my favorite silhouettes was on Lisanne De Jong. This has to be my most favorite from Bailey for Burberry Prorsum collection to date — and the shoes were amazing: a mix of punk creepers and Mary Janes.

Louise Gray

Danielle:It’s like Danielle meets the circus, don’t you think? You KNOW I’ve had thoughts of purchasing a balloon animal how-to kit just so that I could make my own balloon headpieces.

Harry: “I was trying to think more of a wardrobe of what a woman wants,” said the ice pink haired Louise Gray in an interview backstage at her show. The woman she mentioned must be quite a character. Some might argue that the collection was clowny and costume-like. In reality, not many women are willing to style the clothes the way Gray had them on the runway. However, there were interesting standalone pieces such as the jackets, T shirts, skirts and dresses. One piece that really caught my eyes was the skirt on Tilda Lindstam. Take the structured skirt and pair them with a black T shirt and you’d get a practical look without being clowny.

Mark Fast

Danielle: Last season, Mark Fast showed us unforgettable sexy, crochet mini dresses. For fall, he kept the super-mini hemlines and switched out the fabrications. The tiny sheer dresses matched with lace up, knee high boots, and paired with burgundy leather jackets are starting to drive me crazy — in a good way. Although I’m not sure about some of the first looks in this collection, I am quite certain that once Mark Fast hits the color black, he can’t go wrong.

Harry: I was very pleased to see that Dewi Driegen opened and closed the show — she’s a quarter Indonesian, you know? Anyway, today Mark Fast is known for his body-conscious collection — or whatever you wish to call it. From streetwalkers to rich ladies, he designs (quite literally) for every type of woman. There was definitely thought put into the collection. It had commercial appeal that can reach various markets. I just wish there were more luxury and personality in it.

Christopher Kane

Danielle: Before viewing Christopher Kane’s full collection online, I saw a detail image of one of the plastic/liquid clutches on Tumblr. Immediately in love, I went on a frantic quest to find out if this detail photo was from a new collection or if it was a fantastic archival piece. Turns out that Kane is giving me a blast from the past this season — way back to the fourth grade where notebooks were made of plastic filled with multi-colored liquid. A couple of Kane’s Fall dresses borderline on questionable and bad, but I can’t help but love a plunging V-neck made of liquid and plastic. PS: Loving the heel, too.

Harry: We all love clothes that move, don’t we? Some of the materials from Christopher Kane’s Fall collection were very interesting. They were plastic filled with liquid. The liquid was a mix of vegetable oil and glycerin. The liquid actually bubbled up on the runway — cool and crafty. The collection reminded me of underwater creatures. The highlight of the show for me were the clutches. They remind me of iridescent oysters.

Julien Macdonald

Danielle: Like Christopher Kane’s plastic clutch, I had an emotional reaction when I viewed Macdonald’s gothic inspired Fall collection. I love the full spectrum of this collection — it’s not all black. The finale gowns are in beautiful muted pastels, giving more selection to a wide range of customers. The beauty and styling of this show are truly inspiring. Pin straight hair, ghostly white skin, lace-up Victorian booties, black lace, and cloaks are a combination I feel eager to try — if I haven’t already.

Harry: Julien Macdonald showed a collection inspired by gothic art mixed with rock and roll. For me, gothic art always has a sentimental and romantic side. Julien did not forget that romantic element. His collection contained lace, leather and his powerful knits.  The collection might look very moody, but if you take the dresses and paired them with rosy makeup and a chignon, they could be extravagant gowns. I like the fact that Valerija Kelava opened the show. There is something about her that’s very gothic.