Little Liberty

Liberty, situated in the heart of London since 1875, is one of the ‘last great emporiums for innovative and eclectic design’ (Liberty).

To this day, each visit is a journey of discovery, excitement and indulgence, combining a rich heritage with innovative, avant-garde design. It inspires and delights through a luxurious offering of beautiful products and invites you to ‘get truly lost in Liberty’ (Liberty).

Liberty, www.liberty.co.uk

The Regent Street department store is now set to launch a childrenswear department on March 1^st 2012.

Little Liberty will sell a selection of children’s clothes, accessories, toys, gifts and books and span almost 2,000sq ft on the 3^rd floor. Clothing brands will include the likes of Stella McCartney, Paul Smith, Marc by Marc and Isabel Marant.

Stella McCartney

Paul Smith

Marc by Marc

Isabel Marant

Liberty managing director, Ed Burstell said,

“Kidswear is one of the main things we get asked about in store. We’ll take the same approach as we do with women’s and men’s fashion – an eclectic mix that blurs the line between designer and contemporary – just great product.”

See ‘Pure London Top Story’, 27/12/2011:

The Portas Review

http://www.maryportas.com/news/2011/12/12/the-portas-review/

Seven months ago, Mary Portas was asked to conduct an independent review into the state of Britain’s town centres and high streets by the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister.

Mary Portas said,

“I took on this challenge, in full knowledge that it would be complicated and controversial, for one simple reason – I believe that our high streets have reached a crisis point. I believe that unless urgent action is taken much of Britain will lose, irretrievably, something that is fundamental to our society. Something that has real social as well as economic worth to our communities and that after many years of erosion, neglect and mismanagement, something I felt was destined to disappear forever.”

© Crown copyright 2011

Portas’ aim is to put the heart back into the centre of our High Streets, creating destinations for socialising, culture, health, wellbeing, creativity and learning; sustaining new and existing markets and businesses. The new High Streets will include shops, but might also be made up of housing, offices, sport, schools or other social, commercial and cultural enterprises, forming spaces where shopping is just one small part of a rich mix of activities. High Streets of the future must be a hub of the community that local people are proud of and want to protect.

The 28 recommendations:

1. Put in place a “Town Team”: a visionary, strategic and strong operational management team for high streets

2. Empower successful Business Improvement Districts to take on more responsibilities and powers and become “Super-BIDs”

3. Legislate to allow landlords to become high street investors by contributing to their Business Improvement District

4. Establish a new “National Market Day” where budding shopkeepers can try their hand at operating a low-cost retail business

5. Make it easier for people to become market traders by removing unnecessary regulations so that anyone can trade on the high street unless there is a valid reason why not

6. Government should consider whether business rates can better support small businesses and independent retailers

7. Local authorities should use their new discretionary powers to give business rate concessions to new local businesses

8. Make business rates work for business by reviewing the use of the RPI with a view to changing the calculation to CPI

9. Local areas should implement free controlled parking schemes that work for their town centres and we should have a new parking league table

10. Town Teams should focus on making high streets accessible, attractive and safe

11. Government should include high street deregulation as part of their ongoing work on freeing up red tape

12. Address the restrictive aspects of the ‘Use Class’ system to make it easier to change the uses of key properties on the high street

13. Put betting shops into a separate ‘Use Class’ of their own

14. Make explicit a presumption in favour of town centre development in the wording of the National Planning Policy Framework

15. Introduce Secretary of State “exceptional sign off ” for all new out-of-town developments and require all large new developments to have an “affordable shops” quota

16. Large retailers should support and mentor local businesses and independent retailers

17. Retailers should report on their support of local high streets in their annual report

18. Encourage a contract of care between landlords and their commercial tenants by promoting the leasing code and supporting the use of lease structures other than upward only rent reviews, especially for small businesses

19. Explore further disincentives to prevent landlords from leaving units vacant

20. Banks who own empty property on the high street should either administer these assets well or be required to sell them

21. Local authorities should make more proactive use of Compulsory Purchase Order powers to encourage the redevelopment of key high street retail space

22. Empower local authorities to step in when landlords are negligent with new “Empty Shop Management Orders”

23. Introduce a public register of high street landlords

24. Run a high profile campaign to get people involved in Neighbourhood Plans

25. Promote the inclusion of the High Street in Neighbourhood Plans

26. Developers should make a financial contribution to ensure that the local community has a strong voice in the planning system

27. Support imaginative community use of empty properties through Community Right to Buy, Meanwhile Use and a new “Community Right to Try”

28. Run a number of High Street Pilots to test proof of concept

JUST Christmas (London, 2011)

Every year stores and high streets compete to outdo rivals' Christmas themes; implementing imagination, integrating trends and evoking elegance. The London Christmas decorations and visual merchandising creations produce an attraction, enticing the public to engage in 'the season of giving'.

Harrods

Harrods' Moroccan windows (as seen in my photographs below)  reflect the warmth of colour and opulent pattern of the department in store; continuing the evocative feel of Africa and contrasting strongly against the ice white Christmas theme.

Harrods' Morocco Window

A second Morocco window from Harrods

The mannequins, displayed in Harrods' Christmas windows this year, are positioned within a white forest and appear to have been styled in the image of Tilda Swinton's 'The White Witch' in Narnia. The hair resembles wild dreadlocks, some loose, some pinned up, which are juxtaposed with the elegant, glamorous evening gowns and accessories, composing the story of A Crystal Christmas.

Harrods' A Crystal Christmas, inspired by Swarovski

Harrods' A Crystal Christmas, inspired by Swarovski

Harrods' A Crystal Christmas, inspired by Swarovski

Harrods' A Crystal Christmas, inspired by Swarovski

Harrods' A Crystal Christmas, inspired by Swarovski

Harrods' A Crystal Christmas, inspired by Swarovski

Harrods' A Crystal Christmas, inspired by Swarovski

A Shadow Box Window in Harrods creates a focus for smaller items

Gap's car prop in Oxford Street, 10/12/11

Gap's car prop in Oxford Street, 10/12/11

Selfridge's windows, similar to the Harrods story, position mannequins within a white forest setting and use trees as propping. However, as well as trees, the department store utilises a multitude of homeware goods, children's toys and larger installation pieces, including a mechanical robot with rotating head and mannequin draped across its arms and a conceptual window by Marc Quinn.

Selfridges' homewares window

Selfridges' Agent Provocateur window

Close up of vinyl on Selfridges' Agent Provocateur window

Marc Quinn's conceptual window features a giant white orchid, typical of his work, surrounded by a circle of fans blowing faux snow around a sealed box, creating a snow-globe effect, which appropriates his art to the current season. Within the store, Selfridges has incorporated a Concept Store on G which displays t-shirts, silk scarves, limited edition artworks, jewellery and much more.

Marc Quinn window installation in Selfridges'

Selfridges window

Selfridges window

Selfridges window

Selfridges window

Selfridges window

Selfridges window

Browns focus window

Browns focus window

Links London, park set-up with a film of snow falling on the background screen

Links London

Links London QR code vinyl

GAP Christmas window

H&M Christmas window

Jack Wills Christmas window

Jack Wills Christmas window

From exploring the Christmas windows in central London, a recurring theme of wintry forest and white wilderness becomes apparent, conveying an image of fairytale inspiration- think Brothers Grimm, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.

Hansel and Gretel, Anton Pieck (1895 – 1987)




Little Red Riding Hood, Walter Crane (1845–1915)

Snow White, Carl Offterdinger (1829 -1889)



Sleeping Beauty, Edmund Dulac (1882-1953)



The enjoyment that consumers gain from exploring the store windows, developed each year to provide surprise and intrigue, is something that online retailers are unable to replicate, forming a USP for 'brick and mortar' stores and, for the time-being, helping to overcome the imposing takeover of Internet shopping - see The Portas Review ('An independent review into the future of our high streets', Dec 2011) for Mary Portas' recommendations for keeping the high street alive.

MERRY CHRISTMAS