Red Bananas?

Banana Republic's windows are ready for the holidays and we are seeing red!

The simplest of ideas makes a bold statement here. They took the classic glass ornament in red and adorned the walls painted in the same color to create a splash. The "wreaths" made out of the same ornament make quite an impact as well!

Trendspotting - Fabric panels

Here's something we noticed recently....fabric panels are back! Whether they are used to just add a dash of color (or in this case be a backdrop FOR color), or to reference shapes like a sail or a tent, simple fabric backdrops can do "a lot with a little".

and if you can add a lot of impact, with a little effort and relatively small budget....it's a very good thing!

Note the various hanging options too - with rope, or invisible wire or hung from a pole, there are a HUGE range of possibilities available. go to it!!

Last Holiday Hurray!!

It's been a busy season so I decided to put up a last round of festive photos to show you what else you may have seen (or missed).

More glitter and sparkle at A/X - sometimes appearing silver, sometimes like a rainbow, strips of plexi added a bit of drama.

Love these mini sweater ornaments! (though a bit unclear of the message or tie in to store)

Oversize light bulb strands - seen here at Kate Spade but noted in many windows (see Banana Republic blog entry earlier in month)

More natural elements but this time done in gold as seen in this tall wrapped stick trees. Note the outside window boxes that add another layer to window.

A bit of whimsy - seen here at Paul Smith in these festive window vitrines but noted all over - did you get to Barney's or Bergdorf's? Love the white scroll window cling border.

Naturally Fesitve

Seen here - two examples of natural elements; trees & twine balls
combined with festive touches; strings of lights, wrapped boxes and light globes.

Clean and simple ideas but effective and the oversize strands of lights add a nice dimension.

Frame it!

More and more specialty retailers are using frames in their windows to display marketing images to help convey the 'lifestyle' behind their brand. We think this is a great way to tell a story to potential customers as it says more about the clothes than just a mannequin. The selection of the frames themselves says a lot about the brand too and we think these are two great examples for urban consumers. How do you want to frame your message?