Neon is Now

Geometric patterns are everywhere. In recent weeks I've spotted a super Sportsgirl window on Chapel St South Yarra (top), Chevron & citrus patterned graphics providing strong moments in not-so-new Myer stores around the country (no mean feat to create strong visual change on what I assume is a shoestring budget), whilst Whistles in the UK look to be flying colourful kite like patterns of a similar ilk ... it's pop, visually powerful and what's in play, right here right now.

Design VM
02/09/2012

Pick ‘n Mix

Now in it's third year, Southbank's Regional Flavours was a big hit with Brisbanites this weekend. The v. talented team from Gloss Creative put together the experiential areas including a fabulous fluoro wheelbarrow garden where visitors could pick 'n mix their preferred herb combination to make a hot tea infusion (I am off to buy a lemon verbena plant for my garden after sniffing that stunning aroma). Screen printed burlap bunting transformed 2 big-top tents into eye catching event spaces, and they were obviously the 'place to be'. Specialists in all manner of foodie topics talked to full houses at each session from what my little eye spied. Southbank do a great job with community events and I'd have to say the sheer number of artisan producers who gathered in the gardens was pretty impressive.

VM Food Brisbane
23/07/2012

Page turner is a head turner

Artist Geoffrey Farmer created this jaw dropping, 18 metre long, three dimensional collage for the Documenta Art Festival currently playing in Germany. Made up of thousands of photo clippings from LIFE magazine taken between the years 1935 to 1985, each of the small photograph cut-outs feature objects from advertisements and articles ranging from politicians to newsworthy events and people of the time. Visually stunning and no doubt totally fascinating. Via DesignBoom

Design VM Other
22/07/2012

Le Nid

Le Nid gets 'le nod' for being 'le too funny'. Spotted on WeHeart's fab blog I am just going to re-post the exact words and pics as they sum it up beautifully.

Dominating the skyline of Nantes, and one of France’s tallest buildings outside Paris, Tour Bretagne is not exactly the prettiest of skyscrapers – but that no longer matters. Not one iota. Because, thanks to London-based French graphic designer Jean Julien it now hosts perhaps one of the greatest sky bars on the whole bloody planet. Le Nid – which towers 144m over the city – centres around a sleepy 40m-long half-stork, half-heron, and its eggs; which form the bar’s stools and tables.

Utterly barmy, utterly brilliant, this is not a space of high-concept – this is Jullien’s bold, playful illustrative style manifested in the real world. The bar is holed up in big bird’s rear, its neck stretching around the entire space, the eyes of his sleepy head open and close, whilst visitors cavort in his strewn eggs – there’s no deep meaning here, there’s no arty pretension; it’s just a ruddy great rubber bird! Commissioned by Le Voyage de Nantes – a major arts initiative for the French city – Le Nid is everything you could wish for in a bar, we egg-spect you won’t want to leave. Via WeHeart

 

Design VM Food
20/07/2012

Cheesy grin

Couldn't resist re-posting these fabulous, colourful, clever, unexpected and limited edition tents from Field Candy. Made in the UK, these canvas creations are the result of creative collaborations with some big hitters on the world design stage. If you're going to Glastonbury, Badminton or Blenheim then I guess this is one way to find your camping spot in a sea of sameness. Via The Coolhunter.

Design VM Other
20/07/2012

Louis is always worth a look

LV invest in VM. Love the gorgeous paper shirt campaign currently wowing around the globe.

Louis Vuitton VM Fashion
16/07/2012

Blurred vision

Repeat repeat repeat. Clever Calvin Klein windows. Spotted at Chadstone.

Paris? London?

These recent windows for Review were a show stopper. I felt like I could have been walking past Printemps in Paris or Selfridges in London. Nice work Myer.

 

Myer VM Fashion Melbourne
16/07/2012

If the shoe fits

The word on the street in downtown Burwood is that Rubi Shoes is doing very nicely as a result of a store makeover.  Part of the Cotton On group, it would appear that some serious talent from Top Shop has come on board to direct the new look and feel. From what I hear, it is kicking goals with a 'cheap and cheerful' boot or shoe or two!  Nice work Rubi! Spotted at Westfield, Burwood.

 
VM Westfield Fashion Sydney
12/07/2012

Taking the time for customer service

Stage 1 Westfield Fountain Gate redevelopment opened last Thursday. Anybody in the know knows there are always last minute challenges in the count down to any opening. Within 3 hours of team POD getting on the phone to find a temporary staging solution the seriously good crew at Staging Rentals were on site and installing a 5 metre wall and dais for us to dress (no small feat considering it needed to be painted and the drive from their warehouse to the shopping centre consumed 45 minutes of this time frame).

With a temporary VM space in place the POD bods (that would be me, RG Productions and Comer & King) took ourselves off to KMART and found these fab clocks ($10 each!) and some white sneakers we nailed to the floor for the purpose of stopping enthusiastic short people running across the platform.  We had it all installed just as the paint was drying.

Normally I wouldn't mention such a mini VM fix but I am telling you this because the customer service at KMART Fountain Gate was fantastic. Having recently experienced an appalling "service" moment at a Myer store (so offensive I promptly put down the $600 I was about to spend and walked out of the store). The contrast between the two moments could not have been greater.  I can't remember the name of the 'meet and greet' lady working the night shift at KMART but she went and found me a trolley, the young lad who 'heard' there was a lady in a lime green safety vest in the store looking for cookie jars tracked me down in the aisles and helped me find more stock, the young girl at the self serve check out who took great interest as to why I was buying 16 clocks and enquired if she could help carry them to where they were going (how nice is that?!). Great attitude and a fab floor team - go KMART F/Gate!

VM Westfield Other
19/05/2012