The Ice Bar

Wow the Ice Bar was amazing!Just off Regent Street, £15 gets you into the Ice bar for 40 minutes and a free cocktail, there was a great selection and each was given a themed name. Although it may not seem long after 40 minutes I was well and truly ready to leave, it was about -10 degrees celius in there and I could no longer feel my fingers or toes and couldn't even hold my drink properly. Mind you I don't think the glasses being made from ice helped in that matter! You get to wear these huge hooded capes and gloves which made it very difficult to find anyone partiucularly if they had their back to you but they were great to wear! It was very small inside though and I think a darker atmosphere with louder music could have made that little bit more special especially as the ice walls were back lit. Nether the less can't wait to go back!

Ralph Lauren Homeware and accessories

Ralph Lauren encapsulates more of a lifestyle than a brand; it’s not just what you where but the whole way in which you live, perhaps why the brand naturally created a home ware range alongside its fashion designs. Down on the lower floor a whole home is created with huge beds adorned with the best quality bed linen and wool throws, the windows gave the realistic appearance of a winter forest outside and very shelf and conceivable space was taken up with decor, candles, cushions, rugs on tables a whole dining table set up ready to eat Christmas dinner at. Another room gave the feel of a New York City bachelor pad which did not work which the rest of the store, in contrast with the traditional sensation around the store this came off looking rather seedy in comparison. The smell of cinnamon and pine overwhelmed me which I welcomed and the lifestyle continued upstairs with the addition of books on fashion, horses, cars and golf as well as fragrances and accessories. Peculiarly for such a sophisticated brand there was also a section for dog wear and I was horrified to discover a dog coat for £230! I reassured myself that no one would actually buy it, I hope.

Gap- Children's wear and more

The clear glass lift gave the illusion of space and room until I reached the first floor that houses Gap’s children’s wear. The room which was very small compared to the floors below was crammed with stock and it reminded me of my cousin’s filled to the brim play room with no room to play. The Fantastic Mr Fox collaboration from the side window display is continued upstairs with the opportunity to colour. Remarkably I sense the same preppy feel with essentially the same designs of rugby/ university hoodies and t-shirts on this floor as well as men’s and women’ s and in the same colours of red, navy, white, grey and green . The boy’s took on the form of miniature men’s wear with peaked caps tartan shirts and smart jeans. Children’s wear went right down to early years where an attempt to brighten up the walls was made in pastel colours and toys joined the shelves of clothes.
Purchases were carried out in navy blue paper bags, an attempt by Gap to instigate the feel of higher quality along with environmental consciousness. I remember however, last Christmas whilst making a purchase in this exact same store I was given a thick plastic carrier with a pull string handles that meant that you could carry the bag like a normal carrier whilst protecting your garment and I was particularly impressed at such a simple twist on a classic bag.

Ralph Lauren Customer Profile

I didn’t see many customers whenever I went in Ralph Lauren or at least I always had the feeling that I was alone. It transcends to me that Ralph Lauren is somewhat of a men’s brand that has happened to do women’s wear rather successfully to strengthen and widen the brands consumer base and this is echoed in the decor. I imagine however, men between the ages of 35 and 60 years old and women between 30 and 60 would shop at this store. This is a slightly older market than most designer stores with hobbies like golf, polo and horse riding or at least aspiring to belong to the aristocracy that convey this lifestyle. Obviously Ralph Lauren’s loyal customer would be well off living out of London in the countryside, say a short drive away in Kent but owning a town house in an area like Primrose Hill. The men are lawyers by profession or owning their business, earning between £50,000 and £400,000 per annum, many are of well-to-do families and their wives offer traditional glamour. They will spend a leisurely day out in London shopping in the store together and dining afterwards as a reward for the wife’s latest charity event.

Children's wear

This is some of my art work that I created for a children's wear collection.

Ralph Lauren - clothes and more

The faded mahogany interior epitomises the Fall 2009 collection of cosy tweed and homely velvet in warm ivories and beiges but I can’t help but speculate whether a Spring/Summer collection would look right in such a warm and comforting environment as this store, would a collection ever be able to look fresh and striking and summery when next to antlers and traditional fireplaces? Therein lies the concept of Ralph Lauren that season after season the style slightly changes but the consistency of traditional country style always remains and therefore the collection always compliments the store with only the need to modify temporary decorations.
Clothes are displayed in a way that leads the eye, with items that will create a great outfit placed together. I also loved the way that certain garments were hung on the wooden walls on hangers as though you were in a walk in wardrobe and you had selected some items from the rails to wear. The hangers were made of thick wood and were strong and sturdy to give structure to garments so that they did not just fall limp on the hanger. I saw the most beautiful patchwork effect beige wool tweed jacket costing £725 which seemed utterly worth it. A typical polo shirt cost upwards of £80, shoes and boots from £200 to £800 and dresses up to £2000 for an evening gown.
There were no more than 3-4 items of each design and in some cases just two and looking at the sizes I found an English size 8 to 14, which at first I took by surprise naively always believing designer meant very small sizes but then I remembered the market they would be catering for and older generations tend to be slightly larger than the average designer consumer. I felt that on seeing the new rugby line it would be a particular success because the look transcends style across generations and I can see both a younger and older customer buying the same shirt or jumper. This brings me to traditional tartan which is a trend that appears every winter effortlessly, Ralph Lauren incorporated this in their luxurious wool and cashmere scarves that stood next to Christmas print jumpers. Bright plain jumpers and shirts were also arranged in a more orderly fashion than the collection that appeared on the catwalk and I could in my mind I see then on elite horse riders and polo players.

Magazine Illustrations

Here is an example an illustration of Comme Des Garcons piece. Its quite immature looking but I like its unique take and childlike appeal.

Ralph Lauren Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear Collection on Style.com ...

Ralph Lauren Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear Collection on Style.com ...
Take a look at Ralph Lauren's Fall 09 collection on style.com!

What Gap offers

The garments were arranged quite logically at Gap without the intention to create much emotion from the customer, I saw jumpers in piles of 10 or so and similar items placed together which is great if you want to shop quick and efficiently especially on Oxford Street at this time of year when it is difficult and time consuming to navigate in and out of the crowds. The sizes and prices were also clearly labelled and garments were hung on thin wooden hangers touching on the sense of higher quality.
As I gazed around the store fabrics took on traditional forms of cottons and wool with fleece with prices of coats up to £120. I took a closer look at the jeans and was disappointed to discover a lack of modern design to them but the prices were bang on for their market with pairs costing between £24 and £50 for men’s. Women’s wear offered smaller items of clothing such as lingerie and sleepwear and had full mannequins on display as opposed to the men’s half mannequins suggesting women need to be visually enticed more. I also noted that more garments were hung up on rails rather than stacked, we are I guess more likely to want to try clothes on and this makes things easier to carry around the store until we reach the changing rooms. I was shocked to later find out that the store actually has a stylist available in store to offer a helping hand which I didn’t think was needed in a low end high street store such as this.
There were eight tills set up on the ground floor alone with the smaller clothing accessories like socks lining the walkway to tills waiting for those impulse purchases whilst queuing. A large billboard poster stands back lit behind the till which cool and casual young males and females in an array of denim and cotton classics as an elderly gentlemen buys a jacket and I ask “Are they drawing in the market they desire?”.

Entering Ralph Lauren

The first thing that sensually hits me is the aroma of fresh flowers coming from the impressively large display that welcomes you as you enter. The staff are well dressed in suits and they have a calmness about them which is so appealing compared to the headless chicken rushing that high street store staff are required to do to keep the store tidy. I wonder if it's a good thing that nothing is out of place here, customers have respect for the clothing which is great but does repect lead to the unwillingness to look through the clothes, to touch, to feel, to try on? The store balances this lifelessness which its homely cluttered layout which personally as a shopper I adore. The thick wooden walls form small square rooms that lead me onto the next and I am engulfed in a gentlemen's club.
Large scale oil paintings and 20th century American and French photography line the staircases and lend themselves to a cultural feeling giving the clothes a mood to reflect with, whilst antiques like the six mantles that were collected throughout Europe fill the small rooms to the brink in order to portray a sense of art Deco style. The main feature of the layout would be the mezzanine balcony allowing the womens' wear floor to peer down below to view the mens' collection on the ground floor beneath. There is the apparent likeness to a ship on this balcony but it felt more like the balcony of a country mansion or an old Grammar school. I find it funny that the traditional English Country style captivates America so much especially the Ralph Lauren Brand, I feel like i'm in an American stereotypical view of English life. Nether the less at least the over the top decor isn't lacking in inspiration in its child like optimism on the luxury of life.

Gap- the customer

Looking around the floor I see a certain type of male that shops in Gap, somewhat of an older market to that of Topshop or River Island, 30 to 45 years old earning between £20,000 and £35,000 per annum, wanting to look good with minimal effort due to a busy lifestyle revolving around work and family with a relaxed personality. He loves to socialise with friends at the weekends perhaps at the pub or whilst watching sport and spends the rest of his time with family taking them out and enjoying their company. He purchases his basics from Gap and mixes these with brands of higher status such as Diesel, he wants simple modern style without the price tag.
The female customer has a wider range, between 20 and 45 years old earning 10,000 to £45,000 per annum. She may be a student or an office worker that wants a style slightly more grown up, she'll be purchasing clothes that can transcend from work wear to more casual wear, ideal for working to socialising or simply spending time at home. She wants better quality than that of Primark and more sophistication than that of Topshop, she's not looking to buy fashion forward clothes but simply clothes that suit and look good on her, styles that that are classic and last longer than a few seasons.

Gap- layout

On entering the mens' department on the ground floor of Gap I was pleasantly surprised about how well ordered the layout was if a little too well structured. The 1969 jean display which aimed to celebrate Gap's heritage by showcasing iconic denim styles along with designer and artist collaborations took form in a stack of jeans along a wall which gave easy reference for size and style, showing that Gap knows their relaxed male consumer. A few pairs were hung up on hangers and some higher up across shelves in a way that seemed odd in that you couldn't visualise the trousers appearance and so I persumed this was artistically done to create effect although what effect I am not sure, it filled the bare white walls a little more which was a bonus. The bright lights, white walls and laminate flooring continued on all floors from womens' on the lower ground floor through to childrens' on the first.
Furniture for diplaying the garments was noticeably temporary in their layout with wooden tables in the shape of semi circles and circular rails suggesting the quick turn around of stock in store. I was impressed by the rugby style t-shirts and jumpers knowing that Ralph Lauren had produced this style and that Gaps' selection still looked established in my eyes. I noted that the staff also wore these highly branded t-shirts which at least made them easier for the customer to find on a busy day.

Abercrombie and Fitch

I had never been into Abercrombie and Fitch so I was quite intrigued by the shop that always captures my bestfriend and her boyfriend's attentions whenever in London shopping. My best friend Nicola has taste in my opinion and although I've always thought that the plain t-shirts and hoodies (other than being branded to within an inch of their life)that she often came back with were quite casually stylish with the luxuriously soft cotton if a little expensive having been in the shop myself the whole image of the brand has been shuffled in my head. I thought it was quite a preppy and exclusive American brand with classic style and function but now I see the brand as a "chav" brand.

The stench of men's cologne even from outside on the street, the half naked guy ready and willing for photos as you enter, the sales assistants hired for their "looks" (looked a bit boring to me), the exact same Ambercrombie and Fitch checked shirt on all employees. I could hear "Join our gang" screaming from the hoodies. The whole shop experience was my idea of a nightmare and my senses were on overload with the dark and dingy clubbing atmosphere, loud music and cologne stench, I couldn't wait to get out. Never again. I feel for the tailors of Saville Row having that mass produced overpriced twaddle of a brand on their doorstep.

Abercrombie and Fitch do the honourable thing, close the shop and sell your clothes in JJB.

Ralph Lauren- location and window display

After trawling up and down New Bond Street looking in the various designer stores I was beginning to feel a little uninspired and rather bored; many of the shops were modern and sophistcated in decoration but this clean and simple effect was a little ineffective at holding its own. None of the stores stood out to me and the Burberry store I found particualrly disappointing and lacklustre. Is this what we all really want, clean sharp fashion with no personality?
I eventually came across Ralph Lauren and was drawn to the windows like a moth to a flame, elaborate interior design (velvet draped across enormous mirrors and hoards of vibrant red and orange flowers) created all from the labels own homeware selection provided the ambiance of upperclass prosperity and therefore the backdrop to elegantly poised mannequins wearing the rich ivory gowns and traditional tweed jackets form the fall 09 collection. The building itself was superior alone with high windows held in deep mahogany frame and deep blue window canopies adorning the Ralph lauren label. There were shrubs and ivy outling the front which felt old and romantic and these guided you along the windows to the large glass front doors which, looking higher, had the American and British Flag either side and displayed the original Polo logo. Before I had even entered the store I was excited and inspired and I knew that the wait was worth it, I was in for a treat!

Gap- location and first impressions

It was a few weeks ago when I walked into the Oxford Street store of Gap, a shop that has never particularly been at the forefront of fashion or trends but has long remained a popular source for the British public to buy from, it occurred to me why is this?
On approaching the entrance I see an accumulation of posters advertising jeans with the inscription "Since 1969" which I didn't find out until I got back home was in reference to the fact that when the Gap company originated 40 years ago in San Francisco it was THE great place to find a pair of jeans, housing different brands. The window looked a little lazy in my personal opinion, it could be said that its minimalistic but looking at posters laid out in the window isn't very enticing to draw the public in, I could of easily walked past it without hesitation. Whilst other smaller windows around the outside of the store pictured childrens's clothing with the collaboration of upcoming film Fantastic Mr Fox it seems rather ridiculous to me for a store to have their main window open to Oxford Street, London one of the busiest shopping streets in Britain and not to make an effort its display. It could be an indication of the kind of cult brand Gap has become, that the public return through brand loyalty and not through appealing window displays. I was relieved a few weeks later however, to find a festive Christmas Window display with mannequins adorning clothing from the store whilst still remaining rather minimalistic and true to the Gap brand.

Anthropologie

This beautiful shop that has recently opened on Regent Street hoards an array of clothes and homewear with that special touch of antique and delicacy, the clothing certainly being unusual but traditional with its wools and cottons. As I pondered this artistically decorated store that had the scrap book feel effect I fell in love with its charm and vintage atmosphere but a strange thing happened; it occurred to me that everything is fake, just a well created store. There may be a vintage feel but as I look at the sweetly adorned china cups every appeal about them is squashed by the fact that there are another 30 of the same cup stacked behind them. Everything is made to have this luxurious authentic feel but alas it is all mass produced and I feel tricked and this niggles away at me as I look through the store. I do find relief when I see that the huge wall that appears to have grass and flowers growing from is actually real but a sour taste is left when I note the organic white card carrier bag and in gorgeously scrolled typeface the words "Anthropology, since 1992".

Anthropologie.com

Welcome to Anthropologie - Anthropologie.com

The Museum of Everything

On Reccommendation by my tutor Richard Gray me and a few friends went for a look around "The Museum of Everything" located in beautiful Primrose Hill. I have to say it was quite refreshing to the usual well-put-together galleries that I've gandered around before. It was sunken into the walls of a library on Sharpleshall Street and was much smaller than I expected but little did this reflect the art that was inside. Incase, like me, you've never heard of this museum before it obviously doesn't literally contain everything but rather a random collection of art that is from a variety of artists whose art has been created without a professional objective, without the intention to sell or make profit. This is what is called "outsider art", and apparently my illustrations are in quite a similar style. On the outset this could be offensive but personally I loved the art that I saw some of it could be persumed immature in its presentation but that fact that these people do art for the love of it I find inspiring and its rough and raw attitude was actually very creative. Definitely go and take a look for yourself (i'ts free!) and don't be put off by the obscure warehouse layout, you won't be disappointed, I found quite a few artists that I can now look to such as Madge Gill who uses rather obsessive line which feflects my style at the momement.