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The new Ferragamo flagship store in Dubai

2009-06-30T23:54:00.000-07:00

The new flagship store of Salvatore Ferravamo in Dubai has been recently opened in the Luxury area of Dubai mall. This is one of the most exclusive of the Emirates and it is added to the two previous ones inhe Mall of the Emirates and in the BurJuman center.

The shop extends on 420 mq and comprehends all the categories and lines of the brand: male and female ready-to-wear, leather, watches, eyeswear, bjoux and silk accessories. Particularly, it is characterised by an elegant and sober atmosphere that underlines the quality of the products and offers to the customers an unforgettable shopping experience.

Even limited edition items can be founded in the point of sale, like the special edition of Marisa purse and the foulard Mito only for Dubai retailers.

Trend Bible: Luxuriance

2009-05-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

Luxuriance: This trend has evolved out of the global recession creating a newfound desire to stay at home. It is about trading up, investing in quality pieces, built to last, that create a soothing environment within the home. Introducing calming, peaceful colours and fabrics to the home creates comfort but also instills luxury and glamour.

Trend Bible: Lifestyle Trends for the Home

2009-05-24T23:06:00.000-07:00

Trend Bible is a small trend consultancy based in the UK, specialising in forecasting home interior trends up to 18 months ahead of the season. They work with a variety of brands in the UK and USA, providing bespoke trend consultancy and ensuring their clients produce innovative, commercial ranges to excite their customers. They also sell bi-annual trend publications outlining 4 key trends per season and detailing the social and cultural events that influence design trends.

Here, Trend Bible introduce four trends for the Autumn Winter 2010/11 season. The influence of the global financial crisis is creating new spending patterns as consumers start to redefine value and make more considered purchasing decisions. Watch out for a new positive, can-do attitude, where consumers feel empowered, want more for their money and aren’t afraid to complain when standards aren’t met. Faith and beliefs are important as people seek more from life and revert back to traditional family values in times of financial insecurity and political/commercial mistrust.

Gucci opens 3 new stores in China

2009-02-12T04:39:00.000-08:00

Gucci celebrates 3 new locations in China during January and accounts about 25 shops in the big country up to now. This commitment is reinforced also with the next opening of the flagship in Shangai, the biggest for Gucci in Asia-Pacific region.

The brand new shops in Beijing, Xiamen e Changsha measures 660, 330 and 280 meters. The one in Beijing is situated in Jinbao Palace. Particularly, the store displayes all the brand categories of Gucci. While the other boutiques are located in the luxury malls like Paragon Centre and Friendship Shop and offer the best selection of bags, suitcases, shoes, scarfs, belts, ties, sunglasses, jewels and presents.

Ferrari's (hi)story in a T-shirt

2009-01-25T23:40:00.000-08:00

60 yeas ago, Scuderia of Maranello was born producing its unforgettable car. It was the 166 Inter, which was introduced to the world remarkably on the 6th of the October 1949 at Car Salon in Paris. After all this time, Ferrari factory has created the t-shirt "Daily Courant" for the S/S 09. The long sleeves t-shirt in black, red, green and white is charaterized by the newspaper-like print of an original header of that time. The precious Cavallino Rampante completes it on the front and on the backside the word Ferrari. You can find it in the one-branded store Ferrari for 75 euro.

2357 Sarta tour and temporary store

2009-01-20T09:25:00.000-08:00

Due, tre, cinque, sette sono i primi quattro numeri primi, numeri interi indivisibili. Sono gli “Atomi dell’Aritmetica”, gli elementi base con cui si costruiscono tutti gli altri numeri naturali. Basici e unici come i capi della collezione e come ognuno di noi.

2357 nasce a Milano nel 2007 con l'obbiettivo di creare un nuovo standard nell'abbigliamento basico, offrendo un prodotto di altaqualità garantito dalla produzione esclusivamente ed interamente made in Italy. L 'abbigliamento non è tuttavia l'unica prerogativa di 2357; Il brand , è impegnato nel sostegno delle realtà creative emergenti.
Attraverso eventi e iniziative, 2357 mira a stabilire un punto d'incontro tra giovani stilisti, esperti del settore e pubblico, promuovendo una forma d'arte che, non si basa più solo ed esclusivamente sul prodotto ma sul processo creativo nella sua totalità. Ne è un esempio il Temporary Store di via Scaldasole a Milano, inaugurato in occasione del lancio del brand stesso, che per la durata di cinque giorni è stato adibito a spazio espositivo, laboratorio creativo ma soprattutto spazio di interazione tra designer, artisti e visitatori. In questa occasione, 2357, mettendo a disposizione le parti che compongono una felpa in vari colori e una sarta pronta ad assemblarle secondo il desiderio del pubblico, ha così dato via a una serie limitata di capi personalizzati, aggiungendo così un ampio margine di creatività individuale ad un prodotto che resta pur sempre semplice e basico.

Dopo il successo di Milano 2357 replica il Temporary Store scegliendo Verona come tappa; già teatro della seconda campagna pubblicitaria. Il Temporary Store, che vuole dunque essere la seconda fermata di un tour italiano in sintonia con il sapore nostrano del brand, avrà luogo il 6 dicembre dalle 17,30 alle 20,30 all'interno dello store Double5 in via Adua 16, influente multimarca di urbanwear and shoes. A testimonianza di questo eccezionale sodalizio, il capo sarà reso ancora più unico dal ricamo del logo 2357 affiancato a quello
di Double5.

2357
Via Pietro Colletta, 16 - 20135 Milano Italy
Tel. +39 02 45499430/31 Fax. +39 02 45499404
http://www.2357.it

The shadows of crisis on the Fashion Week

2009-01-15T07:08:00.000-08:00

Only two days before the start of Milan Male Fashion week miss and the rushing city seems to be the depressed, not-buying capital. Few passersby, half-empty shops and frustated window-watching occupy the high street. Corso Vittorio Emanuele has seen its pillars falling down and also via Berchet has been closed for the ice. For scaramantic ones, the sign of the crisis appears when the city loses its glam pieces.

The crisis pervades all the streets and transforms them. Even 2 stores along the high street has switched to temporary shop, but in the worst, low cost way. And where was Mondadori bookshop in the past, now the mega-window of AN lies.

Crisis changes trends and people behaviour in front of the mirrors and shop windows. The dresses walking down the street are still fashion, but too many times are exceptional fakes, like UGG boots. Sadly, or not, the girl who saved on food to buy a Balengiaca bag is disappearing. While fashion victims and addicteds can't afford their beloved blue chip brands, the fashion conscious ones grow, aware of the possibilies of the outdoor markets. Fashion traverls move all over the world to find branded bargains in the devasted NY or in the well-known Camden Town market in London.

Two days left to the fashion shows and designers are not so optimistic, neither the Fashion Italian Chamber. Indeed, a fee of 60 euros has been put on journalists who wants to being part of the fashion biz in the following 4 days. The president of the the chamber, Boselli, said: " The accreditation tax is not about the crisis: Paris, London and NY already has made it paid for several years." And what about the crisis? Boselli replays: " People still want branded and wonderful clothes, but not at boutique prices." In this statement, he referes to the exstraordinary results gained with outlets, even though Ascomodamilano reports not encouraging data. " This trend is not good for retail, traditional, one brand store in the historical centre." Franco Tomelli explains, secretary of Fashion Federation. And the futures about sales period (2% sold more than the previous year, medium receipt 150 euro) are not enough. " They are going to finish soon and people won't spend until the next ones. There are other priorities in the long run."

On Saturday, Milan Male Fashion Week is going to start for the F/W 09/10 and will be interrupted on the 20th of January: 4 days, one less the usual, because of the YSL event in Paris, designed by Stefano Pilati.

Interactive mirror connecting people

2009-01-13T01:03:00.000-08:00

As a person stood in front of the mirror, a camera relayed live video images of her to an Internet site where online participants could view her outfit. When Web viewers responded by sending her comments, their instant messages popped up on the left side of the mirror for her to read. They also selected items for her to try on, causing virtual images of the clothing to appear before her in the middle of the mirror, like life-size holograms. “I think it’s very cool that you could be in a department store and have your friends online at the same time helping you shop. It’s fun,” a customer said as a virtual navy blouse and white pants appeared in the mirror. She took a few steps back to line up her frame with the clothes on the screen.

But pointing to a friend accompanying her, she said the interactive mirror would not inspire her to trade team shopping for Web critics. “You get more personal attention when you shop with a friend live,” she said. For many women, shopping is a task best achieved in the company of other women. And when friends or mothers are not around, shoppers have become accustomed to snapping and sending photos of Coach handbags and Juicy Couture hoodies with their camera phones and soliciting opinions before they buy. But the new mirror, introduced to Nanette Lepore by IconNicholson, an interactive design firm in Manhattan, takes the concept of shopping in tandem one step further by streaming real-time video to the Internet and inviting shoppers to actively involve off-site friends to join the process. It brings fashion into the realm of social networking where people already freely share their opinions and lives via MySpace, Friendster, Facebook, YouTube, blogs and Web cams.

But it raises the question of whether the immediacy and tactile experience of shopping together in person can translate to a virtual audience. “The idea of being able to take your whole social network with you when you shop is a concept that any kid who leaves their house every day with their social network in their phone will understand,” said Tom Nicholson, the chief executive of IconNicholson. “They are already sharing everything with 500 contacts on Friendster, so if five of them happen to be online, why not ask them whether you look good in green?” “We’re all asking each other: `Do I look fat? How does it look from the back? Can I wear this with jeans?’ ” Ms. Lepore said. “If you want the truth, you need to shop with a critic whose opinion you trust.”

Moncler shops: from the cities to the mountains.

2009-01-12T04:44:00.000-08:00

After the recent openings in Paris and Milan, Moncler has opened its boutiques even in Honk-Kong, Aspen and Gtsaad. This is a step forward for the brand that has increased its presence both in cities both in skii resorts.

Common element among the stores is Gilles&Boissier architecture studio. Particularly, they paid attention to the context of the shops. "The launch of Moncler in Honk Kong represents the starting point towards the development of the firm in Asia", explains Remo Ruffini, president and art director of the brand. That's why, it has been choosen the floral matter in a contemporary enviroment like Ifc Mall that recalls the french and also the asiatic tradition. While, other stores have been put in a montain situations, according to the technical garnment proposed by the firm. Here, down jacktes find their own habitat in aristocratic places, like Gtsaad and Aspen, where the wooden floor and the blue ceiling of the shops remind of the deep of the sky and the rocky mountains.

60% of italian is going to buy on sales

2009-01-10T12:17:00.001-08:00

Italians gave up to buy during Xmas time waiting for the sales. This is what Codici states with a survey over 2250 families across the country where the 60% of the interviewees is going to purchase branded items during winter sales. Particularly, italian families with sons from 10 to 16 y.o. declared that they had renounced to Xmas presents and procrastinated them to this magic, low prices period and they are going to spend 450 euros on average on shoes, jeans and suits.
If we add to this the expense of the parents, it is evident that 600 euros can be easily reached.

Codici invites consumers to pay attention during sales to their purchases, specially to branded clothes that might be ever expensive despite of sales. Moreover, it reminds that on sales items must be separated from full priced ones, old and discounted prices have to be indicated and clints have the right to try on garnment. Finally, wrong bargains can be exchanged but only if you have the receipt!

Spring/Summer 09 spectacular fashion shows

2009-01-09T23:17:00.001-08:00

Fashion sometimes offers unique and spectacular shows. For spring/summer 2009, designers and fashion houses have come up with fantastic and magical fashion shows, pushing their imagination to the wildest limits.

Humble luxury and ecology for 2009

2009-01-08T13:48:00.001-08:00

A slow fashion without seasons, an humble, not showing off luxury, minimal combined with eco-friendly emotions. This is the style of 2009, acoording a research by Worth Global Style Network.

If up to now fashion world decided with lines and collections the seasons, now this plan is alterated. The cause can be founded both in the fast fashion like Zara and H&M, both in the climate changes and now the major part of the products are trans-seasonal. On the one hand, there are who prefers to propose 6-8 collections, on the other hand someone elese choose the tailored clothes.

But qhat about the customers? They face the changes imposed by the crisis looking for the quality and the saving, an huge trend in Japan. The client discovers his attentionto the environment and finds answer in the gree campaign of brands and designers and in activity like guerilla gardening.

Bozzetti: Malpensa is the essential Fashion Hub

2009-01-07T14:07:00.000-08:00

"Malpensa is the essential hub for northern italian fashion firms. To expropriate Milan and Lombardia of a such important international airport might create a damage to all the Fashion system in the region and in Italy. Like this, the risk is to favour other competitors-cities like Paris, London, NY where journalists and buyers may find easier to land." This is what has been said by Giovanni Bozzetti, president Lombardia for fashion commitee.

He continues: '''The reduction of the number of flights on Malpensa and the choice of Air France as partner instead of Lufthansa might represent the end of the economy in the region and in the northern area. This is due to the fact that traders want to reach Milan nonstop, while tourists don't mind this. That's why Rome can sustain it because its an historical city and Milan needs an international airport as it is a financial one.

Holiday shoppers say bye to lines & buy online

2009-01-06T23:23:00.000-08:00

Freezing temperatures led to a sharp rise in online shopping last weekend as shoppers browsed for bargains in the comfort of their own homes.

About $677 million was spent over the Internet on Saturday and Sunday, nearly double the amount spent the weekend before Christmas last year, according to comScore, a company that tracks Web traffic. "Online spending over the most recent weekend was clearly substantially heavier than the corresponding weekend nearest Christmas last year, which suggests that many consumers opted for the cozier confines of online shopping rather than having to brave the severe cold and snowstorms," comScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni said.
The amount spent online overall this holiday season is down 1% from last year.
And with five fewer shopping days between the end of November and Christmas Day this year, the news was not all positive for retailers.

"[It's] a positive late-season boost for online retail perhaps," Fulgoni said. "But it's ultimately not going to do much to make up for the significantly shorter shopping season this year."

Changing with old items in Milan on sales

2009-01-03T23:40:00.001-08:00

Items on display have been replaced with older collections in occasion of the sales in Milan. Instead of starting the 7th, they took place from the 3rd to face the economical crisis but with this "surprise": a sneaky idea to clear out the stockroom at a reasonable price, acoording to shopkeepers.

While it might appear a good occasion for traders, it is absolutely harmful for customers and brands. For example, the lack of the manufacturing date creates a strong asimmetry between clients and salers. That's why is necessary a specific international law to impose it. The matter of the fact is: if customers are not satisfied as they wear clothes of the previous years or lines, the well-known firms are going to lose their faithful customers and an effective advertisement will never be effective. Consequently, a chain will be created: if a group of clients moves to another brands or products, they will affects the purchasing decision of others in a long and unstoppable spiral.

Ferrari store and its design identity

2008-12-30T07:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday evening a long film about Ferrari family was broadcasted on italian television. That's why today I pay attention to Ferrari Store in Milan designed by Massimo Iosa Ghini.

It can be defined as a immaginative shop. The wiggly curves and the shiny surfaces remind of the soft lines of the red Ferrari as you enter the shop. Indeed, the designer claims: “I used the sensation of dinamicity of the cars, releating to the concept of speed of futurist movement".

It is an innovative commercial space and the largest of the stores currently in existence. There are five display windows and the store is over 800m², of which 600m² is given over to sales. On the five floors, visitors can find countless articles of memorabilia and the entire ‘Replica’ clothing range of track apparel and F1 accessories. Floor -1 is dedicated to clothing that takes Gran Turismo as its inspiration while floor -2 is the children’s zone where games and even an F1 simulator can be found. Books, scale models and original parts of Gran Turismo and Formula 1 cars are situated on the first floor. Luxury goods are on the second floor.

Not only do we talk about a jewel-car, but also about one of the most interesting case of design identity.

An interactive museum takes place thanks to ipertech, memories keeper, where the audience feels through historical videos, b/w photos, models. As Ghini continues: " Ferrari store aims to be the meeting point of the story and Ferrari's myth, of the luxury and racing world.

The project of Ghini includes megascreens, new technologies, an environment on light movements in order to put all the attention of the red Ferrari.

The Ferrari Store is equipped with the latest technology which allows visitors to be fully immersed in the world of Formula 1 and to participate directly in the company’s most famous events. Plasma screens (including one of 5m x 1m) and a state-of-the-art audio-visual system captivates the public in a sound and vision experience that truly gives the impression of being at trackside.

Changes in fashion biz in 2008

2008-12-27T00:44:00.000-08:00

Italian Xmas: less presents, more quality

2008-12-24T09:46:00.001-08:00

Italian are going to make less present to relatives but pay more attention to quality. This is what emerges through a research elaborated by Future Concept Lab for American Express.

Despite the previous year, the Italian have declared that they are going to spend their money wisely. Basically, they are going to buy clothing (68,2%), secondly on books, cds and dvds (49,3%), then on food (25,2%).

The family remains the fulcrum of italian Xmas, so that over 73% of interviewees will spend the festivities at home. Moreover, the 57% has declared that is fundamental having friends to share important moments with, while the 53% is convinced that it is possible to be happy with few. If we look at the passions of italian, those pay attention to environment (58,7%) , culture (54,8%) and tradition(52,2%). To be considered is the attention to pleasant and healthy food that is a key point for 43,7%.

Xmas fashion trees

2008-12-23T05:41:00.000-08:00

The Cité de l'Architecture on Paris' Trocadero is housing Christmas trees by Jean-Paul Gaultier, Zaha Hadid, Norman Foster, Sonia Rykiel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hermès and more…46 pieces will all be auctioned off for the Sol en Si association (A charity for children affected by AIDS).

Milan welcome the largest Diesel boutique

2008-12-20T15:58:00.001-08:00

After Tokyo-Ginza and Hong Kong-Queens Road, Milan welcome the third Diesel Planet, an huge store of 1500 meter square on 3 levels that shows all the collections and lines of the brand. Everyone can see it at the cross of Piazza San Babila and Corso Vittorio Emanuele. The opening of this belongs to a wider project to make Diesel preminent in the fashion capital, thanks the other stores in Corso Venezia, in Galleria San Carlo e Corso di Porta Ticinese.

Some architectural particularities: a cristal, curved wall of 7 m high and 35 m long, spreads from one side to the other, while a spiral staircase its the central reference. At the entrance of the shop, an enourmous wall of denim Diesel welcome the clients. On it, over 150 models are displayed indifferent colour, 5000 types in total.

To find out the jeans that fits you, the store provides you with a magic mirror that gives you a 360° view of your silhouette. Moreover, a pc chooses for you the perfect cut and wash. Besides those, a wi-fi connection allows you to shop in the on-line boutique.

Each level detains its own olfatory station, studied to stimulate senses in function of the display. There is also a bookshop that sells the best edition of fashion and design by Tashen, which has edited"XXX of Diesel Communication", while a vintage corner will offer all the cult products of Diesel after 70's. And because music continues to occupy a preminent position in Diesel world, a dj consolle will host dj-stars during perfomance live.

Budget of one year of Made in Milan

2008-12-19T10:59:00.001-08:00

Budget of one year of Made in Milan, the brand that unites associations, comitees, events and fairs in Lombardia.

The first success its the strong collaboration in an effective team work: 12 fairs and events in 10 days, during the fashion week from 25t February 2009: from Milano Moda Donna and Milanovendemoda, to Touch-Neozone-Cloudnine, as Giovanni Bozzetti, president of Comitato Lombardia for fashion reports.

The 1929:When fashion takes after the crisis

2008-12-18T23:09:00.001-08:00

What do you get when you mix racks of designer clothing with hot vegetable soup? A new SoHo boutique named The 1929 - after the Depression - and a place where fashionistas and the down-and-out soon could be rubbing shoulders.The street level store on MottSt. is decked out with racks of snazzy dresses, pants and tops by independent designers.The basement level has been transformed into an art and performance space by night and a spot where hungry shoppers, or even passersby, can pick up a free bowl of soup and coffee during the day.

"The store is inspired by the Great Depression," said store manager Aaron Genuth, 25, one of three friends who created the business. "Everybody's worried about money, but with [President-elect Barack] Obama getting in, there's definitely a spirit of collaboration, of optimism. "There's a feeling that people getting together can make things better on a local level, like we are doing here, and in a greater sense for the whole country," Genuth said.

The store is one of a growing number of "popup retailers" moving into vacant storage spaces around the city on short-term leases. It opened near Mott and Broome Sts. on Black Friday and has a contract through next month. After that, the owners will have to find a new location. They also plan to expand their empire online.

"Fashion has always been something for the rich," said designer Levi Okunov, who is also a partner in The 1929. "Who said it can't be for the masses? We want people to come here, have a bowl of soup, try on some clothing and maybe check out the artwork downstairs. "It's not only a clothing store, but a collective space of people's energies."

Fashion system is on the watch

2008-12-17T14:08:00.000-08:00

Italian fashion system asks for an help the Government. Particularly, it wants to meet immediatly the Prime Minister to tackle the falls of the harsh crisis.

In the meantime, the business representatives and major figures of italian production have signed a document which proposed some measures to sustain both internal consumption of fashion products, both the productivity and even the defence and valorization of italian fims and the protection of internationl trade.

Miu Miu Defies the Recession With Spiffy New Store

2008-12-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

Miu Miu's third Manhattan outpost opened on 57th Street today. Shiny, golden, three floors, and 4,860 square feet, it symbolizes everything the economy is not. Over the last three years Miu Miu's sales have seen a 30 percent annual boost. They plan to open even more stores across the U.S. in cities including Las Vegas; Costa Mesa, California; and Bal Harbour, Florida. The third floor of the 57th Street store will be devoted to special events revolving around art, culture, and fashion. The first exhibit currently on display called "Modern Portrait Gallery" consists of renditions of Miu Miu ad campaigns starring celebrities like Kirsten Dunst and Lindsay Lohan (and maybe soon Katie Holmes). View the slideshow to see more of the store and its delicious dresses, shoes, and bags and, most important, escape the recession along with Miu Miu.

Are private sales a way to face the crisis?

2008-12-15T11:31:00.000-08:00

The haute couture dealing is usually preroragative of the iper-richs or the celebs who received free high fashion clothes from maisons in exchange of advertisement. Nowadays, the luxury appears accessible also for common human beings thanks to the discounted prices because of the crisis.

Due to outlets, mark-ups are under pressure and a lot of haute couture brands, like Gaultier, had to undersell before Xmas time. From Paris to Milan, through NY and London, a lot of sales has been made by most maisons. Insted of the public sales on windows shops that might ruin corporate image and the formula "quality=high price", they preferred to be more discrete with the "private sales".

Private sales are usually reserved to devoted customers who receive an invitation via email, and are applied to a restrict display of products. This year, some journalists of Reuters found out that this is not completely true. In fact, some clients could enter the private sales also without invitation and buy the whole collections at Prada, Gaultier and Jimmy Choo. Although a lot of spokeman have a no-comment opinion about, actually it happens in this way. Are the big brands planning a fund-raising programme during the crisis?

Onitzuka Vending Machine

2008-12-14T01:49:00.000-08:00

Selling clothing via vending machines is really taking off. Uniqlo started this idea a few years ago, and now brands like Onitsuka Tiger are jumping on the trend.

It’s first sneaker vending machine opened near Carnaby Street in London. The machine carries up to 24 pairs of Onitsuka Tigers Mexico 66 in 6 different shoe sizes (UK 5,6,7,8,9 and 10).
If you plan on buying a pair, be sure you know your shoe size, because you can’t try before you buy and there’s no refunds!

Milan invests in Fashion&ICT with a national prize

2008-12-12T12:31:00.000-08:00

"Milan hosts the National Prize for Innovation 2008 with a concrete commitment. In fact, the Town Council invests in 3 great infrastructure of research, incubator and projects." that was what the major Letizia Moratti said at the presentation of the final at the department of Design, Arts, Communication and Fashion of Politecnico University of Milan. Particularly, the initiative sustains the best entrepreneurial ideas and research with an high-tech content. Basically, the contest will be developed in Business Cases organized by 42 italian universities to decide which projects are the most interesting.

Subsequently, the major explained the efforts made to improve fashion sector and studies. Firstly, it has been created a consortium among Bocconi, Politecnico, Iulm and Cattolica universities and National Fashion Chamber. For what concerns the City of Taste, the study has been realised by State University and the Tecnological Padan Park. Secondly, it has been constituited a network of incubator of young high-tech enterprises. Thirdly, it comes the projects. One of them is the wi-fi connection in Milan from the downtown to San Siro zone in order to give a range of services to inhabitants like the ones bout security, parking places.

Bluestore in Oporto

2008-12-11T15:41:00.001-08:00

About one year ago, I went for the first time in Oporto, Portugal. This cute city in the north of the country reserves a lot of surprises. Although most of us might think that this poor meditteranean nation can't offer too much in terms of design, this is not true. Since it joined the UE, a lot has been made thanks to the contribution of UE. For example, look at this video of a mobile shop downtown.

Strength in Emotional Design

2008-12-10T13:04:00.000-08:00

Great design materializes emotion, evoking a connection between people, brands and experiences. It's the things we don’t see that are the most essential to creating a great design. The emotions we feel, moods we embrace, atmosphere we savor, and environments in which we exist play a large role in inspiring a design vision that becomes a great product.

The design process is deeply integrated with engineering, brand and strategy, working seamlessly to develop industrial design solutions that lead to success for firms. Through research, testing and targeted design, it has to be removed the subjectivity from the product development process and address important, yet often overlooked human factors.

Everything is in order to provide high value to strategic product development and design-driven, inspiring products. These ones pays testament to the ability to create products that fulfill human needs and solve business problems.

The best design is not a commodity, and will never be. It can’t be canned, duplicated or outsourced. It is an amalgamation of discipline and imagination, a marriage of skill and bravado. It possesses the strength to alter moods, change perceptions, and evoke attitude. In the end, design is the tangible manifestation of a strategy.

55DSL TemporART opening

2008-12-09T23:42:00.000-08:00

Fashion, music and design. Those are the ingredients of the mix that was present on the 6th december in Galleria Corso San Carlo where Diesel opened 55DSL TemporarART Store, a new spacce where the creative team of Andrea Rosso reveals its creativity.

A big party, continued at Magazzini Generali, started this new project where the concept becomes a new experience: divided in 2 sections, one white and one black, 55 DSL TemporART Store has been studied on two parallel levels where the continuum will be the collection 55DSL.

Andrea Rosso, music and design enthusiatic, will give the possibility to a lot of young artists to show their own talent thanks to the personalization of the space that will be an important novity shop window. The first artist was T.O.D.O.S., a spanish collective of Madrid.

55DSL TemporART
Galleria San Carlo

Milan

oh bej, oh bej

2008-12-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

photos by Giulia Agostini

The Oh Bej! Oh bej! fair is the traditional outdoor market that takes place each year on the 7th December for one week around Castello Sforzesco in Milan.

It first appeared in 1288 in honour of Saint Ambrogio, but the origins belongs to the arrival of Giannetto Castiglione, Gran Maestro of the order of the Saints Maurizio and Lazzaro. He was in charge under Pope Pio IV to turn on the faith in the city of Milan. When he entered the city walls on the 7th December, he handed out presents to gain the love of the inhabitans, until he reached the Duomo.

From that point on, the market presents each year clothes, old toys and mainly food.

H&M changes the face of the store in Milan

2008-12-05T04:45:00.000-08:00

The swedish pap brand H&M has relied on the fellow countrywoman Lovisa Burfitt to renew the store in Milan in a art gallery presence.

Lovisa Burfitt is well-known for its T-shirts, available only at Palais of Tokyo, in the No Good Store and in the boutique Joseph of Paris. She has received only a unique order from H&M: to free the flow of her imagination and of her design talent. As a result, 50 panels represent the fashion world which H&M has transformed in wallpapers and displayed on the different points of the office.

After seeing the success of the change, the swedish brand decided to do the same in Tokyo. Besides this success, she already knows some similar ones: in Stockolm, she decorated the wall of East restaurant and Hotel Scandic.

Camerino café+Levi's, Music+Fashion

2008-12-04T10:40:00.000-08:00

What happens when music and fashion meet each other? That's what has made up Levi's in collaboration with Camerino Café (Radio 105). Everyday, you can entry the shop in Corso Buenos Aires, Milan, and become the main character of the show.

Yesterday, the project were opened with a live of the emergent and talentous Bugo.

http://www.camerinocafe.com/

Original Levi's store
Corso Buenos Aires 14/A

Diesel 'Liquid Space' Holographic Fashion Show

2008-12-02T16:24:00.001-08:00

During the last runways, Diesel wowed the style crowds with an impressive multimedia show. Using CGI technology, projected motion graphics of models and creatures from the deep created the illusion that they were moving together down the runway along with live models.

The show, entitled "Liquid Space," played with concepts of metamorphosis as strange hybrid forms of man, machine and sea creature appeared to float through space. Weaving their way around the actual models, these creatures transformed into animated models wearing the collection and then the clothes dissolved into millions of glittering fishes. The format and style of the traditional fashion show has been played with by many designers, but with this show Diesel moved into a new creative realm, combining fashion and 3D animation technology in front of a live audience.

The grand master of Diesel’s famously attention-grabbing imagery is Creative Director Wilbert Das and special effects were created by the Spanish CGI animation studio Dvein along with Danish multi-media production agency Vizoo.

Gas and Vice party

2008-12-01T15:17:00.001-08:00

Another big party for a brand that speaks to youth. Gas Jeans prepared the big happening at Ied Moda Lab on the 29th November in collaboration con Vice Magazine. Everyone met at 6 p.m. in Gas store in Corso di Porta Ticinese but few managed to clutch the invitation.

Not a meaningless cup of cofee

2008-11-30T05:16:00.001-08:00

Strangely, the most feautureless objects condense marketing symbols. For example, this is a simple snapshoot I took yeasterday randomly in a McDonald's in Milan where a friend of mine was waiting for me. As you see, it is only a cofee paper-cup with tre common symbol: a cofee seed, an heart and a cup. If you look twice, your brain immediatly connects these three normally meaningless elements to the pleasure of drinking an hot cofee while outside is raining or snowing or with a cheerful company.

Once upon a time, Saint Exupery said that essential is invisible to the eyes. This time, I have to disagree with the Little Prince.

photo by Giulia Agostini: I love this photo I took in a vain afternoon in Milan because I consider it to be a part of the visual culture which we live in. Unfortunately, the pic could appear a little over-exposed, but I had to enlighten it a bit digitally the original one, otherwise it was impossible to catch some details because of the uploading on a blog- the snap looked too dark. First of all, I worked out an evolution in my tecnique with my simple (but not less good) Sony dsc-t200, Zeiss lens, 8mpx.For example, the focus is on the three symbols that were my subjects. Then, I found the perfect light that pays attention to the cup and gives the right shadows. It seems as if the shadow of the cup says to you that there's something behind the object and, actually, that's what I meant to do. Furthermore, the symbols and the cup suggest that you should be in a meeting moment, full of people, like a cofee bar is, while the object stands alone in its material and inhuman solitude. If the cofee cup is functional to the social human life, its existence depends on that one without having its own. Strangely, without human feelings and social needs, it has no meaning, no reason to exist, no function, no life. Even more strangely, the cup of cofee stands there on the table in front of us to remind us of our social life and its function as means to assolve it. Do we really need that a dumb paper-cup reminds us of it? Does it mean that we are forgetting the meaning of having a rest and taking a cofee with a good friend? Are we moving towards the cup? Is our life becoming the life of a half-drinked, steaming cofeecup in a multinational company bar?

Shelf Appeal

2008-11-29T03:18:00.000-08:00

Eight coffee makers— one decision. On a daily basis, the average person faces thousands of choices in the marketplace, and this reality shows no signs of relenting. Product design can make or break the bottom line.

The store shelf is a product’s last chance to trigger a purchase. It is the moment of truth. Years of experience have taught us that consumer’s purchase decisions are motivated by things more complex than what they can verbalize. It’s their subconscious evaluation of the sensory stimulus they receive there— the look, feel, sound and the associations surrounding the product and brand.

Conducting custom tailored research that delves into consumers’ underlying values and aspirations uncovers insights that lead to superior products. Constant consideration of these factors is what allows designers to create and deliver products that sell over their competition.

We design products that are not only easy to use or priced right but emit an emotional appeal in the context of the retail environment to stand out from the competitive set on the shelf. We never pass up the chance to make the best first impression possible at that moment of truth.

"80% of what people see is behind their eyes." — Dan Buchner, Vice President Innovation and Design

The Adidas van

2008-11-28T10:49:00.000-08:00

What is the new concept store for Adidas? The new Volkswagen van. In other words, the new concept consists on a shop on movement suitable for a street target. Basically, the little truck crossed the streets of Sao Paulo among skaters, young folks who are charmed by the Adidas van along the streets.

What catch their attention is the graphic. The matter of the fact is that the van is painted by the skate legend Marck Gonzales that evokes the Brazilian murals. Those ones are characterized by plain colours in blue with the strips of Adidas.

The interiors are contrasting. While the exteriors are colourful, those are minimal, decorated with a limited and street collection and with some LCD screens that pass on videos of incredibile skate performances.

Who knows if this new trend which is launched by Adidas will be followed by other brands, if the Adidas will continue to be on the road.

The charitable, fashionable matrioskas

2008-11-27T00:38:00.000-08:00

Matrioskas as models for Cavali, Versace, Prada are now shown in Moscow. This is the last fashion of charity.

The 10th anniversary of Vogue Russia has been the occasion for that social commitment. Particularly, it consists on an auction of tens matrioskas created and dressep up with dyed dresses and accessores, like glasses, by the top luxury maisons. Also Naomi Campbell took part at the event with her new lover, Vladislav Doronin, co-owner of 'Capital Group that gifted her a dool of 23 thousend euros by YSL to celebrate her first pubblic presence in Moscow with him. Surprisinly, the one which has recorded the highest bid was the one of Valentin Iudashkin for 100.000 dollars. The total takings amounts to 1 milior euros.

Fast fashion doesn't feel the crisis

2008-11-25T00:17:00.000-08:00

Fast-fashion keeps up to fashion in Italy despite the financial crisis. While the luxury world seems to colapse, 120 firms, 5500 workers, 2,5 miliard euros sales guarantee optimism in the fast fashion sector. This is the revolt of fast fashion, or, to be more precise, the brands that draw on the seasonal fashion trends, re-editing items and accessories with an high production and distribution speed.

Now, a research conducted by Diomedea in BolognaFiere teels the truth about this sector. This one consists on firms that covers the 20% of the everyday national consumption for 5 miliard. Moreover, Italy is in the first place in Europe with Spain with a 70% distribution on italian soil.

Particularly, they have gained and enstablished a good reputation. Although at the beginning they were considered like cribbers, nowadays they're the ones that claim what is fashion or not. In addition, their streght is the flessibility of the production and the provision that makes them more resistent to the crisis and the markets' fluctuation.

The Xmas pack of LV

2008-11-24T12:20:00.000-08:00

Xmas gives a chance to Louis Vuitton to show its brand new in the Big Apple. This is a big pack and consists on the flaship-shop on the Fifth Avenue wrapped with the Monogram Multicolor by Takashi Murakami. Indeed, Daniel Lalonde, president of the american brench of the brand, explains: " The purpose is to realise something unique and highly representative during Xmas time. Decorating our building with the classic Monogram in 33 different colours has seemed to us a perfect combination of tradition and enterteiment".

Panpepato

2008-11-23T11:04:00.000-08:00

The love for arts, the passion for the new, details and handcrafts born Panpepato three years ago. Particularly, two girls, Giulia and Martina, two ex-PR and fundraiser, opened this cute shop in via Solari 2/A, Milan, with a laboratory inside. Although some object are imported, the vast majority of the products sold come from 18 italian craftswomen. Those guarantee the best in terms of quality also of the material.

Only natural and historical materials are used. For example, glass, silk, wool, pottery, linen and cachemire create wonderful old-fashion bags, modern garment for children and women, accessories and elements of furniture. Like this, clothes from Asia turn into western items and are displayed with Italian products.

Panpepato
Via solari 2/A
Milano
http://www.panpepato.com/
Monday from 3 pm to 7.30 pm, Tuersday-Saturday from 10am to 2pm and from 3pm to 19.30 pm.

'08ML: indipendent publishing festival in Milan

2008-11-22T08:16:00.000-08:00

Today and tomorrow, indipendent publishing festival 08ML is held in Triennale Bovisa from 4pm to 2 am.

It is a good occasion for your reading curiosity. Not only can you buy book on sale by 42 medium and little firm, but also you can chat and get to know the authors. Among the latest fashions, there is the Verdenero series that will introduce the new book of Lucarelli, Navi a perdere.

The festival wants to double the success of the previous and first edition. Like that one, it will be free and the spaces are three times bigger. Deliciously, the Triennale Bistrot will provide the attedants with a opulent buffet. Moreover, dj sets will be joined by live music, while the children will be delighted by animations inspired by the books'theme. In the exteriors, a videoinstallation will be projected and show quotations from the paperbacks displayed.

Thanks to the association "Spazio aperto servizio", there will be place also for the solidarity.

Eastpak by Eley Kishimoto: party again!!!

2008-11-21T12:18:00.001-08:00

Eastpak had to celebrated (another) extraordinary cobranding with Eley Kishimoto with a great music party. On Thursday the 20th of November, Mark Eley and Wakako Kishimoto landed in Milan to do it. This couple in their private life and design one have already worked for LV, Marc Jabobs, Alexander McQueen, Jil Sander e Cacharel. Here, they are to show their four fruits for Eastpak.

Online customers search excellence

2008-11-20T04:44:00.000-08:00

What the Customer Focus Study Reviewed

The study consisted of visiting a retailer’s website and answering a series of Yes/No questions about the availability of 69 different factors that reflect a focus on customer experience. These factors were weighted based on our 10 years of optimizing retail website experiences and totaled to arrive at an eventual score for each site. The features we asked our shoppers and analysts to address include:

Quality and detail of images
Product copy description answering the shopper’s implicit questions
Whether the retailer offers customer reviews
How the retailer met the shopper’s gift buying needs
Ease and simplicity of checkout
Retailer’s ability to address the shopper’s concerns
Ease and clarity of retailer return policies
Providing of shipping and tax totals early in the checkout process
Offering multiple payment options
Offering estimated delivery times and showing in-stock availability for items
Offering in-store pick-up where physical stores exist

We specifically asked the mystery shoppers to ignore:

price points
the ease in locating the products;
the efficacy of the brand in conveying confidence;
the impact of overall design on credibility and sales;
the entire customer experience from search to purchase fulfillment

Rather than evaluating the entire customer experience, this study provides a benchmark for retail sites based on more objective criteria. Therefore, our 2007 Retail Customer Experience Study provides a thumbnail view of how businesses speak to the needs of their customers. There’s much work still to be done and plenty of opportunity for improvement. The top-rated site in this study scored only 67 out of a possible 100. Even the top-rated company has plenty of room to grow before it has thoroughly delighted its customers and improved its bottom line. Given the results of our study, Future Now further believes that companies which lavish attention on improving customer focus will reap more sales and experience superior customer-retention rates in the long term .

The Results: 2007 Online Retail Study for Customer Focused Excellence Congratulations to the top fifteen retailers for their efforts at providing visitors a customer-centric experience. The Overall Leaders:
SmartBargains.com 67
BestBuy.com 63
Compactappliance.com 63
BlueNile 63
EasternMountainSport 63
BackCountry.com 63
TigerDirect.com 63
CDUniverse.com 63
Ebags.com 63
Staples.com 63
AmericanMusical.com 62
Landsend.com 62
Crutchfield.com 62
Walmart.com 62
Walgreens.com 62

*Moved from 11th to 2nd since launching customer-generated reviews. Average score for all retailers = 43 (± 11)

The Leaders by Category: Apparel / Fashion: eBags.com, Landsend.com, Lids.com, Bluefly.com, LLBean.com Electronics: BestBuy.com,TigerDirect.com, Crutchfield.com Food: SurLaTable.com, Cooking.com, Berries.com Jewelry: BlueNile.com, Ice.com, Diamond.com Children / Toys: OneStepAhead.com, KBToys.com, BabyAge.com Housewares / Kitchen: CompactAppliance.com, BedBathandBeyond.com,SurLaTable.com Office: Staples.com, OfficeDepot.com, OfficeMax.com Mass Merchants: SmartBargains.com, Walmart.com, Target.com

Selected highlights learned from the study: * 58% offer gift certificates.* 24% do not allow customers to enlarge the product image.* 37% offer multiple image views of products.* 33% offer customer reviews.* 38% of sites have difficult to read fonts. (This is especially telling considering that, this year, our average age of reviewer was younger than ever before. Only 14% allow customers to change the default font size while viewing their website.)* 43% offer free shipping.* 61% do not offer any information on the product page regarding in-stock availability* 52% of retailers have physical stores; only 10% of all retailers offer in-store pickup of orders.* 74% offer estimated delivery times.* 42% provide shipping cost early in the checkout process. 35% have a checkout process with more than 4 steps.* (Only) 58% correctly answer an e-mail question within 24 hours.* 20% offer pay-by-check, 10% offer Google Checkout, 20% accept PayPal and 18% offer Bill Me Later.

This study reflects significant factors that customers have come to expect. Having worked with online retailers for the past decade to observe how customers buy at retail websites, Future Now knows that customers notice the little things. In the long run, customers vote with their dollars for companies that have an intense focus on satisfying their needs.

Wave75

2008-11-19T00:52:00.000-08:00

photos by Wave 75 staff
Wave 75 can appear like the common story of a group of friend with a bright idea. In fact, it is: everything started from some surfers that needed to communicate their passion outside their crew. Like this, Wave 75 was born 2 years ago with a brand new shop in via San Vittore 11, Milan.

The one brand store is focused on surf. Therefore, streetwear is the guideline like sweaters, t-shirt, coats and the space is decorated with so simple objects like surfboards, photoframes, particular lamps that clients can feel at home.

The customer satisfaction is high and getting higher. Thanks to the attention to the new and to the quality of the fabrics, Wave75 offers the best of the best to its clients. Even though it has been opened recently, there is a good feedback and customers are pretty always back.

Also press is paying attention increasly to it. Not only am I writing about it, but also it has been reviewed on a lot of specialised magazines like Surfer, Baco Magazine, pop-mags like Vivimilano, Corriere della Sera, and fashionmags like Sfilate.it and Modaonline.it. Moreover, it organises a lot of parties in its store (for example, the one on 4th of November 2008) to gain visibility. Currently, it is going to have some surf contests in Tuscany.

Why don't join them if the wheater is good?

info@wave75.com
http://www.wave75.com/

Is financial crisis the wayback to the grey scale?

2008-11-18T00:12:00.000-08:00

Attending Paris fashion week while the world’s economy goes into freefall is a disorientating experience. There’s nothing like watching the talking heads on CNN getting increasingly apocalyptic about the state of your finances, only to turn the TV off to rush to a fashion show featuring dresses and shoes with four-figure price tags. Of course, clothes take months to design and produce, so the styles that were on the runways last week were designed way before “credit crunch” sounded like anything more than a cute piece of alliteration. In that sense, you can’t really blame the designers for being as free as ever with the gilt and the gold.

As fashion is used to do, it has got a whiff of the crisis. That's why in the lastest shows disapperead the costly flights of fancy that have characterized the runways for the past few years: the tulip skirts, the enormous handbags, the heavy detailing, the frills and ribbons. Instead, they’ll return to tailoring in safe colors—blue, gray, and black—because customers will need to be convinced of the durability of any of the few purchases they make. You can say a lot of things about a metallic tulip skirt with frayed edges, but “durable” is probably not on the list.

Then again, that line of reasoning is probably too simplistic. Designers will likely opt for even more ostentation, because they know that the real money is with people who won’t be affected by this financial downturn at all. Fashion houses will be aiming for the new markets—Russia, China, India, the Middle East, and South America—and the enormous wealth therein. The lower end of the upper market (i.e., those who live in the West) will be the ones cutting back. The people who are buying up Francis Bacons and sailing round on super yachts (mentioning no names. Oh, just one, then—Roman Abramovich) will continue to shop without concern. This newly emerging demographic don’t just not worry about price tags, they don’t even look at price tags. So what we’ll see on the runways will be a microcosm of the world itself: the plain will get plainer and the ornate will get even more ornate.

Digital signage

2008-11-17T11:20:00.000-08:00

Digital signage seems to have been my favourite topic recently. Precisely, digital signage is an adverisement form well known also in Italy, whose content are projected on electronic and digital screens in public spaces.

The features of digital signage consists on:
1. not to have to change phisically the billboards
2. to get a message across in specific places at a specific time

Economical aspects:
This kind of adv offers a better price/quality ratio than traditional printed billboards. Even it's malleability enables the transformation of advertisement posts in different applications in a little time.

The content ranges from the simple text to static images, and to videos with or without sounds, too. Some networks of digital signage are similar to a Tv channel with a infotrateinement profile. Moreover, it is possible to create multimedia contents on LCD with an high quality image.

The messages can be controlled remotely by a software in a pc by a team that can modify easily through the Internet.

Alberta Ferretti's flagship store in LA

2008-11-16T13:59:00.001-08:00

The inauguration of the new flagship shop of Alberta Ferretti in LA wasn't to lose. At te 8626 of Melrose Avenue, all Hollywood was there. In that occasion, friends and devoted to the brand had the possibility to appreaciate the new pap of Alberta Ferretti and Philosophy, as well as the last accessories' line.

The interiors of the boutique show a new concept of the brand. For instance, the architects' studio Sybarite from London has created a spacious, luminous and sophisticated store according to the brand image: 420 m where the white predominates, in contrast with the living colours of the collections that float in the space hanging from magnetic hangers.

Besides the already existent lines, Alberta Ferretti Girls has been launched and it is reserved for girls from 5 to 12 y.o. Moreover, in the next two years, AF plans to open a middle-east network in Doha, Jeddha, Dubai, New Delhi e Beyrouth. AF: another example of italian fashion spreading all over the world!

Magnetic Clothes Hangers

2008-11-13T15:18:00.001-08:00

Hangers haven’t changed significantly their shape in the course of time. Indeed, the morphology is really static and consolidated, although a lot of designers concern about making hangers original and catchy.

One of them is Daniel TO. This man has elaborated the Magnetic Clothes Hangers, which are the first ones to be magnetic. Particularly, this incredibly innovative idea is handy for the shops thanks to its design. In other words, the simple and essential system avoids the use of the traditional pole, which the hangers hang down. Like this, it allows extreme freedom of movement and configurations with a simple metallic bracket to which all the hangers are attached.

The vertical development of this tool could be interesting. If it were possible to tilt the hook in order to hang the hangers also on walls, it might make this object even more suitable for fashion retails.

How a window speaks about current events

2008-11-12T13:19:00.000-08:00

India is the star of the holiday windows at the famous label Hermès flasghip store on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. An enchanting display that's a far cry from the latest Mumbai tragic events. Director of decoration Leila Menchari's aim was to captivate passers-by with unique and exclusive pieces.

Retail Design:Inspiration for Beauty in AmorePacific

2008-11-11T22:28:00.001-08:00

Retail design has become the new outlet for brand expression. By controlling everything from images, textures, sounds and in some cases smell, designers are taking the retail experience to a whole new level.

Korean cosmetics giant Amore Pacific approached Continuum in 2004 to design a series of changing retail environments for 'The AMORE Gallery,' their flagship store in the ritzy Apgujung-dong neighborhood of Seoul. The spacious, glass-fronted location provided a unique opportunity to bring the core elements of Amore Pacific's brand -- a contemporary, Asian-inspired balance of natural purity and cutting-edge science -- to an immersive environment where consumers can relax while trying out products or indulging in spa treatments.

To give the Gallery a fashion-forward relevancy that would be refreshing and inviting to passers-by, Continuum (the design studio) developed changing themes throughout the year based on the four seasons. For winter, spring, summer and fall, Continuum's designers recreated store-front graphics, display cases, wall graphics, lighting, banners and sculptured elements anew, infusing the colors and images at every level with Amore's unique naturally-inspired, contemporary look. Continuum also designed and developed the displays for a special exhibition and the Pink Ribbon 2005 campaign to benefit Breast Cancer.

Our eye-catching designs increased foot traffic and word-of-mouth, as the attractive Amore storefront became a landmark known for its modern and engaging displays.

Fiat: another example of interactive windows

2008-11-10T10:56:00.000-08:00

Diesel's interractive windows

2008-11-09T10:42:00.000-08:00

Diesel Creative Team, in collaboration with Nanika from London Think & Make It of Milan, two agencies which work on ‘interactive art', has transformed in digital installations the windows of Diesel store in Piazza S.Babila.

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A simple idea for a great effect. Basically a camera shoots the actions of the passers and reproduces them in a deforming, artistic way. Two big screens in the square reproduce the situation and the passers become the main character of the work of art.

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This attention to new technologies and artistic expression will caracterise the mega-store Diesel in Milan and its 1300 mq.

From Anila farm to Anila shop

2008-11-06T05:29:00.001-08:00

Young Italian accessories label Anila has called upon English designer Joanna Sykes for its summer 2009 collection.

How to transform an adv into a bag by Girbaud

2008-11-03T14:31:00.001-08:00

An exclusive François Girbaud interview about ecology and inventiveness. An example : Marithé and François Girbaud's bag made from advertising posters.

Save your logo

2008-11-01T03:06:00.001-07:00

Nowadays, fashion and nature are closely related. Besides the animalier textures used for the dresses, a crocodile means LaCoste, a puma reminds you of a sweaty T-shirt, a dear of Abercombie&Fitch, for example.

According to this trend, the Global Environment Facility has launched the campaign "Save your logo" in order to stimulate the firms to save the animal which inspires their brands. Fortunately, for the prestige of the enterprise and for the future of those furry animal, some good results have been seen.

Be Frozen

2008-10-28T09:57:00.001-07:00

Another example of flash mob: frozen. Thousands of people meets in a square and they stop (froze) for some minutes. Then, their life go on in the same ordinary way.

Here is an example in Milan.

Continuum and Amplifon to create retail experience

2008-10-27T00:04:00.001-07:00

Since the 1983 Continuum is one of the world leading firm in the product innovation. Particularly, the name sanctions the new concept of design like an evolving connection among different disciplines that take part in the product development.

One of the key character in this firm is Valentina Ziliani, the strategy practice leader. Before working for Continuum, she did a 7 years experience in Lego Concept Lab. Now, she is in charge of discovering new connection among design, brand and business. According to her, those are to be thought as an unique value system that meets the needs of the people.

Another important employee is Fabio Di Liberto, the Product Innovation practice leader. Before arriving in Continuum, he worked for FutureBrand in New York where he used to define brand strategies even for multinational companies like Pepsi, GM, Gillette.

Recently, Continuum and they have been committed to Amplifon. In this case, they had to create a retail experience in order to unify the image of the firm all over the world and meet the customers'needs. That's wh they decided to immerge themselves in the reality of who enter a shop for deafs. For example, they made a survey among in different European countries. First of all, they have interviewed families, then observed the paths that people used to follow inside the stores.

Everything has been made in order to reduce the medical enviroment in favour of a more retail one. Not only does the shop have to answer to the requests of people, but also it has to offer a variety of products. That’s why the space has been designed as a storybook firstly, like an amount of perceptions and interactions. Then, the staff skills, interactive technologies, communications and the layout have been defined in a spacious, relaxing atmosphere. Finally, the furnish design has been created in order to facilitate the experience.

Everything has been projected in a tight collaboration between Continuum and Amplifon. For instance, Valentina and Fabio collaborated with Haluk Terzioglu, (chief Marketing executive) and with Daniela Pighini, (New Business Development) in Amplifon. In addition, they also considered the Team di Saatchi & Saatchi of London which was working with Amplifon to the new brand identity e campaign at the same time of the Continuum project.

Surprinsingly, Valentina and Fabio stated that the main contribution arrived from the social research. Particularly, they have verified the connection among the experience, the purchase and the aestethic of the store thanks to Milward Brown that tested this fact in Verona.

What has been mostly challenging for them was to find and communicate to the Amplifon executives the right innovation level: no technological excesses that might catch unprepared the elderly nor could be of difficult application on a graeat scale, catchy for the young folks.

Pierre Cardin fashion show

2008-10-26T00:05:00.000-07:00

After almost ten years, Pierre Cardin decided to host a fashion show once again but at the Palais Bulles in the South of France.

YSL new scent for its shop

2008-10-24T01:58:00.001-07:00

Paris's hottest new shopping destination is not a newly launched boutique, but a store that has been open for over 25 years. The Yves Saint Laurent Saint-Sulpice store on Paris's Left Bank has debuted a new interior, a collaboration between creative director Stefano Pilati and architects Alain Moatti and Henri Riviere.

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First opened in 1979, the store has seen a complete reinvention, described by YSL as 'functional luxe,' where even the scent of the air has been considered for the ultimate luxurious shopping experience. Taking a departure from the minimal landscape that characterises many modern-day designer boutiques, Pilati instead turned to an iconic YSL reference: Opium.

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Innovative touches include the use of ductal concrete; an environmentally friendly option, which reduces carbon emissions, and energy efficient lighting, add to the ecologically sensitive

project.

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A stunning setting to show off Pilati's designs, the store should be on the radar for any style conscious visitor to the city, whether to buy, or simply to marvel.

Two Apple store. One amazing exprience.

2008-10-22T14:35:00.001-07:00

DigitalRev Store experience

2008-10-21T23:57:00.001-07:00

Volemosebbene smart mob

2008-10-20T14:19:00.001-07:00

The difference betwwen flash and smart mob is the organisation. That's why smart mobs are more used by advertising agencies than the uncontrollable flash mob.

Behind the scenes of the smart mob in Rome, there's Tim. It took place in Campo de Fiori and everyone had to gift something to others in the previous to S.Valentine's day. Tim offered 1000 wrapped pack and the luckiest 6 won a mobile.

The day was symbolical. Not only do people have to love eachother because of San Valentine's day, but in everyday day of their life.

Flash Mob in Shangai

2008-10-19T14:53:00.001-07:00

Flash mob examples

2008-10-18T15:06:00.001-07:00

The first recorded use of the term flash mob was in 2003 in a blog entry posted in the aftermath of Wasik's event. The term was inspired by the earlier term smart mob. Webster's New Millennium Dictionary of English defines flash mob as “a group of people who organize on the Internet and then quickly assemble in a public place, do something bizarre, and disperse.” The press has also used the term flash mob to refer a practice being used in China where groups of shoppers arrange online to meet at a store at the same time in order to drive a collective bargain with the store owner.

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Two are the most notable flash mobs: Pillow fight and Geocaching. Worldwide Pillow Fight Day (or International Pillow Fight Day) was a pillow fight flash mob that took place on March 22, 2008. Over 25 cities around the globe participated in the first "international flash mob", which was the world's largest flash mob to date. According to The Wall Street Journal, over 5,000 participants participated in New York City, overtaking London's 2006 Silent Disco gathering as the largest recorded flash mob. Word spread via social networking sites, including Facebook, Myspace, Wikipedia, private blogs, public forums, and personal websites. Participating cities included Beirut, Boston. Budapest, Chicago, Copenhagen, Dublin, Houston, Innsbruck, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Monterrey, New York City, Paris, Pécs, Shanghai, San Francisco, Stockholm, Sydney, Vancouver, Washington, D.C., Zurich.

The increasingly popular hobby of geocaching developed a twice/year event in 2007 called "World Wide Flash Mob", held in the spring and the fall. Players active in geocaching are encouraged to develop events that produce a quick flash mob complete with an event booth and group photo that instanly disperses after 15 minutes. A unique aspect is that these flash mob events occur simultaneously around the world at the same day and time (1:00-1:15 PM Eastern time and simultaneously in other times zones, i.e. in London it would be held at 6:00-6:15pm, in San Francisco it would be held at 10:00-10:15am, etc.).The next such event is scheduled to happen on November 8, 2008. As an example, four such simultaneous events are planned within the New York Metropolitan Area, in Valhalla, in Babylon, NY, in Edison, NJ, and in London, UK.

A brief history of Flash Mob

2008-10-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

A flash mob is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual action for a brief time, then quickly disperse.

Flash mobs, to use a terrible pun, were quite literally a flash-in-the-pan phenomenon. Created by a man known only by "Bill" in summer of 2003, they spread globally with rapid pace and died out almost completely by the winter of that same year. In the summer of 2005, flash mobs officially "sold out" so-to-speak, with Ford's "flash concerts" that promoted their latest model, the Fusion. This past March, Harper's magazine reflected upon the flash mob phenomenon and simultaneously revealed its inventor: Bill Wasik, who just happens to be the senior editor at Harper's.

The first attempt was unsuccessful after the targeted retail store was tipped off about the plan for people to gather. Wasik avoided such problems during the second flash mob. To begin the experiment, Wasik sent a simple email on May 27, 2003 to about 60 friends and acquaintances. The email was vague, forwarded to himself by himself from an unused email address. It asked people to synchronize their watches and meet in a given location in New York. To avoid looking staged, he asked people to approach from different directions based on their birth month. Further instructions were to be given at the site by a random person via a slip of paper. The first mob failed due to the police receiving knowledge about it, but the second, which took place in the rug department of Macy's, was a success. About 200 people came into Macy's and informed clerks that they were looking for a love rug for their commune that they all lived in and that they made all their purchase decisions as a group. Wired News wrote about it two days later, and the flash mob spread rapidly to other cities. Subsequently, 200 people flooded the lobby and mezzanine of the Hyatt hotel in synchronized applause for about fifteen seconds, and a shoe boutique in SoHo was invaded by participants pretending to be tourists on a bus trip. The New York Times, in an effort to have a leg up on the story that other newspapers didn't, predicted (correctly) a backlash to the flash mob sensation. Wasik suspected as much, although the Times had impeccable timing on the story.

Wasik revealed that it was a self-fulfilling prophecy, an attempt to make fun of hipster culture, and above all a social experiment designed to demonstrate the joining urge of human beings. He planned the lifespan of the flash mob in its entirety, from the first flash mob to its backlash, downfall, and subsequent commercialization. While the content of the flash mobs themselves was apolitical (the ones Wasik organized, at least, although they were definitely transformed into political protest by some), the lifespan of the flash mob speaks volumes about digital networking, the nature of the human herding instinct, and the commercialization of everything.

Get caught in a flashmob!

2008-10-16T23:05:00.001-07:00

Sometime you can see a lot of people doing weird things on the streets in Milan. Surprisingly, you might be caught in a flashmob event.

While this mass event started spontaneously, nowadays it has became increasly a new marketing technique to launch new products.

The Flea Circus

2008-10-15T13:26:00.001-07:00

Although waking up early on sundays morning is hard, the Flea Circus in via Malaga was worth it on the 5th of October.

The one in via Malaga was not the common second-hand flea market. Indeed, a lot of brand new brands (sorry for the pun) have been introduced, a lot of weird people got there and a lot of strange things happened. Despite some features of Oktober festival like sausages and low price beer, the organisers have done their best to make the party have a reasonable profile, like some installations and good products. Basically, have a good time is the soul of the party.

Mainly, the same people were there...only few out of a weird contest, the normal ones that you usually meet downtown. I wish one day also them would appreciate this rustic moments, hopefully as soon as possible. By that time, young folks'll have got grey and tired to create these amazing and different parties open to everyone.

Customer experience vs e-commerce

2008-10-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

In relation to the previous post, here there are some more considerations about e-commerce vs real retail.

With all the investments and improvements within the last five years in redesigns, usability, analytics, multivariate testing, and the increases in broadband speed and availability, one might have expected significant improvements in bottom line. Yet, according to Shop.org, conversion rates are still hovering around 2.5%. Customers aren’t delighted.

Research by companies like Bazaarvoice, however, paints a different picture of the current “leveling off” in the e-business world. Their results indicate the problem doesn’t lie in the allure of the offline shopping experience, but in the failure of online stores to present a customer-focused shopping environment. In our experience, many of these sites also fall short of customer-focused excellence because they fail to effectively integrate with their offline counterparts.

Sam Decker, CMO of Bazaarvoice said, “According to customers, what were once ecommerce nice-to-haves are now table stakes. Easy checkout, product search and the right policies are as important as multi-channel integration and authentic user-generated content, such as ratings and reviews.The way customers research, shop and buy has evolved . Studies underscore the need for retailers to do the same and reconsider priorities.”

How much money do retailers leave on the desk?

2008-10-13T14:32:00.001-07:00

A study conducted in 2007 clearly shows that online retailers are not capitalizing on the customer experience and are overly focused on innovation while ignoring the basics.

U.S. online retail sales will more than double over the next six years, reaching $316 billion by 2010, according to a new report from Forrester Research — they expect e-commerce will grow to account for 12 percent of total retail sales in 2010, up from nearly 7 percent in 2004.

Industry observers report that, since the advent of the Internet, online sales have increased overall by about 25% annually (“Online Sales Lose Steam,” The New York Times - June 17, 2007). But they also note that sales are leveling off as customers return to brick-and-mortar venues for a more satisfying shopping experience.

A similar Forrester study in April 2006 revealed that only 26% of online consumers were simply satisfied with their shopping experience. This suggests a whopping 74% — three-quarters of online shoppers — weren’t even satisfied. And what of the remaining 26%? They weren’t delighted. They were merely “satisfied.” In other words, the shopping experience was, at best, adequate. Are retailers in a race to see who can be the “most adequate”?

Diesel XXX party

2008-10-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

Last night, Diesel had a party for its XXX

birthday. As this jeans' brand has always tried to rock the life of its customers, it wanted to do it again all over the world. Indeed, in 17 cities of the globe a multidisciplinar party was held.

Acrobats, great djs, Vodka Absolut as a sponsor...everything for free, or maybe not. Basically, you had only to catch the invitation. How to do? Buy a special edition item in Diesel's shop, and you'll have it. So, are you sure to have taken part in a free event?

By the way, free or not, who cares when you're part of thousands people, dancing in the shadows and above you there are flying people doing stunts instead of the poor ceiling of Studio 2000 in via Mecenate (Milan)?

Nobody can forget the asthonishing party of last year in Bassano del Grappa (the base of Diesel) with Moby playing in the park. Nobody could never forget also the last night experience.

Well done again, Diesel!

Diesel XXX party in Hong Kong

Diesel XXX party in Milan @Studio 2000

When a music genius meets a fashion empire

2008-10-11T01:37:00.001-07:00

The Blason jewellery collection is designed by Pharrell Williams in collaboration with Camille Miceli for Louis Vuitton. This collection is a variation on four themes, in which the rhythm and energy of the new continent harmonize with the spirit of historic Europe.

waiting for DieselXXXparty: FlashMob

2008-10-10T08:55:00.001-07:00

Waiting for the Diesel XXX party, let's rock the grey square in front of the Dom and the cold autumn.

Retail Design

2008-10-09T05:06:00.001-07:00

Practically a lot has been said about retail experience in Milan,

but only a few theorically.

So, let's hear some experts discussing about retail design.

Annamaria Allegro is discovering Denmark's style

2008-10-08T00:03:00.000-07:00

photos by Giulia Agostini

A wonderful blonde girl called Annamaria Allegro started bravely her own fashion business in 1989 after a long learning-by-doing experience.
Her shop distinguishes for a refined style thanks to her research of new brands not too much out of the way. Indeed, she sells mainly names that perform on the runways but not too much known as the ones whose commercials can be found on every magazine. Now, she is focussing on Denmark and the incredibly range of new designers that offers with new upcoming brands like St. Martin and Snob.
Customers extends from the affectionate to the “only to have look” ones. Despite the little displays and the narrow space, everyone feels to have found an akin taste in Annamaria’s choice. That’s why they are always back.

Annamaria Allegro

Via Col di Lana

Milano

Kiehl's case study

2008-10-07T12:33:00.000-07:00

In 2006 Kielh's skin care store opened in Corso di Porta Ticinese its experience shop, even though his history started in 1851 in Manhattan as a pharmacy. From then on, it has spread all over the world through the commercial network of L'Oreal-luxury division. And 2 years ago, it arrived here in Milan with its first space in Italy.

Although the brand now belongs to this commercial one, Kielh's has never forget his qualitative tradition and productive ethic. Indeed, a heightened sensibility for social matters distinguishes this brand, like childhood and the manteinance of ancient city areas. That's why it celebrates the first italian shop with a charity project dedicated to children of OBM (Children's Hospital of Milan "V.Buzzi") and a photographic exhibit on the history of Corso di Porta Ticinese zone. Moreover, a lounge area and a cofee bar have been introduced to welcome everyone. To make the matter even better, a historical tram of 1928 will show all the city to the customers for free.

Kiehl's

Corso di Porta Ticinese

Milan

Colourful light

2008-10-06T14:17:00.001-07:00

photos by Giulia Agostini&Yulissa Aranibar Espinoza

A lot of time a little detail makes the difference of a big event or of an everyday experience, at least.

When I was in R&Dlab showroom in Milan, I saw this particular object in the room. Indeed, this one enables the variation of the colour of the light in all the variations.

If you are fed up of your white-yellow sparkling bulb in your bedroom, you should look for it, and I suggest it to all the shops who want to let their customers live the purchasing moment as a unique experience in their life.

Vietnamonamour: a piece of Far-East in Milan

2008-10-05T14:46:00.001-07:00

photos by Giulia Agostini

Lately, Far-East has approached increasily in our cities. Although Milan has welcomed asiatic culture for ages, it has gained dignity in the latest years. Indeed, a lot of people from Turkey to Korea has started their own business dropping a long-lasting slavery condition.

Also a vietnamese woman run a cute shop near Piazza 24 maggio called Vietnamonamour. Whereas she was looking for a job in Milan, she decided to create her own position. Then, she recall her roots, contacted local vietnamese handcratsmen and started making deals with a B2B formula with them.

Pre, during and post purchase service is relevant and fundamental here. As some of her clients stated, the high-quality and textile rarety of her clothes distiguish her brand. And the kindness of Arabella, the shop -assistant, makes the difference.

Everything in the shop recalls Vietnam, from the interior design to the perfume of the air. Even the overwhelmed amount of dresses reminds you of the ourdoor market which Marco Polo described about, of being no more in an italian context but in a multicultural and exchanging society.

Vietnamonamour

Via Col di Lana n°2
Tel. 0283241539
vietnamonamour@fastwebnet.it
http://www.vietanmonamour.com/

Wok and Henrik Vibskov in "The Tent City"

2008-10-04T14:30:00.001-07:00

photos by Giulia Agostini

music by Trentemoller

Enrik Vibskov’s new collection arrived in Milan from Denmark on the 25th of September. While most part of the city was rushing runway to runway for the fashion week, Wok shop was having a rest and a great party in order to introduce this Danish dj (Trentemoller) in the capacity of a designer.

Besides that, our curiosity is on Wok. Although Milan is well-known to be the most innovative city in Italy, two girls called Federica and Simona decided to bring in the city that kind of fashion clothes which missed in the city. Before Wok, people were compelled to go abroad to buy something out of the mainstream of Made in Italy. That’s why they left their work as a designer and started to run this surprising store in Via Col di Lana.

The project, the idea behind the object is the decisional key of Federica and Simona. How the brand is communicated, the concept, the visual impact, that’s what affects their displays. And the interior design is as impressive as their products.

Being remarkable, out of b&w tones of the city and spread colours are other points, and not less important at all. That’s why they create powerful events to launch new lines with enthusiastic compliments of the affectionate customers. That’s why they define continuously their style in order to satisfy their insatiable clients. That’s why now you can buy their items online also at Far-fetch, as their helpful shop-assistant referred.

Wok store
(Apparel_art)
5/A via Col di Lana
20136 Milano
tel: 0289829700
http://www.wok-store.com/
info@personal-order.com

Miss you, Trentemoller

Someone has talked about Retail Experience in Milan

2008-10-03T12:22:00.000-07:00

photos from Adidas'archive

Two days ago, a workshop about retail experience was organised by Ispira in collaboration with Domus Academy. Surprisingly, it sounded an upcoming marketing strategy. And what have I written about for two weeks? About retail experience- it seems to me. Actually, I’m not a foreseer, I am only someone who travels a lot and pays attention to what happens around.

By the way, this meeting was really interesting and beware of the main features of this communicational change. Before entering a shop, current customers are able to see collections in thousand ways through blogs or online stores previews. This aspect enhances not only a new relationship between the client and the object, but also between client and client. Indeed, they can leave comments and suggest eachothers. In a nutshell , this is what Luca Peruzzi explained, Ispira's excutive, an italian firm specialised in Retail consulting.

Retail experience seems to have replace the brand addiction because it allows a direct experience customer to customer. For example, main retailing chains in Uk like Topshop and Selfridges propose mottos like fun-life-fashion and have mass events in their mall every week, as Tom Ridley (top executive) stated.

These days shops have to offer an entire purchasing experience from the pre to the post retail to face the low consumption crisis.

February & MelodyMaker

2008-10-02T13:20:00.000-07:00

photos by Giulia Agostini

Moving from design to business: that’s what has been happening to February and Melody Maker. Indeed, they have replaced their design studio with a proper clothes shop and they had a great party for this occasion on the 25th September 2008.

Marika+Lucio (February) and Flavio (Melody Maker) have always desired a closer relationship with their customers. Since the time they were attending school, they have dreamt of running a space where they could have an immediate feedback of their works.

Random is their keyword. That’s why pure instinct rules their concept. Basically, nothing predictable, nothing already-made and designed might exist in their space. Therefore, the interior design hasn’t a specific rule. Everything has to run its course as their lives has done.

So, they have never asked themselves whether they are unique. Mainly, they don’t ask for it. “If someone is like us, well, maybe they are only on our wavelength” told me Flavio.
Last question: “How does a customer feel in this place?”, Flavio replied: “ extremely relaxed…let’s see, we have just started”.

February&MelodyMaker

Via Tortona n°5

Milan (Italy)

info@february.it

i: dress out of the box

2008-10-01T13:36:00.000-07:00

photos by Giulia Agostini

It seems to be impossible that as a so normal person as Sergio Dal Bressa could design such a shop like "i" in via Tortona 12.

Basically, "i" is parallel to the mainstream system. As he saw the possibilities of a new fashion market, he decided to open a store oriented to a different kind of customers. Indeed, his clients are not fashion victims, fast-fashion buyers or vintage and revival characters but rather someone who is looking for something new, unexpected and personal.

Research, surprise and personality are the guideline. That's why each part of the store is personalised from the lightining to the texture of the floor, even though it seems to be minimalistic.

After this experience in via Tortona, Sergio made up to open in few days in Corso di Porta Ticinese a new shop based on the concept of "i". The problem seems to find a good name: some suggestions?

i
via Tortona 12
20144 Milano
i.milanotortona@yahoo.com

Only selected objects in Bonny's stall

2008-09-30T14:13:00.000-07:00

photos by Giulia Agostini

Francesco Bonetti, alias Bonny, is another interesting character that I found along Navigli's outdoor market. Here, he was sitting on one of his stylish chair and chatting with a friend about their passion: collecting 20th-century art and products.

Twenty years ago, this interest started as an amusement for Bonny. That's why he has given no order to his stall. Only his distinguishing taste rules the wonderful vintage clothes, bags and furnite sold here. What he particularly loves is furniture of Gio Ponti and Sarfatti's lamps.

A lot of person are bond to Bonny's stall. Despite the economic crisis, customers always visit him and ask him for his exclusive products. Although he makes all the efforts to satisfy them, sometimes he finds it difficult because their requests are rare.

Unfortunately, high-selected and genuine objects are getting difficult to find out in the attic full of know-off ones.

The pure Vintage life of Aurora Tassi

2008-09-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

photos by Giulia Agostini, model Yulissa Aranibar Espinoza

On the last Sunday of every month, the outdoor market takes place in Navigli zone. Hundreds of stalls are displayed and specialised on collecting 20th-century art, antique or vintage products. Yesterday I join my friend Yulissa there, as I am used every last month Sunday.

Here, I found a colourful woman called Aurora Tassi and her outstanding dresses and bags. Kindly, she replied to my questions and revealed a lot about herself and her business. As long she can remember, she is fond of vintage clothes with a particular interest on all the kinds before the 80s. And if you search out something current, for sure it is an exceptional item.

One-shot and unique are the best adjectives for her stall. That's why a lot of people recognise it wherever she sells and she has already gained a group of regular customers that knows that she has only the best. In addition, she offers a post service: indeed, clients can required some taillored applications or arrangements to their purchases. Moreover, a lot of them contact her via internet asking for photos of her products.

What is more astonishing of Aurora is her being ante litteram: she used to collect Vintage 30 years before it became an overused fashion.

R&Dlab: a curious group

2008-09-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

r&dlab, photos by Giulia Agostini

In this sunny and warm afternoon, I stopped in the brand-new showroom of R&Dlab in Via Tortona. Here, I had an incredibly out-of-the box conversation with Roberto Vaccari, member of the Creative Department of this research and design centre.

That lab is sprouted from a long period of work of its art director, Michele Ruffin, and his staff in Okinawa's firm. Before arriving in via Tortona, Mr. Ruffin gained his first experience in belts, then he moved to labels, finally he interested on bio and eco products and grouped together creative and curious people and opened his own business.

Indeed, curiousity is one of the keyword of the team. Their research extends from fashion and design to materials. As Mrs. Vaccari asserted: "Everything is transformation; nothing has to be created, everything we need already exists: we have only to take it from the waste bin and give it a new identity, a new function". And with this ecological phylosophy, they start working on small things to a deeper and bigger goal: respect our enviroment.

Because the ambient place where part of them grewn up is Italy, the creative department chooses made in Italy and high quality elements and neglects cheap, low profile, far east materials. On the other hand, the first doesn't benefit the price.

But is this appreaciable effort comprehended by the customers? Unfortunately, not too much. Whereas the lab invests a lot on research and has already created a particular kind of recycled paper cloth washable, the clients prefer to waste their money and their future on cheaper and short lasting material. Even though it proposes diffirentiated and personal produts, the mass continue to follow the mass in the wrong way.

It's all about culture. Actually, R&D doesn't sell fashion, it suggests a culture where the object is the mean in the relationship between the man and the nature.

r&dlab showroom

via Tortona n°15 angolo via Forcella

Milano

tel. +39 0283242148

www.redlab.info

Contacto: a link with Puglia art/handcraftsmen

2008-09-27T13:15:00.001-07:00

photos by Giulia Agostini and Yulissa Aranibar Espinoza

Contacto exhibition has travelled a lot before arriving in Milan at Aria Savona during the Female Fashion week SS09. Indeed, this display coming from Puglia region and showing the best of its brains has passed through Bari, Brussellex, Turin and it is arriving even in Vilnius, the European culture capital 2009. In terms of time, it started on September 2007 when ICE (Italian international trading institute)decided to develop a managerial course in order to expand the local textile factories in South Italy internationally.

As Daniele Del Genio, Calceviva-Rossorame’s executive, explained me, that project aimed to provide managers of Puglia with the current, technical knowhow and the comprehension of the relevance of giving meaning to products. That’s why they created a cross between fashion, interior design and art in this exhibition.

Basically, equal space has been given to each firms displayed as it is used in a house. And the domestic light, in place of tradition, seems to be the link of everything. For example, different garments are re-used as a lamp, or a pillow or a chair, using artistic creativity to design elements from consumed fashion.

From the concept home to the mother-country ones: “made in Italy” above all as a well-known brand of high quality. Foreigner visitors are more aware of this and pay more attention of what happens in the content of the exhibit from their external point of view. On the other hand, Italian prefers to look at the nice, cute, pretty design of the flat wall. One day, they’ll be bumping into it and discovering that they will have to look up to this project, keeping up to date.

Give new life and idea to everything, and mainly to economy.

Meet2biz: a living room in Milan

2008-09-26T14:46:00.001-07:00

photos by Giulia Agostini

The first time I entered Meet2biz in Naviglio Grande, I thought: where I am? but after a while, I felt really comfortable, as I was in my living room. Indeed, this is the concept of the store.

Its opening was a long way. Actually, their owner's were already working on this showroom long time before. Everything started with the efforts of a group of young people who wanted to bring in Milan the brand new and variety in the very static and fake-elitaristic fashion world. After some experience in temporary exhibit developped in events around the city, they stopped here in Alzaia Naviglio Pavese.

How is the store like? Firstly, there's a cute garden outside with a big wooden sofa. Then, you enter and you find another two armchairs with a table and a bookshelf upon and clothes around. If you sit down, you can have a rest and read a book or choose a cd in front of you and put it on. Enjoy it. If you continue to discover this place, you bump into another room where a enourmous red sofa is waiting for you.

Why all these sofas? Well, the concept of the showroom is to create a inhouse space like a living room. The owners know that people come here to have a look and they'll turn another time to buy, so it is essential to prepare an enviroment that call them back. Mainly, they're not that kind of sellers that compel you to buy: be yourself, choose your style and possibly find it here. These are their motto. And they help you a lot in building your style because they change every month their products and designers hosted.

The capability of creating relationship through their personality, products and atmosphere is their strenght: not only through the appropriate interior design and high-quality and taillored clothes, but also through pr agency, myspace, blog, friendship, cobrandings. In this manner they are able to invite everyone in their living room for good cup of cofee and a pleasant chat, as I had.

M2b:
Alzaia Naviglio Grande 14, 20144 Milano
http://www.meet2bizshop.com/wordpress/
Tel.: +39 339 7962395
Tel.: +39 339 8995760
Fax : +39 02 36587091
Email: info(at)meet2bizshop.com

S2B:ygem+amplified

2008-09-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

photos by Giulia Agostini

This evening some friends and I went by chance to a presentation in S2B showroom in Via Tortona. Although there were not too many people, the atmosphere was good. Indeed, a youg cover band and an experienced one played, while waiters served free beer and wine for the attendants.

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What was the real core event was the two collections inside the showroom. Whereas in the basement black and musical t-shirt of Amplified were exposed, on the ground floor we could have a look of the collection of leather shoes of a french brand, called ygem.

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Was the party linked with the outfits? Yes, the rock music matched the vintage, rock'n'punk, b movies style, with the printed tongue of Amplified and also the leather roman-style sandals of Ygem. The party atmosphere has made these brands remarkable for me and for my friends, and for sure we're going to advise them to everyone.

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But knowing something more about the management of the store was my aim. Indeed, I talked some minutes with the pr responsable for the event and in charge of the showroom for its agency, S2B service for business. They opened 3 years ago here in Milan, and they had some consolidated experience in communication and pr sector.

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Basically, the guideline of their store is fashion viewed in a new way. This has to be integrated with the taste of the customers that want to show their personality through clothes. Mainly, they try to create this kind of event where costumers can feel to be in their right place in order to make them turn again in the shop and feel attached to the brand.

For sure my friends and I felt in love with Amplified and Yem. Good work guys.

http://www.amplifiedclothing.com/

Who does fashion change?

2008-09-24T14:33:00.000-07:00

As pretty all this week, I was in the press area in Fieramilanocity and found another interesting object. This is a bag of a new upcoming designer called Serena Priscola and produced by Ripell and belongs to Dark Love collection.

The relevant detail of the purse is the screen on it. Besides the oddity of its presence, there's a face of a boy changing every 5 seconds on it. On the bag a white writing stated: "change your boy, don't change your bag".

What's it trying to tell us? Keep me, your little beloved, material bag-world that gives you a safe and acceptable identity so that you can live by yourself? and leave the uncertain, emotional world where the presence of the other poses you questions about yourself? Yes, it's far more better let something guide you and give you the right, exclamatory indication. Are you sure that you'll find some pieces of you after all this process in the long run?

Native

2008-09-23T14:29:00.001-07:00

photos by Giulia Agostini
As I entered, I felt to be swallowed by the furniture and objects sold in Native. At the beginning, all this things put together gave me a confusional status. Then, focusing on the division of the spaces of the shop, I worked out that a logic existed.

As the owner told me, Native sells things for your house, to make it more agreeable. That's why the store should look like your house, with a corridor, with a dining room and living room. And what catches you eyes is the colourful objects like crockery, glasses, sheets placed all in their cupboard or wardrobe as you are used at home.

Everything starts from Cristallerie di Livellara that decided to have a store closer to their customer. Actually, this one is a multibrand shop, even though is owned by that factory. Moreover, it has been created as an hand-crafted place that gives visibility to the brand Cristallerie di Livellara but where the firm is only the frame.

And the customers has always had good opinion of Native. Indeed, they found a wide display where to choose how to create the atmosphere in their own houses. Not only do normal people appreciate this place, but also conoisseurs and professional ones. Properly, this house-like store won the award of the Furniture Fair in 2008.

Luz

2008-09-22T13:31:00.001-07:00

photos by Giulia Agostini

It is only one year since a nice woman opened this cute shop called Luz along Naviglio Grande. After a long experience in fashion world, Sonia made up to run her own business, built up autonomally even financially.

What you can see and feel in this shop is the owner herself. From the clothes to the last meaningless object in this place, everything is decided by her and her elegant taste. Indeed, this doolhouse-like store reminds of the childhood and the wolly manufactured garnments recall the wrinkled hands of my grandma needleworking.

The feeling to be in a comfortable home in front of the fireplace is not only mine. Indeed, also Sonia stated that her customers appreciate the atmosphere and after the first purchase, they're always back.

And if you're not back, enter for the first time...

Luz

Alzaia Naviglio Grande 4

Milano

http://4luz.style.it/

Invest in your retail space

2008-09-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

Fashionweek: dress or body?

2008-09-20T10:42:00.002-07:00

As every end of September, female fashion week arrives in Milan. Although I am really interested in, I am not here to talk you about catwalks, but what is inside the word and world of fashion.

Indeed, this morning I paid attention at a particular mannequienne. I was waiting for a show in the press area in Fieramilanocity and entered a stand which exposed experementalistic clothes. There was this iron-cable like mannequienne and it makes me think about our perception of the body and our relationship with clothes.

Is our body a cage that we cover with a dress? or do we reveal ourselves through what we wear?

Marzona

2008-09-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

photos by Giulia Agostini

I was walking this afternoon along Naviglio Grande and by chance one of the wooden door was opened. So, I entered and a banner alerted me about the precence of this cute cashmire clothes shop, called Marzona.

This one has a really simple style and few items, unfortunately. It is easy to see the prices and touch the wolly and soft garnment. A little bit of mess inside...and makes you feel to be in a proper tailor's laboratory.

Fortunately, I found the owner, a very friendly girl that previously studied Business administration in Bocconi University. After realising the possibility of the Cashmere garnment's market, she decided to run this business. Moreover, she focused on fashion accessories made of cashmere. Preferring this niche, she wagers on a high quality product with a medium price in its sector. Absolutely the style is unique as the store is one brand (Marzona).

Why does she host only her brand? up to now this seems to be the best solution financially and she's going to expand in Milan and abroad with a precise plan (Berlin, Monaco, London and Tokyo).

Does she feel that her products are welcomed by costumers and by Milan? Definitely yes. Indeed, her clients are always back and the know that exceptional quality and reasonable prices are there.

To sum up, this shop offers really essential and high quality garnments, a familiar and craftmade enviroment but what's make remarkable this place? maybe the green grass on the wall upon the rails?

MARZONA
Fashion designs made in Milano.
Alzaia Naviglio Grande 4
02.58105936
info@marcellamarzona.it
www.marcellamarzona.it/

Naviglio Grande zone

2008-09-18T11:50:00.000-07:00

for parts of the photos thanks to Maurizio Zanoni, milanocittadarte.blogspot.com

If you look for a place in Milan that doesn't look like a skycraper, a grey building or a decadent block, you should visit Naviglio Grande zone. Anf if you love 50s, you'll appreaciate it even more. Although outside it seems to be composed by two simmetrical line of cute blocks divided by a quiet stream, open the wooden doors to discover amazing handmade, second hand and new designers shops.

EastPak&Raf Simons! presentation in Porta Ticinese

2008-09-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

Milan is full of events and we have to keep up to date about them! So, let's start with the presentation of the cobranding between Raf Simons and EastPak in Corso di Porta Ticinese store. He signed a collection of small accessories as backpacks and handbags.

Besides the good music played during the evening, what catches your eye is the way them are disposed: a long, red, glossy wave in the center of the concept store displays the new collection and everyone can touch the cloth of the bags. T-shirt are hanged in a colour-logic way, on the other hand the typical backpack of the brands are collocated randomly.

Why did Raf Simons (Jil Sander's creative director) use simple, summer, monocolor clothes for the brand Eastpak? and mainly for a fall/winter collection? No one knows, neither he probably. Has Eastpak worked hard to move to a diffentiated product in the latest year, hasn't?

To sum up, the music was great, the interior design not outstanding but something different, the collection can be defined with a word worse than commercial and the party turned out to be the typical "go for a free drink", instead of an example of marketing experience and product launch.

from Visual merchandising to Retail experience

2008-09-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

Visual merchandising, until recently called simply merchandising, is the activity of promoting the sale of goods, especially by their presentation in retail outlets. This includes combining product, environment, and space into a stimulating and engaging display to encourage the sale of a product or service.

Many elements can be used by visual merchandisers in creating displays, including colour, lighting, space, product information, sensory inputs such as smell, touch, and sound as well as technologies such as digital displays and interactive installations.

Visual merchandising is more like an art in the sense that there are implicit rules but that these also exist to be broken for striking effects. The main principle of visual merchandising is that it is intended to increase sales, which is not the case with a "real" art.

Visual merchandising is one of the final stages in trying to set out a store in a way that customers will find attractive and appealing and it should follow and reflect the principles that underpin the store’s image. Visual merchandising is the way one displays 'goods for sale' in the most attractive manner with the end purpose of making a sale. "If it does not sell, it is not visual merchandising."

Especially in today’s challenging economy, people may avoid designers/ visual merchandisers because they fear unmanageable costs. But in reality, visual merchandisers can help economise by avoiding costly mistakes. With guidance of a professional, retailer can eliminate errors, saving time and money. It is important to understand that the visual merchandiser is there, not to impose ideas, but to help clients articulate their own personal style.

VM is a mechanism to communicate to a customer and influence his decision to buy. VM uses season based displays to introduce new arrivals to customers, and thus increase conversions through a planned and systematic approach by displaying stocks available.

A close sister to visual merchandising is "retail experience". "Customer experience" looks at the same issues around product presentation but from the customer perspective, rather than the retailer perspective. In optimal retail environments such as the Apple Retail Stores, the visual merchandising, customer experience, and store design are all in synch creating amazing environments and unbelievable sales.

visualDESIGNbility: VISUALmerchandising+DESIGN+usaBILITY

2008-09-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

We are, Fisherspooner, 2006

First of all, WELCOME TO EVERYONE!!!

If you wonder about the name and the why of this blog, read this page. If you don't, well, read it, you might find out something interesting.

Who am I? Well, I am Giulia Agostini, an italian girl who loves every form of art, people, travelling/discovering, good wine, reading and laughing. What’s more about me? I danced for a long time, played the piano for a long time, painted for a long time…and I don’t do a lot of things anymore because...because of a lot of reasons.

Where am I ? Although I come from the countryside of Venice, from a green village famous for Prosecco wine, I live in Milan for the most part of the year and go home few times. Indeed, I prefer to travel if I have some days off.

What am I doing here? I am developing a blog about design, was it not clear?

Why am I writing and developing a blog about DESIGN? This was required as a commitment of a design course among the ones that I attend in Economics and Management for Arts, Culture and Communication in Bocconi University. I think it will turn out to be something that I really feel doing and improving. Firstly, what has always interested me is how people communicate and the Internet is my main mean to keep in touch with friends from all over the world. Secondly, I’m fond of visual arts and design (interior, fashion and video making), and mainly of advertisement images. Have you ever thought how a photo can say more about the world we live in than thousends of epic poems? Finally, a blog allows you to have a place to speak your mind and keep your interests up daily like a diary.

Why did I choose "visualDESIGNbility"? Firstly, because it’s a pun based on "DESIGN" that is the main topic and "USABILITY". Usability is a term used to denote the ease with which people can employ a particular tool or other human-made object in order to achieve a particular goal. Usability can also refer to the methods of measuring functionality and the study of the principles behind an object's perceived efficiency or elegance. And "VISUAL" and it is referred to visualmerchanding. why usuability and visualmerchandising? Because how things are placed determines the possibility to touch, to see, to try the object to purchase and this make the consumption be an experience, non only a purchase. And this will be the guideline of the blog: deepen the how and why of the interior design elements of stores in Milan and understand their functionality and the way they affect the costumers.

How will I develop the blog? adding day by day new post, wandering in the city of MILAN and discovering each piece, taking photos and interviewing people and giving up this method only if I have to feature a particular happening that I'll attend. Mainly I'll try be interesting but not forced and pedant, improving the graphic design as much I will be able to, posting my favourite videos, pics and music.