Target

301 Veterans Parkway, Normal, IL 61761

For my last blog post, I decided to take pictures at Target. I've noticed lately that they've been paying more attention on their inside merchandising, and I am loving what they're doing with their visual displays. On the left side of this blog post is the display featured in the women's section. I love this display because it looks like a runway, and it doesn't take up an room with with outward appearance. All three of the mannequins are posing the same way and same direction, but the customer can clearly see what each of them are wearing and what brand it is based on the signage towards the back of the makeshift "runway."

On the right side of this blog post, there is a display featured in the men's section of Target. These two mannequins are also representing a specific brand. They are elevated at different levels, giving the customer two contrasting looks and poses. Similar to the women's display, the men's mannequins take up almost zero room within the men's department.

One of my favorite things about these displays is that each of them have the merchandise on the rack right next to the display. So if the customer likes what they see, all they have to do is take a few steps and grab the garment that is being shown on the mannequin. It is such a smart idea to have the merchandise more and more accessible and ready to be bought.

Dressbarn

314 South Towanda Avenue, Normal, IL 61761

Dressbarn's window looked pretty similar to a lot of the women's retail stores in the College Hills Mall area. They incorporated a simple signage of their current sale promotion, along with a few mannequins displaying their new spring merchandise. I really liked how Dressbarn labeled each side of the window "misses" and "woman." This lets the customer know what kind of sizes the carry, and what side of the store each size range is on. People really appreciate this kind of information that is provided at the very front of the store.

The window display is very simple. On the "misses" side, there was the obligatory signage along with two mannequins that displayed short cocktail dresses. On the "woman" side, there was almost the same signage along with one mannequin displaying a longer sundress. The proportion of each display is utilized, and the rhythm is very even throughout both windows.

Champs Sports

7200 Harrison Avenue, Rockford, IL 61112

Once again, I am impressed with a sporting goods store having an amazing window. The obvious focus of this display is Nike. Each mannequin is dressed in Nike merchandise, and the signage suggests the promotion of Nike shoes. I love this window because the signage is the center of attention, and the mannequins are all consistent with what they're wearing. The placement of the mannequins are symmetrical, yet some have different poses. I really love the mannequin that is sitting down because it brings my eyes closer to the ground, thus closer to noticing the shoes that they're all wearing. The proportion of the window is also perfectly utilized. They didn't waste space at all, but it's not too crowded.

H&M

7200 Harrison Avenue, Rockford, IL 61112

H&M always has the biggest windows, and they never use up all of the space. I chose the men's side of the display because I think that men's clothing gets overlooked a lot, and I'm all for the underdogs in fashion.

Despite H&M's blank spaces, they continued to appeal to the masses by using David Beckham in their signage, and also including their GQ involvement along with an advertisement of David Beckham's H&M campaign film that can be found online. The signage also provides a couple of illuminated boxes that inform the customer that all of the outfits on the mannequins were personally selected by David Beckham, thus bringing more attention to the actual outfits. This makes the customer feel like the outfit they choose has been personally approved by David Beckham. It is a great marketing plan.

Looking at the window display, the first thing I see is David Beckham (not complaining), then my eyes wander to the symmetrical mannequins placed on both sides of him. I personally don't think that the display is proportionate to the window dimensions, but their marketing strategy certainly makes up for it.

Maurices

7200 Harrison Avenue, Rockford, IL 61112

When I visited Rockford at the beginning of April, I dragged one of my friends to come take pictures with me at the mall, and I came across Maurices. I really liked their signage - it was refreshing to NOT see something that mentioned spring. "Street Style Starts Here" keeps it short and sweet, and it still gives customers an idea of what merchandise they're carrying.

Within the actual display, Maurices loves having a clean, white backdrop, and leaves it to the clothes to bring the color. With the white wall, mannequins, and walkway, it becomes the clothes' responsibility to bring the color and excitement. Their background signage is consistent with the street style theme and it matches the clothing that is displayed.

Maurices used proportion and rhythm because of their placement and elevation of the mannequins. The tennis shoes in the middle don't take away the attention from the background signage, and they happen to be some of Maurices' signature colors, which is great that they stayed true to their brand imaging.

Lane Bryant

305 Veterans Parkway, Normal, IL 61761

When I took this picture a few weeks ago, spring was just arriving. The weather was finally starting to warm up, and retail is starting to embrace spring trends. In this window, Lane Bryant brings visually appealing and simplistic displays with their minimal signage. In my opinion, "Endless Possibilities" lets customers know that their merchandise can be mixed and matched with a variety of things, thus the endless possibilities. Also, in this window, their merchandise is not on a mannequin, but on hangers (literally) hanging from the ceiling.

Within this window, Lane Bryant takes advantage of the dimensions of the window and proportionately places the mannequins and patterned window frame throughout.

Both of these window displays demonstrate proper proportion and rhythm that is very pleasing to the eye. LB did a great job at being innovative without overwhelming the customer.

LOFT

305 Veterans Parkway #200, Normal, IL 61761

LOFT at College Hills provides customers with multiple window displays. Their simplistic and elegant merchandise always shine through.

Their displays are almost perfectly symmetrical, which is very pleasing to the eye. Their use of merchandise flows between the mannequins' arrangements and works well with the signage being displayed just behind them.

Some of the mannequins are elevated above other mannequins, which also contributes to the rhythm and flow of the display. All of the merchandise is also displayed proportionately to the window.

The History of Fashion Week, Part 2

CONTINUATION OF FASHION WEEK

Press Week later became known as Fashion Week, and has been held twice a year since 1943 with the exception of September 11, 2001 (Tong 2011).

For 30 years after the first Press Week, designers held their own shows during the biannual event all around the city. In 1990, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) decided to take action when ceiling plaster fell onto runway models during a Michael Kors show. They began to search for a venue that would host the week-long event. Finally in the spring of 1994, Bryant Park in Manhattan with its white tents and invite-only status was the designated location for New York Fashion Week. The CFDA then secured financial sponsors like Mercedes-Benz, which is why Fashion Week was renamed to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

In September of 2010, as the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week became more popular, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts became the new venue because it had 30% more space than Bryant Park, which would ultimately hold more people to attend the events (Skarda, 2012).

According to Women's Wear Daily, Lincoln Center's contract wasn't renewed and is no longer the official venue for NYFW. Mercedes-Benz has also dropped out as the sole sponsor. The NYFW seems to be revamping the event, as they are looking for a new location and possibly a new sole sponsor. However, the mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, remains supportive of the fashion industry by stating that "the government would triple its current investment to $15 million from $5 million," and that the "industry is more vital than ever" (Lockwood, 2015).

Badgley Mischka F/W 2013 at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (Schuessler, 2013)

References:

Lockwood, L. (2015, April 13). New York fashion week leaves Lincoln Center. Women’s Wear Daily. Retrieved from http://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/new-york-fashion-week-lincoln-center-10108237/

Schuessler, B. (2013, February 13). On the runway: Badgley Mischka. Retrieved from http://www.sheknows.com/beauty-and-style/articles/984983/new-york-fashion-week-on-the-runway-badgley-mischka

Skarda, E. (2012, February 9). A brief history of New York fashion week. Time. Retrieved from http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/02/09/a-brief-history-of-new-york-fashion-week/

Tong, A. (2011, October 8). The first New York fashion week. Retrieved from http://www.oliviapalermo.com/the-first-new-york-fashion-week/

The History of Fashion Week, Part 1

HOW FASHION WEEK CAME TO BE

According to the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, New York Fashion Week brought $900 million of revenue to the city, with over 230,000 people attending the fashion shows every year (Hyland, 2015).

New York and the entire fashion industry owe a lot to Eleanor Lambert.

Eleanor Lambert was born in small-town Indiana in 1903, went to the Art Institute of Chicago for sculpture, and moved to Queens, New York in 1925 where she became a publicist to the artists of New York. In 1932, she had her first designer client, and she had an epiphany. Why were American designers being labeled under the manufacturer's name instead of their own? If American artists could create and sell art under their own name, why couldn't American designers? Shortly after her epiphany, she had lunch with Harper's Bazaar editor, Diana Vreeland, who then told her, "Eleanor, you are such an amateur!" Nonetheless, Lambert was determined to find a way in which American designers could personally represent their designs (Collins, 2004). 

Lambert worked with designers to produce full collections because she wanted to bring fashion editors to New York to see all of the different collections. Because most of the fashion industry was in France at the time, her goal was to get European editors to attend, but that didn't happen. She then ended up paying for lifestyle editors from small American papers to attend. In 1943, the first "Press Week" was held at the Plaza Hotel, exhibiting 53 designers including Norman Norell, Lilly Daché, and Valentina - not Valentino (Tong, 2011). Since the event was exclusively held for the press (it was called "Press Week"...), every editor that attended the shows were given packets of press releases and pictures of each runway look. When Press Week ended, the fashion magazines' next issues featured American designers (Skarda, 2012). Eleanor Lambert's goal had been accomplished, thus setting a precedent for many more press/fashion weeks to come.

A 1930s Cecil Beaton portrait of Eleanor Lambert (Collins, 2004).

The catwalk during Press Week in 1943 (Tong, 2011).

Resources:

Collins, A. (2004). The lady, the list, the legacy. Vanity Fair. Retrieved from http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2004/04/eleanor-lambert200404

Hyland, V. (2015, February 9). New York Fashion Week brought in more revenue than the Super Bowl. Retrieved from http://nymag.com/thecut/2015/02/nyfw-brought-in-more-revenue-than-the-super-bowl.html

Tong, A. (2011, October 8). The first New York fashion week. Retrieved from http://www.oliviapalermo.com/the-first-new-york-fashion-week/

Week 12: The End

Torrid.com

We made it! This is the last blog entry of the shopping sabbatical, and I am so relieved. For the past 12 weeks, we have become slaves to our own shopping habits (good or bad). I have learned so much about my spending patterns throughout this semester.

About an hour ago, I made a purchase online. As usual, it was the last day for my coupon! I had $75 off of $150 - too good to pass up. Torrid is probably my favorite plus size retail chain even though there isn't really that much to choose from. I can always find something that's my style at Torrid. I found this "duster," which is something I've never seen on a plus size website. I have to try it out, so I snatched it right up!

This shopping sabbatical project has really taught me to be more responsible in my spending. Before I wasn't keeping track of what I was buying, but now I am more aware of my habitual purchases. This project was probably one of the most interesting things I've had to do here at ISU.

Cheers!

MC Sports

1615 East Empire Street, Bloomington, IL 61701

Throughout this visual blogging process, I've noticed that a lot of the sports retail stores have some of the most unique and interesting way of displaying their product. Depend on the sport, there are many items that are needed in order to play better and comfortably. In this window display, MC Sports features 3 different types of sports attire along. They include the clothing, accessories, shoes, bags, and even protective gear. The three mannequins are placed proportionately in the window case, and they have their separate aesthetics and signage behind them.

The Limited

1615 East Empire Street, Bloomington, IL 61701

The Limited's window displays are always so simplistic and classy.

The signage says "Soften up and play to your strengths." In my opinion, based on the signage and merchandise being displayed, The Limited wanted to portray that less is more. Find what you want to show off or accentuate, and go for it.

The other pictures and slight display of color scheme gives the customer an idea of what garments and accessories look good together.

CJ Banks

1615 East Empire Street, Bloomington, IL 61701

CJ Banks did a great job at displaying their new merchandise for the spring season.

The white flower globes provide a spring vibe along with the light clothing selection within the window display.

The signage is letting the customers know their size range, which can be helpful especially for the older demographic.

Although the window is small, CJ Banks used the perfect amount of symmetry/asymmetry. The two mannequins on the left have one flower globe above them, and the one mannequin on the right has two flower globes. It provides an even flow and proportion to the display without overcrowding and overwhelming the space.

Week 11: Taking Up Photography, Maybe?

Again, no new clothing purchases this week. It was a hectic one for sure. Half of the week, I was helping out with the AMDA Fashion Show (which was totally worth my time). And the other half of the week, I was busy with homework, of course.

Yesterday, I made a hefty purchase and bought a nice camera. (I had a coupon - old habits die hard.) It's not super fancy, but it's better than my phone's picture quality! Just a beginner's camera. Since we've had to blog so much this semester, I kind of want to continue with it, so I figured a new camera would be a good place to start. I didn't spend as much as I would have liked to for a good camera, but what do I know about photography? I thought it would be best that I start small, and if I actually make use of my purchase, I can save up for a better one.

Week 10: Sustainable Fashion

I wouldn't say that this particular shopping sabbatical blog has taught me anything specifically. It has definitely made me more aware of my spending habits though. In most of my classes this semester, sustainability has been a big topic, so I've been more immersed in the sustainability conversation.

Since January, I have been volunteering at the Ecology Action Center, putting together the Renewable Fashion Challenge with six other fashion students at ISU. It has been a very interesting experience through learning about "going green" in the fashion industry. This whole semester has given me a meaningful knowledge about sustainability that I can tie into my future career.

White House | Black Market

303 Veterans Parkway #100, Normal, IL 61761

In this window, White House | Black Market focused on the merchandise that customers could wear to work. The proportion of the window is asymmetrical, but it works well with the hanging merchandise and signage. The sign above the merchandise says "Master Pieces: The pieces you can't work without." WHBM is smart about this because they display the clothes on hangers as if they were hanging in your closet, and they also displayed the clothes on the mannequins. This is smart because some women have a hard time picking what to wear to work, so this display really communicates to the customer that you can most likely wear all of these items together. Showing customers the difference between how the clothing looks on the hanger and on the body is such a clever idea.

Chico's

303 Veterans Parkway #130, Normal, IL 61761

Chico's had quite the variety in their window display selection! Their merchandise directly relates to the new season and warm weather.

"New Style Adventure" is the theme as they present many different styles for different occasions. From daywear to evening wear to beach wear, Chico's has it. They did a great job in displaying these different styles together.

The mannequins and signage were evenly placed within the dimensions of the windows. Besides the adventure theme, Chico's displayed a couple graphics of models wearing some of the merchandise behind the mannequins, which might give a customer a better understanding of how the item would look on an actual person. Their windows were huge! The bigger the better, and Chico's used the space well.

Francesca's

307 South Veterans Parkway #515, Normal, IL 61761

Francesca's always gives me a younger (and cheaper) Anthropologie vibe. Their soho chic styles and unique trinkets are so adorable, and their merchandise is clearly presented in their windows.

As Easter is quickly approaching, Francesca's decided to add a few Easter bunny ears to the windows. Little details like these can make a customer smile by simply adding a humorous aspect relating to this holiday.

As far as proportion and symmetry goes, the two mannequins on each side of the main focal point is a good way to split up the customer's viewing of the window. The main focal point provided a few trinkets that could be found within the store, which could be great Easter basket gifts!

J. Jill

303 Veterans Parkway #110, Normal, IL 61761

J. Jill's window display at College Hills immediately caught my attention with its bright spring colors. I am slightly obsessed with watercolor artwork, so I was so excited to see that J. Jill used a couple pieces of artwork as the background of their window display.

I also loved their even proportion and symmetry. Four mannequins were evenly placed within the space, and the two pieces of art were displayed evenly between the mannequins. It was very pleasing to the eye.

Their signage had a simplistic design and message, "Welcome Spring." Spring has definitely arrived, and it is now time to shop!

Week 8: Last Hurrah of No Shopping

I made it! I survived. I can proudly say that I didn't buy any clothing items this week. Even though it was my birthday week, I kept myself busy enough. I had plenty of temptation because of the many birthday coupons I received through emails, but I restrained myself. Sometimes I would rather have a good meal than a good clothing purchase. So of course on my birthday I spoiled myself with Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Starbucks! I have a major sweet tooth. It's a problem.

I did accept a couple gifts this week... Shania Twain tickets! How could I ever turn those down?!

Overall, it's been a pretty good month. I went home for spring break, I finished a season on Netflix, I turned 22, I kept myself busy at school, and I kept my shopping to a minimum!