Circus Lettering & High Street Knockoffs

For the past few months, the Louboutin window, located in Manhattan’s west village has been filled with neon circus lettering. The arrangement’s feminine, french and playful, characteristics of a brand loved by women from near and far.

A few blocks away down Bleeker street, it appears as though imitation’s the highest form of flattery, as Marc Jacob‘s womens store recently filled their windows with a similar typographic logo arrangement. The execution makes us wonder if Louboutin will be having more than one lawsuit in the near future. We know everyone draws inspiration from one another in the fashion world, but this particular arrangement is disappointing mainly because this store is known for taking the creative highroad.

April 13, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Repetition in Retail

A stroll down any city block will have you noticing grids. From mirrored windows and cement squares to full retail displays with geometric arrangements. Interestingly, this season’s windows are using a similarly squared approach. From the red stripes in the Converse window on Broadway to the vintage sewing machines at All Saints, the repetition is in high gear.

On the other side of town near the Meat Packing district, Details Magazine’s recent wheat paste highlights their creative support for the arts. Using a similar papered approach, Cole Haan’s recent advertising campaign juxtaposes an organized spread alongside a cluttered mess- a welcome reprieve from orderly structure.

April 12, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Street Shots: Teal Tanagrams

Over the past month, it’s been hard to ignore the decal adornment that’s covered Starbucks windows near and far. Gray and green tanagrams have been carefully placed to signify their 40th anniversary. While the creative endeavor is playful, it’s a new move for the brand, as their street presence as been steadily untouched for years. On a corner at 68th and Lexington on the Upper East Side, it’s interesting to see the architectural parallels.

In an effort to keep things private, this restaurant, located on 13th Street in Manhattan’s Meat Packing District applies metallic patterns to both adorn and hide what’s inside. A beautiful solution that’s both lux and low key.

April 4, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Retail: Pulling Strings

Over the past few weeks we’ve been noticing a new trend in the the retail sector. Everyone from Custo Barcelona, Anthropologie and Isabel Marant has been experimenting with string. From florescent sharp edges to crafty corks and quirky block heads, each display reveals a precise and economical take on the brand. Using linear paths to lead the eye, these installations remind us of a recent feature in Theme Magazine. The artist uses electrical tape to construct optical vanishing points, a throw back to the basics and a reminder of what we all learned in art class.

March 22, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Creative City Tour: Austin, Texas

So you’re Austin-bound for this year’s SXSW and you’re ready to be inspired. Guess what, you’re in luck! Last year’s trip to interactive was an extremely fun week full of interesting folks and creative must-sees. Be it shopping on South Congress, tunes on East 6th or five-star trailer grub, it’s hard to be disappointed when visiting this city. Whether you’re a seasoned regular or new to the Austin scene, follow along, take the tour and let us know what you think!

1. Austin Texas Music Mural, East 6th at the Driskill Hotel
2. Iron Works BBQ: Best corn on the cobb for the veggies- Great ribs for the carnivores. (100 Red River Street)
3. Stag: Freeman’s-esque men’s store with a burly meets hip lifestyle twist. Fantastic product and displays. (1423 S. Congress Ave.)
4. Uncommon Objects: Hands down, the most inspirational store on S. Congress. The owners are retail display geniuses. (1512 South Congress)
5. The Fifth Gallery: Great underground prints. (305 E. 5TH- below Action Graphics)
6. Tesoros: Skull-inspired folk art galore. (1500 S. Congress)
7. Big Top Candy Shop: Vintage speakers to accompany a vast array of sugary sweets. (1706 S. Congress)
8. Emos: Multi-room dive bar bedecked with really rad posters. Name appropriate. (605 Red River)
9. Jo’s Coffee: Perfect coffee and sandwich joint. Also ideal for business meet-ups. (242 W. 2nd St.)
10. Gallery D: A hip array of clothing, art and shoes, curated by former Barney’s buyer, Emily Keast. (436 W. 2nd St.)
11. Amy’s Ice Cream: The best midday pick me up. Utterly delish. (1301 S. Congress)
12. By George: Another boutique with Anthropologie-like wall displays. (1400 S. Congress)

March 10, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Pink, Pulp & Grainy

It’s not everyday you see pink fused with wood grain. The combination’s unnatural and unexpected, particularly now, as rustic trends barrel through home and retail decor. Interestingly though, the texture makes for a beautiful combination- one that looks very french to us.

The top left image by Barnaby Furnas was featured in last week’s New Yorker. The painting, entitled, Browns Raider (Dangerfield Newby), is indicative of Furnas’ violent home-spun style of fusing sensational media with subversive cartoons.

Using humor and type to direct his layouts, Ben Skinner’s works are often hung in retail windows. This particular piece was chosen by The Jealous Curator for her first show at the Honfleur Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Rounding out this category with a beautiful and subtle geometric print, we have Yto Barrada‘s photograph entitled, Family Tree. this print reminds us how interpretation and execution is done on a luxury level.

March 8, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik