Street Finds: Window Trends in New York

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Summer in the city is a great time for wandering. While the windows this season don’t presently hold the luster of the glittery holiday quarter, it’s not difficult to discern a bit of escapism in the air. The summer months are when we want to relive, if even for a moment, the thrills of our youth. It appears that retailers have tapped into this idea, hoping to pull at our nostalgic strings. Chanel and Marc Jacobs, staying true to their brands, have unveiled secret gardens, MAC‘s gotten crafty with gods eyes and Kate’s Paperie has taken the art of the pinwheel to a whole other level. Here at Pattern Pulp, we’re fervent observers, and so we’re continuing to photograph displays around town, connecting the dots whenever relevant themes and stories emerge. And so, our second window round up:

The Great Outdoors:

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These nature inspired windows are a bit of Alice and Wonderland meets Little Red Riding Hood. Bergdorf uses white birch, Dior incorporates leafless silhouettes and Ralph Lauren offsets their mannequins with bark-covered moss.

Vintage Bikes:

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The NYTimes recently proclaimed that New Yorkers have fallen back in love with their bikes. Vintage models have been visible all summer long, and in an effort to sell bohemian chic to the masses, retailers aren’t shying away from these bulky props. Here we have Paul Smith, Henri Bendel and a wooden model from Camper.

Assorted Headgear:

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Hats have really made a comeback over the past year. Be it New Vintage influences or a throw back to individualism, men’s fashion is embracing this forgotten accessory. In typical Barneys fashion, creativity creates the product. Bergdorf uses ethereal pop illustrations and John Varvatos suspends the real thing.

Back to School:

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Late August wouldn’t be complete without a few back to school windows. Books, pencils and blackboards dominate for J. Crew, Jack Spade, and Juicy Coutoure.

Bright + Basic:

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Bright colors prevail for these budget friendly windows. Custo Barcelona offsets their clothing with dangling textured nets while Brooklyn Industries weaves together colorful box strips for a pixelated effect. Eryn Brinie completes this geometric puzzle with dangling paper plates.

Wooden Landscapes:

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Reclaimed wood has always been a commodity for interior designers. Anthropologie and Barneys are capitalizing on this trend by getting crafty.

Coverage by: Emily Gup

September 2, 2009 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Linear Mosaics

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Sequins are back. Regardless of how much you love or hate these tiny embellishments, designers continue to incorporate them everywhere they can, in an effort to grab consumer attention. This month, we’ve been noticing a linear trend throughout top tier merchandise within the home and fashion sectors. Kim Seybert‘s sequined place mats are representative of an elegant approach that merges warm tones with gradation. Adding a sharper edge, these Ercole mosaic mirrors from ABC Home prove fall colors are making their way back onto the showroom floors. In an exploration of colder tones, Gucci’s fall collection plays homage to the disco ball, mimicking wild animal prints through the use of iridescent jewel tones.

September 1, 2009 | By: Shayna Kulik

Fashion: Checks and Balances

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What’s a designer to do when told to pair down and get back to basics? Do precisely that and wow their customers with innovative new staples. One route that appears to be gaining traction this upcoming season mimics the designs of the illusionary master, M.C Escher. This month’s cover of SOMA showcases a black and white checker print organza blouse by Alexander McQueen. This sophisticated style transitions sharp geometrics into softer organic shapes. We wonder if Ms. Winehouse has had an influence on this trend, as she’s sported this punk tank top for some time now. Be it bird silhouettes or leopard print, we love it when math merges with nature for tactile wear.

August 24, 2009 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Casting Shadows

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Light will always be a source of inspiration. From free hand shadow puppets to mood-induced candle lighting, shadows have a way of revealing an alternate reality. Recently, we’ve been noticing an equal importance between objects and the shadows they cast. Maiko Takeda, an ’09 graduate from Central St Martins, recently applied this concept in her final academic project entitled, Cinematography Collection. Takeda’s jewelry casts an elaborate shadow upon the body, weaving organic movement with man made metals. Using a similar theory, Peter Burning’s ceiling lights project elaborate flower-like patterns on the surrounding wall space. Moving into the world of whimsy, Marc Philbert’s fashion photography is no stranger to light and patterns as he incorporates beautiful women with color and contrast.

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Light boxes can be easily crafted, as demonstrated on Design*Sponge this past December. Using canvas, paint and a creative concept, conversational or decorative art can make it’s way into your home. Taking this idea up a few notches, Jo Meesters, a Pattern Pulp favorite, has thrown a sophisticated spin on a would-be cabinet by converting it into an over sized light box.

Additional Contributions by: Emily Gup

August 19, 2009 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Digital Snacking

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Lately it seems that for Americans, life is delivered “on the go”. This style of living, most famously portrayed in the story, Fight Club, highlights the single serving lifestyle. “(The) Cordon Bleu hobby kit. Shampoo-conditioner combos, sample packaged mouthwash, tiny bars of soap, single serving friends.” While this trend was once attributed to the traveler on the go, it now characterizes consumption trends for a broader base of the population. Beyond the mini servings of cereal and 100-calorie packs of oreos, consumers are now snacking on their information as well. RSS feeds, text messaging, mobile apps, Twitter, and iPods all represent information, products and services that come in bite-sized packages that have been designed for flexible living and even disposable consumption.

This concept of splintered technology is conveyed through color in Bond No. 9’s summer window display. Each bottle of perfume is stacked in a tetris-like manner, reminding us of the infinite possibilities we must choose when devising a singular path. Jennifer Daniel, a graphic designer from the New York area is known for creating art as social commentary on the way we live our lives. This 404 illustration is the result of 36 unloadable images. In keeping with the spirit of the stirring mind, Propeller Modern, a home goods store based in San Francisco, sells this local work of art that reminds us of a topographical landscape compiled of “O’s” from every form of print media.

Additional contributions by: Kelsey-Lee LeGassick

August 17, 2009 | By: Shayna Kulik

Follow-up: Taping Spaces

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A few weeks ago, we found ourselves obsessing over Marc Jacob’s duct tape and bondage window. Not long after, this Dazed and Confused spread landed in our mailbox. While we’re not certain who’s influenced who here, it’s evident that creative teams across the board are embracing fashion friendly confinement this summer. Adding an elegant angle to this trend, Sussanna Petkov’s Viennese window along the Wollzeile, showcases color blocked striping for the less experimental types. Once again, broad concepts have trickled into both market extremes, proving that the ‘wow factor’ is usually the invisible arrow pointing towards the more practical merchandise.

August 7, 2009 | By: Shayna Kulik