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Posts from the ‘STORE DISPLAYS’ Category

Apr 9

Stories of the strip 1

Death in the High Street

Bye, Bye, Boutiques

Much of our 2OPINIONATED, 1980′s misspent youth was spent perusing the boutiques, restaurants and sometimes bars of Oxford St Paddington. Cast your mind back (if you can) to the absolute heyday of Paddington… it was a time when we considered it essential to allocate hours each week to researching our Saturday night outfits in the Oxford St shops. Olya and I were very fortunate during this time… not only were the best boutiques located just a stones throw away… but very conveniently, the nightclub of the moment (Paddo’s) was located around the corner from my Underwood St home.  We would tell me parents that we were heading to Oxford St for pizza…when in reality we were popping around the corner to Paddo’s for a ‘party pash” – ah to be young!

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Feb 16

louis-vuitton-city-guide-2011-540x338
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The tourist trap!

Do luxury brands reflect local culture or are they merely tourist fodder?

Our previous post Beware of the Temptation of Emerging Markets prompted some interesting questions from our readers regarding issues of brand identity and brand consistency and at 2OPINIONATED we felt that they warranted further exploration.

One of the key considerations in the luxury brand decision-making process is actually buying into the particular brands country of origin. French brands are considered timeless and chic, Italian brands are sexy and superbly crafted and American brands are fresh and uncomplicated. This factor had us pondering two things..

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Feb 2

597785-111130-tomasz-machnik
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Beware of the Temptation of Emerging Markets

Shopping Tales from the Colonies


The Gucci brands financial struggles of the 80′s and 90′s have been well documented. Gucci family infighting and the bastardization of the brand through excessive licensing agreements had, over time, cheapened the image of the brand in the eyes of consumers. Domenico De Sole is famously attributed for turning around the fortunes of the Gucci brand and it would be kind of ironic if Gucci had to bring Domenico De Sole back from Tom Ford – to “Do the Gucci” another time.

Where does the Gucci brand sit on your brand radar? Read more

Jan 22

Cartier Singapore - Ngee Ann City boutique
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The Cartier Mystique

The Power of the Panther

2OPINIONATED apologies for the belated announcement of our “Pick a Box” poll. The clear winner, with 55% of the votes, was Cartier. It was definitely the most favoured box to go under Christmas tree for 2011, followed by Hermes and Tiffany & Co. Surprisingly, Gucci or Louis Vuitton did not receive any votes! Is that because we all wanted jewelry for Xmas?

Cartier still manages to maintain an element of exclusivity in an era where luxury has become commonplace. We’re not sure of if it’s because Cartier never goes on sale, or if it’s because they control their distribution by only selling through their boutiques. Cartier manages to tell a consistent story across all it’s brands marketing channels, such as advertising, PR, editorial, digital marketing and in-store experience.

The Holiday 2011-2012 print campaign above plays on the traditional Cartier motifs. Below is a photograph of a Cartier advertisement circa 1950

(Click the link Read More  below to view Cartier Commercials and Store Displays) Read more

Dec 5

Mannequin display Rue de La Paix
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Xmas Day is no Excuse for Bad Fashion !

‘Hannah and I might be living in two very different hemispheres but we still face the same dilemma of choosing the perfect Christmas Day ensemble. Haven’t you ever looked back at your Xmas photos and thought what was I thinking? Rather than investing all that time in shopping for everyone else make sure you put some time aside to “love yourself” this festive season. When you are out and about window shopping for others, think a little of your self. Consider how that outfit is going to look 5 years from now, will your Xmas photos stand the test of time?” - Olya Bell.

Mannequin display, Rue de La Paix, Luxembourg.

Burberry Nova Shoe Reduced to AUS$375

‘I’m not normally drawn to Burberry but I was drawn to these shoes this afternoon (I know VB advises against them but I do love a wedge).  Am I taking the Xmas theme too far…are these shoes Christmas Chic or Christmas Eeek? Is there a reason they are on sale?’ – Hannah Brooks  Read more

Dec 4

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GUCCI – Call the SPCBH Again!

Gucci goes gaga in it’s global expansion!

How to underestimate the sophistication of a local market…

Just because we live in Australia it doesn’t mean we respond to stuffed Koalas!

One of our Facebook friends sent us another example of handbags in distress. This time the crime against handbags was taking place at the opening of the new Gucci flagship store in Sydney (see image and comment below) .

Angela Fagerström - ”Hannah- it appears there are many ways to torture innocent handbags”.

Nov 28

Givency Campaign Fall 2011
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Handbag Abuse Continues…call the SPCBH!

The Givenchy Campaign v’s a Department Store Experience.

‘Personally I am a huge fan of this Fall 2011 Givenchy campaign shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, as a print experience I would rate it as Perfection ★★★★★‘ - Hannah Brooks

‘Our Anne Hathaway V’s Gwyneth Paltrow – Does TOD’s Win post raised an interesting debate. When does using a well know model or actor/actress detract from the products/brand and make us focus more on the celebrity than the product?

In this case I believe the products and the band are the main feature. Givenchy have used  high-profile models yet my eyes are definitely drawn to the desirable products. I would be curious to see how this translates in store. Perfection ★★★★★‘ – Olya Bell 

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