The theme of the window is based around the beautiful strip of brightly coloured confetti by Confetti System. We love how it adds a pop of colour and a whimsical touch to the display.We also knew that we wanted to highlight specific new local labels that have recently joined Bicyclette such as Fieldguided, Sui Generis and Little Fille.

We also couldn’t help but include our new “Fairy Tale” neon sign in the photographs! It is something that Paige has dreamed about for a long time and we are thrilled with the end result! It was custom made in Toronto and designed with Paige’s own handwriting, which makes it that much more special!

The completed window!

This floral print Sui Generis tie-back strapless dress is perfect for our hot summers.

Blush dip dye Fieldguided 'Thunder' tote and our neon Fairy Tale sign!

A close-up of our lovely confetti!

Emma

[images via Frassy]

I’m still not sure how I feel about the final product. I’m really happy with the overall design, but I was expecting the vellum to be more transparent, and so the text that is printed on the back side is hard to read unless the card is held up to the light. Part of me thinks that it adds something and makes it more interesting and “interactive”, but I also know that it’s not the most legible design and will probably not go over well with everyone.

Thoughts?

Thought I would share some sneak peeks at what I’m working on. These aren’t full screen shots or fully finished, but they give you an idea of where I’m headed with it.

FLASH INTERFACE:

BRAND BOOK:

Note: The images used in these mock-ups are not all my own, nor am I taking credit for them

Promise’s style is evident in all of her work, and her use of colour, layering, textures and collage-like elements is impressive. I love the look and feel of it. She does a lot of work on weddings, and the personality really comes through there, as she is able to capture the essence of each individual couple, and create a brand for them.

Enjoy…

… And various branding concepts for Matilda Jane, a children’s clothing line. I love her use of colour, type and textures, and how she is able to create such a strong identity for the line. Inspirational, most definitely.

All images courtesy of Promise Tangeman

Promise’s Website

Promise’s Blog

Images: Decor8blog

I love the bold but friendly type, bright colours, retro style and make-you-smile messages. And the distressing on the letters is something I may have to play around with for bicyclette, as I like the vintage quality it adds.

These remind me of those motivational posters that teachers had in their class rooms, with kittens reminding you to “Hold on!” or whatnot. Except way cooler and for the design-minded.

Now, back to work! And yes, I will keep calm and rock on…

I must say, the whole process of creating an entire brand book for bicyclette is indeed a daunting one, but nonetheless, I’m excited to begin. Here are a few brand graphics that are inspiring me. If you want to take a closer look, click on the photos and they’ll get bigger. A lot bigger…

Giraffe is a specialist tie brand developed on the concept of “Dont let people tie you up around the neck. Let’s tighten up our own necks nice and tight and stare into the distance from on high like a giraffe”. Interesting. I love the simple photos, fold-out product cards and quirky tag line.

Mezzanine is a small boutique that delivers fresh style that intermingles two elements of avant garde and basic. The collage-like layout of their print materials and the sketches mixed with photographs really appeal to me, as does the catalogue, which has each item printed on a separate card.

Selframe boasts military-look casual wear for women who want a feminine, delicate silhouette. The design of the materials is consolidated by graphics overflowing with a classic taste. Simple, consistent and clean, enough said.

L’Appartment was developed from 25 keywords including art, night, vintage and rock, and offers selective items for female fashionistas with the concept of “my grown-up closet.” The graphics allude to a Parisian atmosphere, with a certain elegance. The whole concept behind this store, and the eclectic graphic style is very much in line with where I see bicyclette.

Milk Fed‘s brand concept is California Cool and features simple clothing for girls without relying on fads. The branding materials are kept extremely clean and simple and the brand is not afraid to flaunt it’s girly roots.

I know I’m a sucker for good branding, and have often been swayed by the strength of good design and overall brand image. I’m curious how important this is to everyone, and if there are any brands (fashion or otherwise) that stand out as exceptionally good or bad?

My aim this semester is to focus on creating a brand book for bicyclette, my retail concept, exploring and determining the visual standards for the company and developing the brand identity further. This will be done by crowdsourcing ideas through social media as well as using my exploration from the bicyclette blog to guide the direction of the brand. Components of the brand book will include, but are not limited to: logo design, wordmark and branded font, business documentation such as cards, letterheads and envelopes, advertising, presentation materials, shopping bags, hang tags, and the website. Another integral part of this will be the way in which the brand book is presented for the final exhibition, as I want to go about it in an alternative way, and create an environment and experience at the exhibit that is in line with the store image and overall feel of the brand. I would like to create a retail simulation, so that people are able to interact with the various elements of the brand book as they would in the physical store environment.

So, as part of this, and since I need them to take with me to the trade shows in Vegas (yay!), I’ve starting working on some business card designs. I thought I would share them with you, see if anyone has any feedback for me, etc. These are all fairly rough, as is most of my work at this stage in the design process, but it gives you an idea of where I’m going with it.

I was going for something that successfully communicates the bicyclette brand, and is a little more eclectic and less corporate. Right now, it’s looking like the last design is what I’m going to work with, but I would love to hear your thoughts. These are all designed as one-sided, but I think when I actually get them printed, I’ll do double-sided, as I think they’re more professional and less cluttered.

One more quick thing I just have to share, especially seeing as it is Interior Monday, is this AMAZING vintage Arthur Umanoff Swivel Chair that I came across in The Sunday Times Market’s Etsy shop today. If the price tag wasn’t quite so high (especially with the shipping to Canada), it would be mine in a snap, and eventually bicyclette‘s. Le sigh. I definitely have to keep my eyes out for vintage floral print furniture such as this, so much personality.

]]> http://bicyclette.to/2010/01/branding-business-cards/feed/ 4 http://bicyclette.to/2010/01/interior-inspiration-holt-renfrews-blogger-windows/ http://bicyclette.to/2010/01/interior-inspiration-holt-renfrews-blogger-windows/#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:51:09 +0000 paige (bicyclette boutique) http://bicyclette.to/?p=918 First post of 2010. Wow. There’s something surreal about the start of this year, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. I have this overwhelming sense of excitement and anxiousness about this year, with the promise that it will be filled with life changes, adventures and new beginnings, many of which I can only begin to imagine at this point in time.

In less than four months, I’ll be done school. Four intense, sleep-depriving years later, and here I am, ready for my degree and to move onto the next phase of my life. It’s been an invaluable experience, to say the least, from the individual classes and projects themselves to the friends made and life lessons learned. But I am ready to move on, which in itself is saying something: that I’m ready to take what I’ve learned and apply it to the real world. This will be the year that bicyclette, as a retail store, will come into existence. My business plan, now in its’ fifth incarnation, is close to being completed, which is an exciting feat in and of itself. If I think back to the summer, when I made the decision that opening a store is what I wanted to do, and bicyclette first began to form in my mind, I’ve come a long way. This blog is an extension of that as well, and I thank all of my readers for your support and contributions. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the process, and look forward to growing it even more, as it has become an invaluable method of creative exploration and brainstorming for me on both a personal and (semi)professional level.

On that note, I would love to hear from you about what you’ve enjoyed about my blog and what you would like me to introduce or share more of.

It’s been a learning process, and I think I’m still experimenting and trying to find my niche. The aim is to find a balance between store-related topics and explore various facets of bicyclette, often in the form of inspiration, as well as share personal musings with a strong tendency towards all things style and design-oriented.

But without further ado, on to the traditional Monday blog topic:

There are some posts where I go into it knowing exactly what I’m going to write about. I’m constantly bookmarking links or saving photos to come back to. But sometimes I have to go searching, in order to fulfill a certain void. Today was one such day, though I at least knew what I wanted it to be focused on: window displays. I believe that, in terms of retail visual merchandising, the window display is extremely important and sets the tone for the rest of store, before customers even know what to expect. It can be exceptionally styled mannequins, an artistic installation, or a strong theme which has the ability to draw someone in off of the street and give them a reason to venture in through the door. This is a topic I would like to explore further, as I think there is a lot of inspiring displays and interesting facts to share, but today I wanted to focus on one retailer in particular: Holt Renfrew, and in particular the summer 2009 blogger windows.

Holt Renfrew showcased six style-focused bloggers for their summer windows, including Jane Aldrige of Sea of Shoes, Garance Dore, Bryan Boy, Tommy Ton of Jak & Jil, Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist, and Anita Clarke of I Want-I Got. The reasons why I love these windows? They reflect Holt’s ability to commit wholeheartedly to a display concept from idea to execution. The tone, style and individual personality of each blog is represented in the windows and they’re a feast for the eyes, like all of Holt’s displays. These windows also speak to a topic that is near and dear to my heart right now: the abundance and importance of blogging and social media in fashion today. As the research topic of my thesis this year, I never cease to find it an interesting subject, and I honestly believe that it is changing the way we look at and interact with fashion. This sums it up perfectly: “Social media is such a huge phenomenon,” says John Gerhardt, Holt Renfrew’s creative director. “It’s democratizing fashion.” Cheers to that.

This will be something I will no doubt touch more upon in the future, but for now, here’s some images of the windows themselves.

source

Thoughts on Holt’s windows? These in particular, or their displays in general… Any other favourites in terms of visual displays and window design?