I’m a sucker for display inspiration, so when I came across this gem via Kelly Smith’s blog (one of my favourite illustrators) I was pretty excited. I always love when handmade elements are contrasted with more traditional props and elements, and these displays are the perfect balance. They’re from Portmans, which appears to be a department store in Australia, and Kelly Smith did the fashion and bird illustrations that adorn the window. Loving the colour story and the ribbons … and the lights!
[images via Birdy & Me Blog]
This is always the time of year when I have the urge to nest and transform my apartment into the ideal living space, but instead I’ve been focusing on the pop-up shop. Needless to say, my home organization and decor have fallen to the wayside and Bicyclette has taken over, which is ok, because I’m looking forward to borrowing a lot of the merchandising ideas from the pop-up shop and using the props when it’s over.
Here’s a tiny selection of inspiration, dreamy spaces with vintage trinkets, pretty frocks on the walls, and cozy decor.
A few days into the pop-up and I thought I would share some instant photos from the space. I’ll continue posting as I change displays and things are updated. I don’t want to give it all away at once.
Also, for those who are in the area, I’ll be hosting a launch party in the space on Thursday. More details to follow, stay tuned.
I had every intention of posting earlier today, but then the day got away from me and I was immersed in pop-up shop set up. What a day. Had a bit of an eventful morning, with the battery of our rented Zipcar station wagon dying after we loaded up our first haul and having to wait for roadside assistance. Of all the days. But we managed to get everything to the space in three trips, and then spent the rest of the day setting up and planning out the layout. Always more time consuming than you think. Still not finished, but will be open for tomorrow!
Just to recap, we’re at *Hotshot Gallery in Kensington Market, Toronto. 181 Augusta Ave.
Wed: 11-5 / Thurs-Sat: 11-7 / Sun: 11-5 / Mon+Tues: Closed
Today was all about brainstorming sessions and focusing on the pop-up shop planning. With my head finally starting to clear and energy levels starting to rise, it feels good to be able to get back into the swing of things and be more productive.
Since the whole idea of planning out a physical retail space is new for Bicyclette, the biggest question was how to go about the planning process and allocate space. What I’m going for is a boutique meets gallery quality, with a focus on display. The idea is that I’ll have groupings of displays each with a common theme/character which will be represented by a styled mannequin and accompanied by a “collage” of items hanging on the walls that represent the various pieces that make up the grouping. Various clothing and accessory items, photo shoot images, etc. Almost like a true-to-size inspiration board meets gallery style art display.
I found the two images below in Free People’s vintage shop, Vintage Loves, which gives you more of visual reference. This is kind of the idea I’m going for, but with a little more styling and theme-based feel.
[images via Vintage Loves]
Barely more than two weeks until the Bicyclette pop-up shop! I don’t need to tell you that I am extremely excited about this fact, but I should share with you that there’s a certain amount of stress that is tagging along. Earlier this week I came down with a bug, and though I’ve been trying to work through it and retain a certain amount of productivity, it’s significantly put a damper on my pop-up shop prep. When you’re sick, it’s extremely hard to keep up with the daily essentials, let alone tackle a new, large-scale project. All I want to do is curl up, but I’m trying to maintain a balance so I’m not completely overwhelmed. So little time!
But, without further ado, I’d like to present another series of pop-up shop interior inspirations. One of the things I’m most looking forward to is designing displays and getting creative with props and merchandise to create an atmosphere that I’m not able to replicate online. This collage of photos, by photographer Amanda McLauchlan and found on favourite design blog decor8, perfectly capture the spirit and mood of what I want to do.
[images: Amanda McLauchlan, via decor8]
A few more photos from The Clothing Show last weekend, more “action” shots of me setting up the booth. I still have outfit photos to post as well. Oh, and say hi to my dad! Couldn’t have done it without him.
The Clothing Show is over, but I’m still recovering and dealing with the aftermath. The studio (and my entire apartment, really) looks like it was hit by a tornado, and there’s a lot of organization and recap to be done. That being said, it was an amazing weekend for Bicyclette. The booth came together perfectly, and the response was overwhelming. It was so great to be able to connect with customers and other vendors and have that face-to-face experience that I so often miss being online. It made me really yearn for a bricks-and-mortar location.
Based on the success, I’m currently looking for a space to host a pop-up shop in the next couple of months. Stay tuned. For now, here’s some photos from the weekend. I had the intention to take way more, but was just too busy…
As you all know (especially if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook), I’ve been busy putting together the various props and pieces for the school exhibition that opens tomorrow. Having gone through about 8 cans of spray paint and countless hours fiddling around with various ideas and whatnot, it’s finally starting to come together and look like a cohesive collection.
And breathe. Seeing as I’ve already been marked on my capstone and the whole exhibition portion is more for myself and exposure, I’ve had a few “why am I doing this?” moments, wondering why I’m putting so much time and effort into this. But I think it will be worth it, to get that greater sense of bicyclette through the exhibition set-up and have a space that truly represents the brand. Ask me tomorrow and we’ll see what I say then … !
So, without further ado, allow me to show you a few sneak peaks of the progress I’ve made …
Thrifted, repainted frames showcasing various brand elements
Laser cut book cover. Look closely for the etched bike in the corner ...
Repainted vanity drawer, Eiffel tower sculpture and the brand book itself
Dolce Vita dress from the new shipment (that perfectly matches the branding...)
I decided to include the last photo because I’m thinking I might buy/wear the Dolce Vita dress for the exhibition one of the nights, as it perfectly matches the colour scheme and, well, I kind of love it. Plus, I’ve been promising some snaps of the new shipment, but haven’t had the time to organize it, so this was a good excuse!
Hoping to see some of you at the exhibition tomorrow or Thursday!
Hectic week, once again. The countdown is on until the end of school (less than a month now!), which makes it all the more crazy.
Brand book is in production … frames have been gathered and spray-painted for the exhibition … thinking about getting bicyclette buttons made as a giveaway at the exhibition (fun idea or lame?) … trying to plan what I’m going to wear … oh my!
We put up our visual merchandising class “mini-window” today, with a vintage Paris travel theme. Thought I’d share some pics of it, apologies for the segmented images and poorly lit photos, my little iPhone can only do so much!
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