Spring window displays
Retailers reveal the inspiration behind their current window displays

April 2012.

By Carey Whitwam

Images from l-r: Starburst Boutique – Devon, Bernard Boutique – Surrey, Mimi Noor – Bath, Selfridges – Oxford Street, Havetolove – Newcastle upon Tyne, Donna Ida – Belgravia, Kiwi Boutique – Guisborough, O’Keefe – Surrey, Colibri – London N5.

WWB selects some of its favourite spring window displays from a selection of boutiques and department stores across the country.

Thinking outside the box this spring, the new womenswear concept at Selfridges’ Oxford Street store explores the duality of femininity, with each window being a metaphor for the fragility and strength of women.

Bernard Boutique in Surrey has teamed up with Acne to create a replica of the Acne flagship on London’s Dover Street, taking inspiration from the world of optical illusions. “As we are Acne’s biggest account outside of London, we both wanted to work together to showcase the latest collections to our customer base,” says Nikki Rapaport, buyer, Bernard Boutique.

Luxury denim boutique Donna Ida, meanwhile, has created a playful Easter theme for its Belgravia store display. “Our Easter window is inspired by chocolate eggs,” says Donna Ida Thornton, owner of Donna Ida, who also has stores in London’s Chelsea and Westfield as well as Guildford in Surrey.

“At Easter, our heads are filled with chocolate, and the window reflects this in a non-traditional way. It’s a fun and edgy way of using coloured foil to convey the idea that all girls love chocolate.”

Havetolove in Newcastle upon Tyne wanted to represent spring by using pop and bold colours while keeping the display feminine and fresh. To enhance the display, the retailer has planted stems of crisp green grass embellished with pink heart decorations.

In line with this theme, independent boutique Mimi Noor in Bath has opted for a sweet shop inspired window. “The idea behind the window display is taken from the candy colours that are popular this season,” says Mimi Noor, director of the eponymous boutique. “The store looks like a sweet shop, so we wanted to reflect the theme in the window but exaggerate it to make it more grown-up and couture.”