All Things Pretty ♥

Wilshire Beauty is one of our clients in the mid Wilshire area of Los Angeles. They have been known to be the first version of Sephora- a literal warehouse of all things beauty..hair, makeup, facial products and everything in between the only thing is they have not up dated, up graded or re invented in the last 10 years or so. Much of the old way from days long gone by were still in place. Many of the areas had nothing in them or worse had grown way out of the space that it was in- Why you ask? Fear of change, fear of what if it does not fit once moved etc...so there it stayed till we came along! My whole theory is you cant move forward if you are stuck in the past-change is a good thing..mistakes are the only way you are going to start seeing things differently- even if wrong you see it differently than the way its been for the last however long its been like that....
Thus is with Wilshire Beauty's cosmetic department. A mecca of beauty products in 15 different places and all free floating in the middle of two different departments..not pretty and not cohesive in anyway shape or form...We moved it forward- up to the entry, up where there was natural light and up to where there were actual walls we could do something with.We designed new cabinets- black with mirrored tops, re skinned the old counters with new black Formica so they would be cohesive with the new cabinets and re painted walls a charcoal grey to compliment the amazing Designers Guild wallpaper from Osborne and Little. With the new space we are able to make it all look cohesive, special and most of all pretty...

Click the links to visit the Wilshire beauty & Osborne and Little website

Thank god for Vivian!

Please help me welcome Vivian to our team here at Birds Eye View! She came to us via our good friend Sig, where she had interned at Kravet in the LA Mart! Miss Viv will be working on our blog and helping us with holiday set ups!
So, keep your eyes out for new displays, videos of how to's, links to great products and tons and tons of inspiration, photos and new ideas!
Its all about to change to hang on and enjoy the ride!

2 years later....

Monday, August 10, 2009

A new chapter in Birds Eye View

When I had someone suggest that I do a blog for both our clients and for the general public I kept thinking who is going to read this and how do I do it...
Thanks to Micheal Garret here we are...thank god for the younger generation-the thought process that usage of the internet will forward your business. It's not something we old school-ers are used to...nor do we or me accept it with open arms...

My business is retail and wholesale consulting. My whole job is to push the envelope, push what the general public sees in windows and in store layouts as well as what the retailers see when they come to purchase for their stores for the coming seasons.
I have 2 mantras..
1-"change is good-change is good-change is good"
and
2-everything happens for a reason

In order to push yourself or your company you have to change..you can't stay safe or complacent..you have to push the envelope-not everyone will get it but it will make
those think about it..
Simon Doon the brilliant man who does the windows at Barney's NY has pushed the envelope
for years-he never stays safe and is constantly pushing the world of visuals forward-my favorite story he tells is of him doing a christmas window...Simon is not traditional- you will not find the normal holiday windows. One year they decided to do the typical nativity scene but in a total non-traditional way..Simon in his brilliance used hello kitty in lieu of baby jesus..while I find the humor in it the catholic church did not and put a full page ad in the NY Times...
The up side of all of this was the best free press and long long lines of people going to see the window display with hello kitty...that is pushing the envelope-that is not staying safe-that is what I love about this industry.

Everything happens for a reason...you may not see it at once but its always there...I lost all my stores after the earthquake- I was devastated..it was all I knew..it was my ego, it was my job..it was essentially what I thought was me-however, that me was a snotty 27 year old that yes pushed the envelope but not in the right direction..thank god that earthquake happened. I can't picture what I would be like now..or where I would be now...
I had to re-learn retail, re-learn what worked and what did not- how to drive traffic to a store, how to drive your buisness thru visuals and simple floor planning. I had to re-learn what customer service was and how to utilize it. I started my company 6 years ago and never looked back-I have never had to go out and look for work- all my buisness has been through word of mouth. I am very lucky and I know it..there are a lot of us out there and a lot of us all jocking for the same jobs..

This blog is for my retailers and the general pubilc- it will later be turned into a subscriber service for my clients who want the upper hand in retail solutions.
I will post windows I see, inspiration and ideas. I will list items and places I love etc...

The subscriber portion will have trend forcasting, show overviews (for those whom only make it to the reginal shows) and detailed display how-tos.
Hope you enjoy it and hope it brings inspiration to you!
m-

Who knew?

WHO KNEW...I certainly did not when I signed on to open Forge's store in Lancaster that I would go from retail consultant and merchandiser to a buyer again...and,for men's no less....
I have not been a buyer for menswear in almost 20 years. Once a very long time ago I had three
stores in Fred Segal Santa Monica that I loved very much. I was very young and did pretty much what I wanted. I made a lot of friends, I made a more than a few people pissed off, but most of all I found out what I loved to do and I had the opportunity to learn it in an amazing arena!
There is nothing I would change about my education of the fashion world...nothing. I may have lost it all...but I would change nothing....
So, who knew when this opportunity came up that I would be submerged again in not only what I know like the back of my hand, but also men's and women's apparel buying...
Who knew that I would be nervous my first day back in the showrooms that I once knew, ruled (only because of having a store at Fred Segal) and understood so well...
Who knew?
But, just as riding a bike, it all is coming back....the eye, the verbiage ( and it does have a vocabulary to its own, let me tell ya!) the sizing, the delivery dates and so on and so on...
So, here I sit...scanning sites for new upcoming lines, re learning how to walk the walk and talk
the talk...and you know what, I am loving every minute of it...
WHO KNEW?
xo

cat got your tongue?

I know, I know....its been waaay too long.....
In my business and life it seems its either feast or famine...at this moment, its feast!
Summer means sun and fun to most but in my industry it means gift show set ups! The
national shows are all in the summer months, peppered throughout the country, gift stores,
catalogs, home stores, decorators etc all shop the shows for the 4th quarter buys. I set up
showrooms like Peking Handicraft, Gus Dallas and this year a new addition, Roost! It is also
first show in the last few years that I am not involved in the California Gift Show set up....
It was a little bittersweet but all and all, it felt pretty good not to be so burned out by the time
I turn into a buyer (my other job)...
I added a new client to my retailers... Forge. A combination gift, home and apparel lifestyle store
in Lancaster...
I know what you are thinking....Lancaster...yep, Lancaster. The city and investors are re-developing downtown. I have to admit, as jaded as I am about retail not being so interesting
these days, not being fun and not adding anything new, this is new! A mix of old and new they have added restaurants, a moca museum, a bowling alley/club and now the latest addition- a movie theater/retail space.
The brilliance of moving traffic thru the retail space to purchase tickets, food and ultimately the theater has not really been done yet...Sure, Cracker Barrel moves you through retail space in order to get to the restaurant but really, who is in the market for singing frogs and bedazzled tee shirts these days?
Its Urban architectural adds so much to the street...so much so you really do forget you are not in Lancaster anymore.
I am excited to be on board with this project-I will be involved with everything from the buying, merchandising and display- its really a dream project!
I will post pics soon as well as pics of the latest show set ups for Peking Handicraft!
xo

"sew sweet"

I think the sweetest thing you could do for anyone is
make them a valentine..crayons, felt tip or pencil
they are the sweetest when made from scratch and
made from love....
I'm thinking for my valentine I will take felt, cut
a heart and hand sew I love you on to it....

Top ten merchandising tips!

Go to Birds Eye View facebook page for the top ten merchandising tips!

click on the link to take you to the video on facebook

Top Ten Merchandising Tips.

California Gift Show cross merchandising seminar 2010

Last seasons gift show I was hired by the California Gift Show to do 4 seminars on
how to cross merchandise and create mini shops within retailers own spaces.
So many retailers don't cross merchandise.. I am not sure why, maybe not understanding how to do this? Maybe not wanting to change? I am not sure. I do know that lifestyled and cross merchandised shops like Anthropologie are the future- they are constantly re-working and re-inventing the new and the old inventory to create mini shops that draw your attention and entise you to buy...

This is what I do- teach retailers how to cross merchanidse and create fun and exciting vignettes and displays. I chose 4 concepts that retailers could relate to..ones that would make them think outside the box and create some excitement that they could re-create within their own shops...

The only concept not shown was the seaside living which I am sad to say I forgot to shoot...

enjoy!

xo

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Birthday shop was created to show retailers how to cross merchandise kids party planning

products and gourmet...its all about bright, fun merchandise that grabs your attention...

first plan of attack, inventory set up...

we decided to paint a huge happy birthday song on the wall...again, so easy and

so effective!

The finished opening tabletop- its supposed to feel like you just walked into

a kids party

The finished display!

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Halloween is the #2 most retailed holiday next to Christmas....

That being said, you may not feel like your shop translates to
a holiday like Halloween but trust me...this is a opportunity
that you don't want to skip over.
Even my apparel shops touch on Halloween- a little story of
black apparel cross merchandised with some candles and
specialty chocolates and ta-da! Instant Halloween statement.
Make sure you place it up front and have it set up by mid
September and you should be sold out of it way before the
actual holiday...

floor set up of the Halloween shop

opening statement table top...

finished! Notice the detail on the back wall... grapevine attached to wall, orange and black ribbon running through with Halloween lanterns hanging from it...so easy, so cost effective and so fun..... That is what its all about after all- making it fun for you and your clients!

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Nappa style was a cross merchandised wine/gift shop- showing retailers how to cross merchandise furniture, gift product and gourmet into one life styled vignette...

setting the floor at the convention center and laying electrical...the beginning of it all

opening statement of the nappa style shop

the overview of the entire shop complete

change is good....

As we get ready to start changing over from holiday to new spring
windows and gift or apparel collections I have to wonder why so
many do not put more into it.....
As a retailer, you go to shows to get "wowed", to get excited, to be inspired...
don't you think that your clients want the same thing come a new season?
Most of you have a very regular client base, they see you at least once a month,
correct?
Think of you going to a show...if the showroom did not change the displays nor
front new fresh merchandise, wouldn't you just walk by and not go in assuming
that nothing new is being shown?
Its the same for your clients....
So...push the envelope a little this spring, make them think, get them inspired
and get your clients excited!

It is spring after all...
xo

Peking Handicrafts Atlanta showroom

2 times a year are the gift shows...all across the country
showrooms with amazing gift and home products re-invent
themselves for the new season based around the new
product..
This is what I do...fly in, take down the old display and
re-invent the showroom and all the display to reflect the
product...for retailers this is the time they make most of
their buys- holiday, everyday etc...
My job is to create excitement and get the attention of
the buyers-
This is Peking Handicrafts new showroom we opened
last July in Atlanta...





Its all in the details I have always believed...
think outside the box in regards to how you display
items...standard fixtures are oh so boring!

the bare bones...we decided to paper the back of

the fixture with copy's of recipes from an old cookbook...yellow

pages made it more interesting..

The finished display...the faux cake is Styrofoam circles painted

brown and stacked with caulking as icing in between.....

the best is that it can stand up to sunlight so makes for a great

window display

I just love this missoni-ish group!

Starting to take shape...the Trina Turk opening statement with

the hot house floral group behind

An easy display element that pulls in the color and adds a little humor

more LA Mart display cases

The begining..pale lavender-love this paired with dove grey molding..

The first portion of the molding....


Finished product..natural fabrics with silver and mirrored details. I love the organic elements of the drift wood and the wood carved bird against the modern mirrored chest....

The case lines for the LA Mart were based on trends...

Brights, modern/ethnic and pastel/mirrored- each floor had one design scope.
I wanted to make both case lines to flow with each other so when you got out

of the elevator you were told the story. I have always loved the museum of

natural history in Los Angeles and the display cases of cave men...I love walking into

the dark room and the cases magically became alive each telling its own story.

The cases on these floor sort of remind me of this... dark and full of stories...

Ready..set...go!

prep work on the LA Mart furniture floor display cases..

product moved in and set...

finshed product with the display element of mexican paper flowers....

Very, very bad....

its been over a year from my last post..

Hmmm..lets see..in a year I have successfully broken 3 laptops, dropped 3 blackberrys in some type of water, filed for divorce, fell in love, visited Costa Rica, had 3 red light tickets, one speeding ticket, closed my office in the LA Mart, moved to Manhattan Beach and had a hysterectomy....

So, you see where my attention has been....

However it has not stopped me from working nor being inspired by all the amazing pop up shops, displays and beauty I have seen over the last year either...

I still have the photos to put up that I mentioned in the last post and now a whole new set of

shots to post..everything from last market to holiday.

Here is the first little taste of what is to come...