At The Intersection of Fashion and Culture: Retail Space as Cultural Expression

In a February 21st posting on Flypaper, Wendy posts about The New Boutique: Fashion And Design by Neil Bingham (May 2005), a book that precisely captures the intersection of fashion and culture. Bingham, an architectural and cultural critic, delivers photographs of retail spaces that present merchandise, but also takes into account the cultural forces that produce clothing and other items. Wendy's post got us thinking about the ways in which design influences several aspects of our lives.

"The atmosphere within a retail space tells a story, it can draw us in, make us stay, and keep coming back for more. It can speak to, or be a reflection of, the cultural environment, neighborhood where it resides, and the type of clientele it is looking to attract," explains Cheryl Spigler, an interior designer in Boston. This makes one question what the purpose of retail space actually is, and how it changes depending on the culture in which it resides; obviously in many of North America's chain stores, the issue of the space is merely a question of how much merchandise can be attractively packed into a certain amount of square footage, but some upscale boutiques (although not exclusively) are pushing the limits of retail space and making it serve the community--an interesting idea. Increasingly, however, retailers are realizing the importance of creating stores that are more than just racks of clothing or other merchandise neatly arranged.

Spigler seems to agree with this populist approach to design. "Good design is for everyone," she states. It is definitely for everyone, and now it appears it is by everyone, as well. Given the rise in interactive design elements, Spigler notes, it is becoming increasingly possible for shoppers to customize their shopping experience based on several factors, including Spigler states, "neighborhood, income level, ethnicity, or education." In this way, retail spaces become multifunctional--they reflect not only the shoppers desires, but also aspects of themselves.

Perhaps the best example of multifunctional retail space that we've seen recently in person is Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas' design for the Prada store in SoHo in New York City. At the boutique, dresses and shoes stand next to a ready made theatre space. Of his work, Koolhaas has said, "'Architects, for the first time in several decades, are being solicited for their power to physically articulate new visions...'". Being able to shop and view films, artwork, and other presentations in a retail space leaves ample room for turning the current reail business model upside down. Customers can demand more than the simple shop-then-purchase chain of events.

The co-opting of retail spaces by the shoppers who support them is an interesting phenomenon. If people can exert more control over the shopping experience--essentially customize and maintain it through technology and other means, the possibility of reshaping the entire consumer role is possible as well. Books such as Bingham's are a reminder that change is possible, that design is significant to human experience, and it can broaden our entire approach to influencing change in the social world.

Technorati Profile

Badgley Mischka Campaign Features Olsens

The Olsen twins are the new faces of Badgley Mischka. For the first time since their Ashley and Mary Kate empire began producing perfume, clothing, and make-up for stores like Wal-Mart, the twins are using their star power for the advancement of a line other than their own.

What's curious about this advertising campaign is that besides their movie "New York Minute" (which tanked at the box office), the twins really have not done much in the past couple of years besides appear in a massive quantity of paparazzi photos. Sure, they were interviewed in magazines (Ashley in Harper's Bazaar in July 2005, and Mary Kate in the January 2006 edition of W) and have appeared in various promotional tours in Australia and Canada for their Dualstar empire, but other than that, the Olsens have kept a relatively low profile (besides random appearances to of course buy enormous coffees or party in New York City).

So then why did Badgley Mischka pick the twins for their new ad campaign? According to The Daily Dish, the Badgley Mischka designing duo picked the twins because of their "'sensual glamour'". Besides the unbelievability of two nineteen year-old, waif-like girls emanating sensual glamour, the appearance of the twins as the new face/faces (they are fraternal twins, you know) of Badgley Mischka demonstrates the power of paparazzi to catapult you from 'tween purgatory to fashion icon status. Since the public really has not heard much from the twins since they started NYU (Mary Kate subsequently took a "leave of absence" from the school), and the only thing we've seen them in is Us Weekly and Star, we don't know what to think about this new campaign--where were the other 999,998 women who emanated sensual glamour the day they picked the Olsens?

What trouble us is that we're greeted by the Badgely Mischka advertisment as if the general adult public had already been made aware of the twins' significance beyond their lip gloss line at Wal-Mart. But we haven't. Still, people seem to love the Olsens despite their well-orchestrated lives as "there/not there" celebrities. Surely Badgely Mischka do.

What's Old is New Again At Yesterday's Moment

We've loved Yesterday's Moment for a while now, but we have to once again rave about their collection of accessories, particularly necklaces. They have a lot of interesting necklaces up right now, all affordably priced (which we really like) and of course, most of the items are vintage (yay, jewelry recycling!). Sites like YM are really cool because you have the opportunity to opt out of buying only new pieces, which is not only good for the environment, but you get a little history with your bracelet/ring/necklace, too.

The cool thing about many of the vintage sites out there like Yesterday's Moment is that they highlight the fact that fashion really is cyclical--what's old is suddenly new again. Unlike clothing and items from twenty or thirty years ago, however, today's pieces are not made as durably. We're far more inclined to dispose of clothing once we're through with it, or someone tells us it is not fashionable anymore. We're all guilty of this. Buying vintage, though, is one way to remind ourselves that disposability isn't much of a virtue when it comes to clothing, and it also makes it more difficult to find a particular style that suits an individual, and stands the test of time. Alright, we'll get off our soapbox now, as long as you go check out Yesterday's Moment (www.yesterdaysmoment.com). Photos courtesy of Yesterday's Moment.