Window Dressing: Where Art Meets Fashion

Who can forget the frenzy Kate Moss caused by posing as a mannequin in the London windows of Topshop in 2007? Artists and fashion designers have been collaborating with sometimes stirring, often stunning results for decades now. Some of the best of these collaborations have taken the form of creative window displays that while transitory, have been no less memorable. In 2009 David Lynch created a thrilling series called Machine-Abstraction-Women for the windows of Galeries Lafayette in Paris.

This (half) decade too has seen some spectacular visual merchandising, created by fashion houses in collaboration with various different kinds of artists, from manga artists to pop painters. Here is Verve’s list of the most iconic window displays from 2010 to 2015.

Kyle Bean for Diesel

Year: 2010
Location: London
We love: The gothic, Tim Burton-esque forest and its tiny inhabitants.

Daniel Arsham for Dior 

Year: 2011
Location: London, Paris, Milan
We love: The windswept look of the sculptures that ooze a glamorous cinematic charm.

Yayoi Kusama for Louis Vuitton 

Year: 2012
Location: New York
We love: The miniature Yayoi Kusama dolls dressed in her signature red and white polka dots.

Rachel Zoe for Tiffany & Co.

Year: 2012
Location: New York
We love: Jean Schlumberger’s Fleur de Mer brooch (image on the left) which was on view for the first time since the jeweller acquired it from the estate of Elizabeth Taylor.

Kazunori Matsumura and Tymote for VIA Bus Stop 

Year: 2012
Location: Tokyo
We love: The interplay of light and shadow caused by the curtain of letters, inspired by Japanese paper screens.

Hirohiko Araki for Gucci 

Year: 2013
Location: Worldwide
We love: The pop-coloured manga renditions of Frida Giannini’s luxurious designs.

Emily Forgot for Vertu at Harrods 

Year: 2014
Location: London
We love: Emily Forgot’s stark but elegant illustrations that literally depict all the services provided by the high-end Vertu Concierge.

Baz Luhrmann for Barneys

Year: 2014
Location: New York
We love: The thrilling sensory experience of watching live performances by dancers in these larger-than-life window displays.

Emily Forgot for Berluti 

Year: 2014
Location: Worldwide
We love: The interaction between the 2D and 3D elements that add a playful trompe l’oeil feel to the displays.

Martino Gamper for Prada

Year: 2015
Location: Milan and later worldwide
We love: The use of contrasting natural materials to create extreme perspective in a small space – the corner.

Donald Robertson for Bergdorf Goodman 

Year: 2015
Location: New York
We love: Robertson’s signature colourful fashion illustrations, some of which were created on recycled pizza boxes from the artist’s own home.

Zim & Zou for Hermès

Year: 2015
Location: Shanghai
We love: That the artists Zim and Zou used leather offcuts from the Hermès workshops in Paris to create these handmade sculptures for what they call the Museum of Supernatural History.