Coat Hanger Dinosaurs

The current window display at Harvey Nichols in Leeds really distracts fro the rest of the windows in the city centre, making the efforts of the likes of Topshop and Debenhams look dim by comparison. I love the way that the traditional wooden coat hanger has been used to create the enormous and complex displays. I feel that this these displays sum up the store well, with the traditional department store being represented by the standard wooden hanger while the modern and intriguing designs created hint at the chic layout and luxurious products inside. Harvey Nichols often use interesting and unusual concepts for their displays, far more interesting than the standard clothes on manikins that other stores offer. It shows that displaying everything in store may not be the best way to sell. Instead they hint seductively at products which are surrounded by intriguing design. I am really looking forward to seeing what they produce for the Christmas season.

Shoulder pads...Should we have left them in the 80's?

Recently shoulder pads have been sauntering up and down catwalks around the world, and are tipped to be a must have in every girls autumn/winter collection. But is this just societies cry for vintage...are we looking past the fashion mistakes of the 1980's? Why do designers bring back trends which, lets face it, unless you have the body of Kate Moss, look pretty horrendous and often stupid on us mere mortal women? Just because something has been done sucesfully before does not mean we need to recreate it, or that it will work with a modern twist.

I am all for vintage, the luxurious feel, the glamour. But these things are evokes by the 1920's classic cuts, the makeup of the 1940's. Personally I don't feel that the 1980's has that glamourous edge. Should designers have left the 80's well enough alone? It could be argued that leggings have made an unbeliveable comeback, and who saw that coming? And it is true that celebrities such as Lady GaGa have become the embodiment of the 80's. Though, yes, she often looks crazy and I would be shocked if anybody walked into a lecture looking like that. Vaintage chic? yes. Re-embodied fashion disasters? No. I certainly will be missing out on this particular must have.

However if I do get shoulder envy I could always did my mothers out of the attic...