1 Million Stars at Myer Geelong

A dazzling illusion of stars fading into an infinite starry night sky, designed by Jasmine Grace on behalf of Myer Geelong. A large scale infinity mirror was used to create this three dimensional infinite starry sky. The One Million Stars to End Violence project is an International weaving project, founded by Artist Maryann Talia Pau, that aims to end violence by bringing people together to weave stars. Approximately 1500 stars have been woven for this window by contributors throughout the Geelong community in partnership with Storm Insight. A big thank you to our sponsor, Myer Geelong Social Club for funding the cost of this installation. For more information on the cause One Million Stars to End Violence please visit http://www.onemillionstars.net.

London Christmas Windows

Selfridges

 

John Lewis

 

Harrods

 

Debenhams

 

Harvey Nichols

Shooting for the stars at POPAI Global Awards

POPAI GLOBAL AWARD WINNER

Last week the POPAI Global Awards where held in Las Vegas and I am pleased to report that the 1 Million Stars to End Violence project at Myer took out the most ‘prestigious and competitive’ Global award for best temporary ‘Shopper Marketing Campaign’. The project was up against more than ’50 finalists from 10 countries’. The project qualified entry to the 2016 global awards after winning gold for ‘best window display’ in 2015 at the Australian & New Zealand POPAI Awards Gala.

The 1 Million Stars to End Violence project at Myer was a cause based community arts campaign, where customers participated in‐store workshops at Myer Melbourne, making stars out of ribbon as symbolic stance against violence. After 5 weeks of workshops the stars where culminated into a series of installations around the store, including a special Bourke St window for International Women’s Day 2015. (To find out more about the project click here.)

This campaign has taken shopper experience to a whole new level and I am very proud to have collaborated with project Creator Maryann Talia Pau, Myer, Active Display, Stage One and Illustrator Kerrie Hess on this project. The dream team has done it again! Here’s to giving back, taking stance against violence, shooting for the stars and winning awards in the process!

For more info. on the POPAI Global Awards please click the link below:

STOP PRESS!! Two Australian shopper marketing campaigns have been awarded top honours at the POPAI Global Marketing at…

Posted by POPAI ANZ on Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Wrap Up: 1 Million Stars project at Myer Melbourne

stars logo

Wow so, for those of you who have been following the 1 Million Stars to End Violence project at Myer Melbourne it has now sadly come to an end. However, I hope that for all those who participated in it, that the memory and experience of it will share a special place in your heart as it has in mine.

For those who are interested, you can continue to support the 1 Million Stars project as a whole by sending more stars into Maryann for her final 2018 installation. You can find more info about that here.

The response and support that we have received with this project collaboration at Myer has been nothing short of overwhelming. From the generosity of our sponsors Active Display, Kerrie Hess, Gift packaging and Stage One. To our workshop volunteers who have so kindly donated their time to teach people. To all those who also took the time out of their busy lives to stop and weave a star. And last but not least, the incredible Maryann Talia Pau (project founder) who came up with this brilliant idea of weaving 1 Million Stars to stand against violence, and displaying them in installations around the world.

It has been truly wonderful to see so many people join together and unite in standing against violence. It was everyone’s passion and enthusiasm that really made the star weaving workshops such a positive experience. Not only was it a fun activity for a great cause but many participates also found it to be quite therapeutic. I myself was truly touched by hearing many peoples stories and journey’s in wanting to make a difference. I think many would agree that there was an incredible sense of community and hope in each and every one of those workshops.

Personally, I am very proud to have had coordinated this project on behalf of MyerEveryone together has played such an integral part in making this project the success that it was, of which I am sincerely grateful for.

Over 4200 stars where woven for this collaboration. With over 2300 of those having been woven at our in store workshops in Myer Melbourne over a 5 week period. And the rest being woven by various individuals in the broad community. Including Grow Church Melbourne, WOW (Women of Warrandyte), and Melbourne Life Church. 

All of these stars woven where accumulated into various displays around the store. For those of you that missed out on seeing the stunning star installations at Myer Melbourne. I have collated them below. Each of these installations where designed by myself as art director for the project.

Over 800 giant paper stars where woven for this installation by the broader community. The atrium installation was a collaboration between myself and Stage One. I came up with the concept and they constructed and installed it. Sponsor Active Display provided the materials for the paper stars to be made.

 Over 1000 stars woven in our in store workshops at Myer, make up this window that was installed in support of International Women’s Day on March 8th. The window, depicts a woman crying over the city of Melbourne. It acknowledges and mourns for the women who are suffering as a result of the violence that is happening in and around the city. It is also a call to action, encouraging people to choose peace and love over violence.

The window concept was created by myself and illustrated by sponsor Kerrie Hess. Structure of the woman’s hair made by sponsors Stage One and city buildings and decals printed by sponsors Active Display.

 

International Women’s Day: 1 Million Stars window installation at Myer

Take a look at this video of the 1 Million Stars window installation at Myer Melbourne for International Women’s Day. If your in Melbourne City this weekend come check it out, it’s up until March 10th. Window concept created by myself and illustrated by Kerrie Hess. Structure of the woman’s hair made by sponsors Stage One and city buildings printed by sponsors Active Display. Project Founder Maryann Talia Pau.

1 Million Stars to End Violence at Myer Melbourne

Have a look at this promotional video for the 1 Million Stars to End Violence project launch at Myer Melbourne. I am very proud to be coordinating this project collaboration on behalf of Myer.

Come on down and weave a star to stand against violence in our workshops at Myer Melbourne. All stars made will pop up in installations around the store. Including a very special window for International Women’s Day. Keep an eye out for posts of the installations to come! For more information visit myer.com.au/onemillionstars

 

 

1 Million Stars to End Violence

BDMLate last year I attended The Big Design Market in Melbourne, where many independent artists gather together to share and sell their creative works. I went hoping to find some creative inspiration and boy did it hit me right in the face! As I was moseying around the stores, something above caught my eye, I looked up to find what only can be described as the most beautiful awe inspiring installation of stars, hanging like a chandelier from the ceiling of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. I was so captivated by the beauty of it, I couldn’t help but just stand and marvel at it’s magnificence. Whilst contemplating how in the world one could create such an intricate masterpiece. The mass of stars indicated that this art piece had been an incredibly time consuming job, requiring many helping hands. Being a Visual Merchandiser, naturally I wanted to know the story and the processes behind the whole installation so I set out to hunt down the creative genius behind this installation. Her name was Maryann Talia Pau, and what an remarkable story she had to tell.

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Maryann is a weaver. She says weaving is what she was born to do. And I couldn’t agree more. This project, the ‘1 Million Stars to End Violence’ came into being as a result of the Jill Meagher murder. A woman who was raped and killed one night in the streets of Brunswick, Melbourne. Her death impacted many Australians and Maryanne was at the receiving end of many peoples letters and tributes where she worked as a volunteer at the local Brunswick Baptist Church. Amongst the many condolences, a quote from Martin Luther King Jr made it’s way into Maryanne’s hands.

It read; “Returning hate for hate multiples hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

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This quote had such an impact on Maryann that she responded in the only way she new how. She starting weaving stars out of ribbon as a stand against violence. And before she knew it, everyone wanted to help weave these stars as a symbol of their support. The overwhelming support resulted in Maryanne running star weaving workshops in her local shop on Brunswick street. In these workshops she taught people how to make 8‐pointed stars out of ribbon. It was then and there that she made it her goal to make 1 Million Stars worldwide by 2018 to help put an end violence. With the Big Design Market being her first installation of 11,000 stars.

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Upon hearing Maryann’s story, it completely blew me away that from that one little act of weaving stars birthed what has now set it’s self up to become a worldwide project. To think that such a simple idea could bring an entire community together in unity, let alone nations of the world. This was such an eye opening encouragement to me that all it can take is one small but great idea to impact a multitude. Maryann’s story has influenced me to pay more attention and take more time with the small ideas rather than just overlooking them. It has also inspired me to take action on the small ideas because you never know where they could lead you. In saying this, I am now collaborating with Maryann and bringing my very own spin to the ‘1 Million Stars to End Violence’ project, in a retail environment.

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This venture came about of my own initiative and is a collaboration with Myer and the cause 1 Million Stars to End Violence. This campaign is about raising awareness of violence against women in particular, in the lead up to International Women’s Day 2015. Myer Melbourne will be holding star weaving workshops, 5 days a week, from January 15th — February 21st. Where people are encouraged to come and make stars out of ribbon. These stars are symbolic of one’s support and declaration to choose to live in love and peace over violence. The stars made will then be used in a Myer Melbourne window installation for International Women’s Day. There will also be other installations that pop up around the Myer Melbourne in various locations in the lead up to the final window reveal on the 23rd of February, 2015.

Over the past 5 months I have been working on the art direction for this collaboration and project coordinating all that needs to happen behind the scenes. Which has no doubt had it’s challenging moments, but has been a rewarding experience never the less. I have put my heart and soul into making this collaborative project happen and I hope that it will make a difference and an impact in the hearts of those who engage with this cause. In turn creating a greater awareness of this prevalent issue in our city, and beyond.

I am proud to say that the project is set to launch this week! So please come on down, make a star and spread the word! Together we can be superstars and make a difference!

For more information visit: www.myer.com.au/onemillionstars or onemillionstars.net

Tokyo Part 2 — Store design

tokyo_vm_edits_Doverstmarkets_5In my previous post on visual merchandising in Tokyo I covered windows and in‐store displays. This post is a continuation of my last one and focuses mostly on store design in Tokyo. For those of you who haven’t had a chance to look at my last post on visual merchandising in Tokyo, please check it out here. The store design in Tokyo is nothing short of exceptional, I completely fell in love with Opening Ceremony, and Kate Spade. Dover St Markets was also a major highlight. From my experience, when comparing the visual merchandising against the store design in Tokyo, I would say that the store design wins hands down. It feels like the Japanese use their store design to communicate their brand image more so than their window displays. It would be interesting to know whether one has a bigger impact on the consumer than the other, or whether they are relatively balanced in their levels of consumer influence? In saying that, obviously the best results would always be produced when store design and visual merchandising are working in conjunction with each other. But I wonder if they where separated, if a store only had one or the other, which one would prove to be more influential in a consumers decision to purchase? Practically impossible to measure I know, but the only reason I am pondering this is because I saw a lot of stores in Japan that where purely focused on store design with very minimal VM window and in store displays. But by all means take a look and compare for yourselves and let me know your thoughts?

tokyo_vm_edits_DoverstmarketsDover St Markets — Ginza

This is the no 1 must see if you are in Tokyo! The Dover st Markets is the epitome of fashion and design comprising of 6 levels of designer labels such as Comme des Garçons, Celine, Nike lab, Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, A Bathing Ape and much more.                                 

Here are a few words about the concept and direction of Dover St Markets from Rei KAWAKUBO

I want to create a kind of market where various creators from various fields gather together and encounter each other in an ongoing atmosphere of beautiful chaos: the mixing up and coming together of different kindred souls who all share a strong personal vision.”

For more info visit http://ginza.doverstreetmarket.com/index.html

 

Opening Ceremony — Harajuku                                                                             Innovation at its finest. Most inspiring place to shop hands down.

 

Kate Spade — Aoyama                                                                                               Love, love, love this. And that dressing room is so good looking!

 

Prada Flagship — Aoyama                                                                                           This store is divinely futuristic.

 Yohji Yamamoto

 

The Gyre Building — Harajuku                                                                                  Comme des Garçons — The trading museum 

Maison Martin Margiela                                                                                                  Love the use of product in the grand piano, such a classy touch.

Indigo Camping Trailer

 

Isetan Department store                                                                                              Most definitely the best department store in Tokyo. 

 

The Disney Store — Shibuya 

Alice in Wonderland cafe — Shibuya                                                                            Also known as Alice in a dancing land cafe, this is a hidden gem, it’s an underground cafe, which you either stumble upon by falling down a rabbit hole or someone gives you some very specific directions as to where it is.  However their are 6 individual alice cafes in Japan so you might just have some luck finding at least one of them.

Tokyo visual merchandising displays Spring 2014

tokyo_vm_edits_4

Recently I had the pleasure of participating in a visual merchandising trip to Tokyo. Tokyo is regarded as the one of top fashion capitals of the world with many avant‐garde designers in its midst. Tokyo is one of the few places in the world where fashion trends are taken to the extreme with the likes of harajuku and baby doll girls. It’s great, everywhere you turn you see a different fashion style, the Japanese add a whole new meaning to the word ‘unique’! They think outside the box and have impeccable design aesthetics. I would highly recommend Tokyo as a must see if your passionate about fashion and design. The best districts to visit for visual merchandising and store design would be Ginza, Harajuku, Aoyama, Shinjuku and Shibuya. Omotesandō st in Harajuku is where all the designer fashion flagships stores are located, much like the 5th ave of NYC. Architecture and store design here are not to be missed! Off this street are also many little side streets which are filled with heaps of little vintage and harajuku type fashion stores. The Harajuku district was definitely my favourite place to explore during the trip I went back there about 3 times! Check out some pictures from my trip here below. Most photo’s have been taken in Harajuku and Ginza districts.

Shiseido


 

Chanel 

 

Tomorrowland

 

Wako department store

 

Louis Vuitton

 

Hermes — Ginza 

 

Hermes — Shibuya

 

Gucci

 

Lavin

 

Fendi

 

Ginza Core

 

Dolce & Gabbana

 

Polo Ralph Lauren

 

Dior

 

Uniqlo

 

Topshop

 

Printemps                                                                                        30th anniversary celebrations.

 

Blvgari

 

Kate Spade

 

Marc by Marc Jacobs

 

Moncler 

 

Chloe

 

ChloeIsetan Department Store

 

MCM

 

Pass the Baton

 

Ragtag                                                                                                                        The cutest floor directory board I have ever seen!

Australian Autumn Winter Displays

I have put together a selection of my favourite visual merchandising concepts from this Autumn/Winter season in Australia. Hope this gets your creative juices flowing!

SEED: Space Voyage.

CHANEL: Futuristic Lovers.

COUNTRY ROAD: