The Foundations of Change

The retail industry has always been quick to embrace the newest and most exciting technologies of the day. This is quite evident in 2015 as retailers scramble to integrate cutting-edge digital resources into their selling and branding strategies. The industry is changing, and in a positive way.

Of course there are the naysayers who insist that retail is dead; stores are a thing of the past, or at best, mere showrooms to display merchandise for customers to browse and then order online. But it's those who embrace change, and use it to their advantage, who will succeed. It's those who recognize change as an updating prod, compelling us to raise the bar, up our game – make the in-store experience more compelling, more exciting and more interactive.

Change is the hallmark of our industry; after all, we're in the business of fashion, and by definition, fashion is change. Dating back to the addition of mannequins to the retail equation, retailers have welcomed that which was new. Those early mannequins were made of wax. Although a great innovation at the time, the inherent problem with wax mannequins, of course, was that they melted in the heat of the windows, offering grotesquely deformed shapes and forms. So retailers got smarter: The next generation of mannequins were made of plaster. But while they didn't melt, they weighed in at 200 pounds, and when dropped, fell to 2000 pieces. And yet we continued to get smarter. Mannequins now are made of lightweight, durable fiberglass. And even smarter still, with some using sustainable soy-based materials for these fabulous forms. And still we up the game – now mannequins can be changed with the click of a mouse on digital platforms, rather than on four-by-four wood and Formica platforms. 

And what about the early merchant princes who built the first department stores at the beginning of the 20th Century? The game changing technologies of the day included cast iron architecture, allowing for large expanses, and plate glass, to glaze over the large expanses. This was the catalyst for our industry. Cast iron architecture and plate glass were used to create the first show windows, and in effect, jump start the visual merchandising industry.

So change is good, it promotes growth, and keeps us relevant. With that said, there are a few precious tenets that are timeless and universal, keeping us grounded and on track. As retail designers eager to embrace change, we must remain cognizant of certain philosophies that will steer us well now, and into the future. I'm reminded of two quotes from disparate sources: one from Constantin Brancusi, and the other, Louis Sullivan. Brancusi tells us that, “Simplicity is complexity resolved.” As designers, this concept must always be considered. Brancusi's iconic sculpture, titled “Bird in Space,” sits magnificently at the Museum of Modern Art, a mere few blocks from my office in New York City. In this piece, the artist reduced the concept of a bird to the simplest of forms. Through a spectacular economy of line, Brancusi brought us the 'idea' of a bird. And we can equate Brancusi's masterpiece to the idea and the art of store design. As a bird, with wings, a beak, claws and feathers, a store is a complicated entity showcasing styles, sizes, colors and silhouettes.  So while stores are designed and developed with new technologies, Brancusi's words should always ring true – simplify!

And of course, there is the more widely known line from architect Louis Sullivan, “Form follows function.” It's quite apparent that aesthetics drives the day. After all, why do we love Apple products? We're drawn to them for the technology, but also for their aesthetic sensibilities. While everything they do is beautifully designed and beautifully packaged, it also performs. The true art in our industry is designing something that works while being aesthetically pleasing. All too often, aesthetics is considered without functionality, or functionality without aesthetics.

So let's embrace change – but let's also provide the philosophical foundation that will make it work.

Eric Feigenbaum is a recognized leader in the visual merchandising and store design industries with both domestic and international design experience.  He served as corporate director of visual merchandising for Stern’s Department Store, a division of Federated Department Stores, from 1986 to 1995. After Stern’s, he assumed the position of director of visual merchandising for WalkerGroup/CNI, an architectural design firm in New York City. Currently, he serves as the chair of the Visual Merchandising Department at LIM College (New York), and was also an adjunct professor of Store Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. In addition to being the New York Editor of VMSD magazine, Eric is also a founding member of PAVE (A Partnership for Planning and Visual Education). Currently, he is also president and director of creative services for his own retail design company, Embrace Design.