1) There has been much criticism this year over a new collection of male mannequins looking "too skinny" and one retail chain in particular using plus-size mannequins. What is your opinion on this?
Size in fashion has always attracted criticism and attention, especially in today's world of media scrutiny and the furor surrounding size. As a fashion led company it should be part of our agenda to address current trends. It is our responsibility as commentators to address certain trends athough we may not always condone them. Trends in society change quickly and in many directions, over short periods of time and our job is to keep on top of this.
2) What is the current trend in mannequins and what can we expect to see in 2011, in terms of shapes, finishes, textures, colours etc.?
High end texture rather than raw urban finishes will play a large part in terms of finishes. E.g. Gloss, concrete, slate and rustic finishes. Texture is a way to further differentiate for the brands that we deal with. There will be a move towards retailers looking for their own Identity ,this can be done by designing bespoke mannequins (which we are starting to do now) This will naturally herald the end of the trend for headless mannequins and more of a shift back to realistic mannequins with heads and facial features however this time because of the move on with the many amazing new finishes and textures that are available to us, this can be done with an abstract twist . We generally follow trends in fashion when it comes to colours which are definitely leaning towards pastel colours rather than to the black and white gloss colours of the last 2 – 3 years.
3) Where does SFD draw its inspiration from for its collections?
Due to the development time of mannequins being 3 – 6 months we are constantly thinking up to 1 year 18 months ahead in terms of current retail trends to ensure new mannequin ranges are relevant to our clients. Our research draws inspiration from diverse fields such as fashion trends, popular culture, architecture and furniture design. Because we are dealing so intensely with many of the brands we serve, we often tap in to their audience and what inspires them.
4) What is the most bizarre/challenging brief the company has been given to date?
For Selfridges in conjunction with a Chinese designer we created a window of flying mannequins and for House of Fraser we created a one off 30ft mannequin as a spectacular entry display to their Belfast store. Other weird and wonderful projects have been cartoon characters, animals and a mannequin with a tea pot on her head!
5) What is your best seller?
Elegant, sophisticated, abstract mannequins with a small amount of movement, with featureless heads in a black or white gloss.
6) Historically, mannequins mainly served as an idealised reflection of the person looking at them but now there appears to be a trend for more abstract mannequins. Why is this do you think and what can abstract mannequins offer over more realistic models?
The trend for abstract mannequins has peaked in the last 3 – 5 years. Tighter financial restraints due to the recession have played their part in affecting retailers as the demand has been for mannequins which require less maintenance and updating in terms of styling, wigs and makeup. An abstract mannequin is more timeless and as it does not date can be used for longer, it is more flexible and will work in a broader range of window schemes. Sometimes too, with the increasing diversity of the audience in terms of appearance and personal styling it has been more difficult to created an idealized reflection of the person looking in.
7) What should a retailer/brand take into account when specifying a new range of mannequins for their windows/in-store displays?
Mannequins are very much in vogue today.Fashion is not just about clothes anymore;its about the hair,make up and accessories-the complete look.What better tool than a good mannequin to get a fashion statement across to your audience.Purchasing a range of mannequins for a store will provide a range of options to help promote any fashion collection.Whether just one or a whole collection is required, consideration should be given to what they will be used for,where they will be used and if the poses will be suitable for the clothing they will be wearing (eg a commercial easy to dress range of mannequins which have simple poses will give more flexibility and will adapt to the ever changing fashion trends.A dramaticly posed mannequin may work well in a heavily stylised enviroment)
A range should be selected carefully so that the mannequins can be used individually or grouped to create a family This might include a selection of standing ,sitting, lying and leaning mannequins.Most mannequins are designed so they can be positioned in an aesthetically pleasing way.They are often developed to interact with each other.Badly positioned or grouped mannequins can have a detrimental effect on the creative effect of any display.
The mannequin is more than just a devise for displaying merchandise, it is a key representation of the brand. Consumers looking at window displays will spend the majority of their time looking at the mannequin and as such they are a vital part of creating and identifying the brands message. Colour, finish, styling and poses play a vital role in representing the vision of the brand, from elegant and stylized for an exclusive fashion label, to young urban and full of attitude for a high street player. Distinctive finishes, unique head designs and special detailing can all assist in creating a defining appearance at relatively low expense, or alternatively extravagant and distinctive poses can be chosen to create dramatic window schemes.
Whilst considering the brand message more practical issues should also be considered. Realistic mannequins with wigs and make up require skilled attention to ensure a high quality appearance, whereas headless mannequins are relatively easy to maintain and create a consistent window display. So a lot will depend on whether the store has skilled visual merchandisers who will be able to dress and style mannequins as well as continue the upkeep so necessary to keep the displays looking relevant and sharp. Careful thought should also be given to the choice of finish, with gloss finishes being resistant to marks and damage, as oppose to matt finishes which can easily become marked through constant use although we have designed new “nano” technology for a few extra pounds per mannequin prevents this.
8) What generally happens to them once the retailer has finished with them?
Many retailers use our renovation service to refresh their mannequins and distribute older mannequins to their smaller stores.There is also a healthy second hand maket which means large brands tend to pass on mannequins to smaller independent retailers and charity shops.There has also been a big push in the last few years as inevitably mannequins have joined the recycling debate this is due to them being produced from fibreglass.A lot of effort has been made in the industry to clean
9) What retailers do you regularly work with?
Debenhams, Oasis, Miss Selfridge, River Island, Next, Topman, Gap, Austin Reed, Primark,
10) Has the company launched any new ranges recently and what can we expect to see from SFD in 201
The new Boutique Female and Male range from Eurodisplay was recently launched and is already in the windows of a major high street retailer. At the VM & Display show this year we launched a range of beposke head designs and our in house designers are constantly working on new ideas for mannequins and visual display. For Euroshop 2011 we are working closely with our partners Eurodisplay on 6 new ranges of figures and accessories and we are also working on 3 brand new bespoke ranges of our own to be launched early next year. Watch this space for some very exciting developments.
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