Is the job of a store window to stimulate interest via artistic
display or plainly show what's available beyond the glass?
I say it's more important to catch an eye than to advertise
content--unless the means happens to be eye-popping black-and-whites
of shirtless, frolicking lads and their impossibly beaming
female sidekicks. This device is certainly more grabbing than
the clothes
at Abercrombie & Fitch, but it's also staggeringly irritating.
Luckily, there are many window-dressers in P-town who know
the precise formula to entice overstimulated shoppers
not only to get off-line but to come on in.
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REYNOLD'S OPTICAL COMPANY
Reynold's is the oldest optical outfit in Portland,
improving peeps since 1910. And it shows--just look
in the stores' windows, where the company's heritage
is on display. Original equipment from the first shop
languishes behind the glass of Reynold's downtown and
Hawthorne district locations. People off the street
frequently comment on antique machines such as the Phoropter
(used to temper lenses), but owner Gary Peihl says that
those who just can't take their eyes off the displays
are the docs who attend the many optometry conventions
held in Portland.
800 SW Alder St., 223-8813; 3535 SE Hawthorne
Blvd., 232-3222
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RETREAD THREADS
Vintage merchandise, mannequins and collectibles such
as antique luggage sets and rickety cruisers fill the floor-to-ceiling
windows at Retread Threads' marquee location just off West
Burnside Street. Owner Sarah Shaoul and store manager Toni
Hummel dream up and draw out each display before gleefully
bringing it to life. Currently, a Paul Frank-pajamaed waif
and bowler-topped lad contemplate Christmas-morning carnage
on a silver-and-pink planet. But a window from last winter
is the one that stands out: Cavorting 'quins, one with a
broken arm (caused by a spill on the slopes, bien sur),
another visibly debilitated by too many rumballs, acting
out an après-ski party scene.
931 SW Oak St., 916-0000
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URBINO
You could argue that stores on the well-traveled
corridor of Northwest 23rd Avenue don't need to work
overtime to draw the well-heeled in, that the optimally
located shops already have it made. But Urbino wouldn't
listen. This interiors/garden store stands out in a
sea of white lights and comely signage by keeping it
simple. The windows are themed by color or type of item;
right now, they're all done up in winter white. And
the dressers don't just rely on knickknacks from the
shelves. When ordering merchandise, buyers always choose
pieces specifically for the window. And unlike many
stores that won't let customers buy display items until
the arrangement is dismantled, the staff at Urbino has
no qualms about selling that doggie right out of the
window.
521 NW 23rd Ave., 220-0053 |
DISH N DAT
The eclectic mix of merch--teapots, sake servers, cocktail
accouterment and kids' pinafores--is manifest in the quirky
storefront window at Dish N Dat. Occasionally, the staff
really knocks itself out producing six "involved" windows
during the year. That means all hands on deck to cut, paste
and spray-paint whatever materials the theme calls for,
says co-owner Holli Ferriday. The current holiday window
is the upshot of such an endeavor: a sparkly silver tree
trimmed to the liking of a chic Jane Jetson and white, fluffball
snowflakes that Christina Aguilera would kill for.
827 NW 23rd Ave., 279-8946
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SAKS FIFTH
AVENUE
When you've got an entire visual merchandising staff
on hand to design windows, they had better be good.
At Saks, they always are. The elegant displays usually
consist of lithe mannequins and forms (headless models)
upholstered in garments more refined than Mikimoto pearls,
but the current showcase reflects culture of a slightly
different sort. "Show Me America" features oversized,
custom-made dolls dressed in showgirl costumes designed
to represent various American cities. These sassy sisters
with their Marilyn Monroe figures, knowing smiles and
sequined garb make up a traveling exhibit that grows
with each stop. Individual Saks stores must bid on "Show
Me"; if successful, a doll is created for the location.
After receiving the nod, the Portland Saks' visual manager,
Michael Madden, sent Portland postcards and books--anything
to convey a sense of the city--to the New York design
firm that makes the dolls. The result? Miss Portland
sports a raincloud headpiece and rose-decorated ensemble,
natch. 850 SW 5th Ave., 226-3200 |
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Willamette Week | originally
published December 22,
1999
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