The children of Hong Kong have never flopped back in the snow and flapped their arms and legs to make an angel, and they most certainly have never made a snowman with a carrot nose and eyes of coal. A reindeer has never grazed here nor has the city ever had a silent night, white, holy or otherwise. But as Hong Kong dresses itself up for the biggest shopping extravaganza of the year, the city gets snowed in with cliches. Malls deck the halls with boughs of fake holly, glitter, sparkle, tinsel, and anything green and red topped with canned "snow".
Lane Crawford takes a shovel to the seasonal norms, and their creative team will be responsible for giving a small part of Hong Kong a well-needed makeover.
Joanna Gunn, the creative and visual presentation manager for Lane Crawford, collaborates with local artist Gerard Boukle and her team of 14 staff to transform all the window dressings of their boutiques to showcase the season of giving.
Starting with their store in Pacific Place, the Lane Crawford windows will be transformed into scenes from a Parisian life.
Sitting across the large design-board, she uncovers the Lane Crawford look for the season. The theme for this Christmas is based on a 19th century romantic and chic Parisian winter.
"We will be transforming the windows into different settings; the garden, the boudoir, the sitting room and opulent dining room. The colour theme is antique gold, winter white with accents of coffee, green and deep red. We are taking a more sophisticated approach to the festive period, concentrating upon the art of gift-giving.
"The idea was first chosen for its mood, and then the colours were chosen for soft hues and accents to give a feeling and suggestion rather than a traditional red and green Christmas."
The process begins months before Christmas. It takes well over six weeks to create, develop, and execute a design theme. The designers draw a story board, and then make props in their own studio, or source and buy them. The display is finally installed over a two-day period at the end of November.
Throughout the design process, all the creative factions keep in close touch.
As Joanna says: "For eleven months of the year, it's about product placement and commercialisation. Just this one time, we get to be completely creative and do what we really want to do."
In a bid to get the attention of local media, the high-profile shopping centres often spend lavishly on props. But for shop windows, however, the budget is considerably more modest, and the creative team must stretch their budget as well as their imaginations.
"We hired Gerard Boukle to work with us from concept to final execution," says Joanna. "He is providing hands-on teaching to our staff, showing them the tricks of paint finishing, antiquating and gilding, and all the skills they will need to create the theme. Other companies do borrow window space at times, we
normally give the space to key brands and designers - or if there is a special launch or promotion taking place. We often have cosmetic companies request as well as some designers at the beginning of the season. Usually, though, during Christmas we often prefer to keep all the windows for the exposure of Lane Crawford."
Designer boutiques such as Seibu, Joyce and other department stores do their bit to enliven the shopping Christmas spirit, but most retailers do not go out of their way to create a completely original look that will not ever again be repeated.
"The window does not overtly suggest what merchandise is in the store. We use some elements from our own stock, but the window is more for the image and spirit of Christmas - though of course we hope it will lure people in.
Caption: Christmas is suggested by soft hues and accents in a Pacific Place window set.
Local artist Gerard Boukle and his team of 14 enjoyed the challenge of using a theme to signify the festive season rather than falling back on traditional red and white decorations.
Page: 14 Keyword: christmas Magazine. Window shopping
Edition: 2 Source: P Ramakrishnan Author: P Ramakrishnan
Publication: SCMP Section
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