TRAID store visit
I visited the store in Camden. Their target customer looks for unique, quirky pieces. From who I saw in their store the age range would be around 18-25 especially because the clothes are more youthful the age fits the style. The average customer would perhaps be of a lower class who doesn’t earn a particularly high rate of income seeing as the clothing are all second hand and priced fairly cheap.
I think the window display was artistic yet minimal but overall the window was effective. There was a sense of cohesion running throughout the mannequins and in store merchandising. There were big extravagant fevers on the mannequins which added to the quirkiness of the store. The fact that the windows looked clean and artistic separated the TRAID store apart from any other shop on the street. The diptych in fact can be seen as a representation of these two aspects: the process of transformation that brings unwanted clothes to a new life in the warehouse and the creative side of fashion expressed in TRAID’s shop windows. To portray these elements, Lorenzo Vitturi (a famous photographer) approached the subject using a method he has used in previous projects such as Dalston Anatomy where he collects and rearranges objects related to the subject to reveal and express the subject identity. The process involved Lorenzo experiencing the sorting process at our warehouse in Wembley where he collected unwanted textiles which he transformed into a beautiful sculpture for a still life. He then teamed up with TRAID window designer Francesco Colucci to create a sculptural outfit.
The staff welcomed us within 2 minutes of walking around which was pleasant. The store was a bit dusty in some areas and the shoes and accessories were arranged poorly and looked like they were just flung on the floor. All the garments where arranged in sections which made the navigation of the store accessible.
To improve the visual merchandising, I would hoover and polish daily. Perhaps have brighter lights to make the store feel cleaner and luxury. Even though it is a charity shop it would benefit the shop to not look or feel like one.