Window prepping

An impressive window display at Fortnum & Mason, London. The complete structure on which the product has been placed rotates. Any movement within a window will attract customers’ attention, because they are used to viewing static displays.

Once it has been decided which products are to be used, it is wise to collect everything and prepare it beforehand. This will save valuable dressing time.

Preparing merchandise, or “prepping” as it is commonly known, will speed up the window-dressing process. Clothing can be selected in advance and ironed or steamed, price tags can be removed, and, in some cases, mannequins can be dressed away from the windows and added later. Fashion dressers may often require hosiery and other accessories; these should also be selected during the prep time.

Household goods can be picked and prepped: glasses cleaned, labels removed, and fabrics ironed. The more prepping that is done in advance, the less work there will be when a window is being dressed. Once the products are selected and prepped, they can be added to the window.

A life-size and realistic giraffe fills an entire window at Louis Vuitton, London. This window has been designed not only to display products but also to attract customers through its quirkiness.