© 2011 Google, Map Data © 2011 Google, Sanborn. Inset image property of Chute Gerdeman.

On a recent visit to San Francisco, I made sure to save some time to visit the Westfield Mall on Market Street to be inspired by the latest retail brands. One store location that distinguished itself from the large expanse of stores was Herve Leger by Max Azria. Read more…

Images via psfk.com, wwd.com , joefresh.com

Editor’s Note: Once in awhile we come across something noteworthy and we we want to share it with our readers. However, due to a variety of reasons (it’s too new to obtain research, it’s in a far-away land that we can’t quite reach, etc.) we don’t quite know what to do about it other than tell you “Hey. This is amazing and you should know about it.” Show & Tell is a collection of those recent things.

1. Weatherproof, one of the nation’s leading value-driven clothing manufacturers in men’s outerwear and sportswear, women’s and children’s apparel, recently added 32 Weatherproof, a more active technological outwear collection designed to help the wearer retain body heat. With this new product line came a new, 2,000 s.f. flagship store in SoHo. The retail space, cleverly called Apartment 32, is designed to look like an urban home complete with a couch, kitchen counter, suspended bicycle, a guitar and other residential touches. “Residents,” as associates are referred to, greet “houseguests” (a.k.a. customers). Houseguests must leave their tech at the door so “people will have to actually to talk to each other,” says Freddie Stollmak, Weatherproof’s president. They can charge their phones while they shop. A weekly event called “date night” will offer shoppers extended hours, with cocktails.

2. Ben Sherman‘s new Toronto store incorporates the same design and technology from its refurbished London flagship location. The front window is devoted to showcasing seasonal goods with an interactive element. Passersby are able to utilize a control panel to spin the items around, robot-style. This technology brings theater to retail even when the store is closed. The design is noteworthy, too. Shirt bars serve as focals and come complete with top notch customer service reps cleverly referred to as “shirtelliers.” See more photos and read more about the design here.

3. Canadian brand Joe Fresh, offering stylish and affordable apparel and accessories to men, women and children, has now opened its first U.S. stores in New York and New Jersey after a successful summer test in the Hamptons. Known in the industry for being a fashion-forward thinker and at the forefront of emerging trends, Joe Miram serves as Creative Director for the brand. He personally oversees the design and development of all Joe Fresh brand collections, delivering accessible of-the-moment style at incredible prices, season-after-season. Check out joefresh.com to see why we think this brand is bringing a fresh concept to the U.S. retail scene.

Image via Danier

This weekend, Danier will unveil its newest look at Square One Mall in Toronto! In case you are unfamiliar, Danier is North America’s leading vertically integrated designer, manufacturer and retailer of quality leather apparel and accessories for women and men.

Chute Gerdeman is excited to have partnered with this Canadian retailer to bring a more fashion-focused store design to this beloved brand. Collaborating with Danier, we crafted an in-store experience that customers are sure to love.

Check back for more in the coming weeks. We can’t wait to share this new store experience with you.

Image © RayLaVoie.com

“Make toast, not toasters.” This was one of the many things I took away from a recent CSCA event featuring guest speaker Claudia Chow of HUGE design inc. As arbitrary and nonsensical as this advice seems, it is actually very useful and applicable to all design practices.

HUGE design is an interactive design studio out of Brooklyn, NY where Chow is a creative director. What started in 1999 as four guys in an apartment in Brooklyn has since grown to over 400 employees with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Rio de Janeiro and Singapore. Their breadth of work within the interactive world is impressive and includes clients such as Pepsi, JetBlue, HBO and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

So, what does it mean to “make toast, not toasters”? During her talk, Chow gave us a little insight into her design process and how it has led to her success over the years. She spoke about using design as a means to solve problems for people. The problems may be small or large, but if the solution or design works well then a good design has been achieved. She noted that this is one of the many reasons she considers design to be terrifying, because for every problem there will be a different solution, which means there will also be a different process to reach the end design. What she was emphasizing is that there is no set formula or equation to create a successful design. Too often, we focus on trends or solutions and processes that have worked in the past instead of thinking of new ways to solve the problem. In other words, we should be thinking of how to make toast, not how to make a new toaster.

It was yet another successful and inspirational CSCA event. I can’t wait to check out their next event!