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Dior, arguably one of the world's most widely recognized names in the retail world, designs and sells clothing for men and women that is as stylish as it is well-made. But in the fashion arena, the way the clothing is presented, displayed and marketed - the sizzle - is equally essential. That includes catching the eye of the potential buyer through attractive, in-store window displays that show the clothing in its best light.

Dior's Visual Designers approached Jean Pierre Brodur, owner of Canzoneri Design, to create new windows that reflected the look and feel of their national ad campaign, featuring a model in front of a multi-dimensional, geometric wall. How that was to be achieved was up to Brodur and his team.

"Dior always comes up with interesting design ideas that are completely original in terms of colors, finishes and overall appearance," said Brodur, who also serves as Canzoneri's lead designer. "This was a visual display intended to support a national ad campaign, so it needed to be done right."

"Often our clients will mandate the use of particular colors or finishes that we have to track down and incorporate into the design," Brodur explained. "The challenge with this project was trying to find a hot pink mirrored acrylic, which simply did not exist.

"When we're looking for a standard silver or gold item, they're found just about anywhere," he said. "But a unique or custom color tends to present an extremely long turnaround time for production, which is a problem with time-sensitive, seasonal displays. Also, the quality is usually just not there."

Even in the realm of standardized products, there can be serious issues.

"We've ordered off-the-shelf acrylics from vendors that have had noticeable inconsistencies," Brodur said. "As an example, we received gold sheets that contained large burn marks. When we order a number of sheets and we're under a short time frame to produce a display, getting broken or imperfect sheets can really slow us down."

Brodur began searching for a source that could provide cost-effective acrylic material to meet Dior's specifications, and quickly. After extensive research, he found Acrilex, Inc., a leading producer and distributor of high-end, custom-colored acrylics. Through discussions with Acrilex, the designers determined that the company's Acriglas Neon Lights line was the right product to use for this application.

Offered in bright, day-glow colors, these acrylic sheets are designed to "pop" when viewed, similar to the way that highlighting markers make important text leap from the page. Each sheet has a standard matte finish on one side, offering better light diffusion, anti-glare surface and a softer appearance. The reverse side has the same glossy surface as traditional acrylic sheets, providing a sleek, shiny appearance.

Canzoneri produced a set of 9 x 6 foot, multi-dimensional walls at one of its Sothern California studios. The backdrop was created from melamine, with a geometric pattern attached to it. The design consisted of 3 x 3 foot sections of repetitive patterns, each containing a number of pink cones, or pyramids, lined up in a horizontal or vertical direction; the adjoining sections lined up in opposite directions, creating a kind of "Levelor" shade look. The cones were meticulously cut from the Acriglas and glued to the top of the sub-strip.

When viewers look straight at the structure, the only thing they see are the patterns; the supporting substrate is invisible. The Acriglas sheets were the perfect choice for the display design as they maintain their color and visual appeal when backlit. The way the light interplays with the reflective, mirror-like acrylic designs creates a visually captivating display.

"Acriglas was a quality product; we didn't experience any difficulty working with it," he said. "It was simple to cut, and easy to mold and attach to the substrate wall. It didn't break or chip like some acrylics we've used before."

Lighting in the stores can vary from location to location; depending on the time of day. The Beverly Hills store features large windows, almost 20 feet tall. Over the course of the day, sun streamed through these windows, casting an enormous amount of natural light on the display. In the evening, overhead floodlights produce an entirely different effect. Regardless of the type of light, the Acriglas reflects it to best advantage, adding noticeable richness to the display.

The installation went into stores in the last quarter of 2007. The displays lasted for about 30 days. While some retailers stretch the use of a display for an entire season, Dior generally prefers to switch out window scenes more frequently. As a result, the displays must make a strong impact in a shorter time frame.

But the real test of the display's effectiveness is how the customers react.

"I can tell you from being in some of the stores at the time of the installations that there was a great deal of positive feedback from people passing by," Brodur recalled. "We heard a lot of them say how interesting and unusual the displays were. It's obvious that we got their attention."

Brodur says he would absolutely use the Acriglas product in future projects. "Besides the durability and the consistency of the product, the fact that we were able to get it in the exact color we needed, and within a reasonable time frame, was a huge benefit," he said. "I can't see any reason why we wouldn't use it again to create a huge splash."

SOURCE: Dior