When Life Styling created the live Window display for Mercy in Action Wantage
When I think about creative and circular fashion, the excitement of discovering gems in charity shops really starts this journey for me. And one particular store stands out for me, a charity shop that incorporates a feeling of connection, excitement’s and uniqueness, and for me (by far) the best in Oxfordshire. Mercy in Action Wantage has this unique look, one that’s creative, one that evokes ideas and excitements, and one that is very reasonably priced. But don’t take my word for it, I was lucky enough to hear from all the many customers during my time in store, and wow I was blown away….
Rewind to the start of this story, where Lorraine (store manager and vintage expert) asked if I would come and do a live window display in store focused on circular and re-imagined fashion. It was an instant yes from me, as the styling and connection to the store was there. I had at the time been working of re-imagining some unique pieces, and often the broken jewellery comes from this store.
So I had a unique mission to create a feeling in the window, as well as feature myself creating and sharing my process. Here’s the inspiration and ideas from both windows I was lucky enough to create:
‘IF IN DOUBT WEAR DENIM” – this felt like a natural idea, as vintager Levis has always been my fav to re-imagine. I wanted to create a feeling of individuality and fun, so our mannequins were vibrant and each wearing a re-imagined denim piece. Then to the live creating – I was about to embark on my first Oxfordshire Art week, so it felt fitting to share the creating process. I found a white petticoat in store as well as some broken gems, and created a floral display on the skirt. The most beautiful part of this window was the interaction with the staff and customers, getting their feedback on the window and store was so important to me, and in the end we filled a giant heart with their comments!
‘SUMMER SOLSTICE’ – celebrating the summer with re-imagined fabric flowers I had created as well as featuring ‘LOLA’ the famous Mercy in Action mannequin – we made her a floral crown and she wore a skirt that took 3 months to create – symbolising growth and the peak into summer fruition. I wanted to challenge myself on this window, so I drew my very first large fashion illustration on the window, creating a petal dress, where the post it notes (feedback from customers) could fill it.
A unique visual merchandising experience especially in such a sustainable circular way. Thank you to Lorraine and team!
The ‘make your magic’ denim jacket was donated to the store and sold instantly to a wonderful women looking for something unique to wear to a festival.
