Window display competition winners
The winners of the RETAIL Skills Academy window display competition were announced last night at The Forum, Norwich, following the launch night fashion show for Norwich Fashion Week.
City College Norwich textiles student Lauren Loh, working with fashion retailer Nola on Timberhill in Norwich, were named as overall winners of the competition. Lauren’s display used ribbons and bows and origami birds set around bird cages, creating a fun and lively feel in the style of the Odd Molly brand.
Fellow textiles student Rachel Johnson, working with jewellers Winsor Bishop on London Street, Norwich, took the runners-up spot. Rachel’s display was designed to attract young couples looking for engagement rings, using an English countryside-themed display incorporating leaves, vines and berries.
The prize for both students will help them take their visual merchandising skills to the next level, as they will spend a week’s paid work experience at the Jarrold Department Store in Norwich, under the guidance of Visual Merchandising Manager Jane Evans.
There were also prizes for the retailers who had supported the competition, with Nola winning a free Mary Portas masterclass from the RETAIL Skills Academy and Winsor Bishop picking up a £100 voucher to spend on training at the Academy.
The window display competition saw each participating retailer paired with a student from City College Norwich, with the student and the retailer working together to design and dress a window. Each student supported their entry with a short written explanation of the objectives of the display and why they and the retailers had chosen the merchandise and other features used in their display.
The competition was judged by Jane Evans, Visual Merchandising Manager at Jarrold Department Store, Tina Olley, Visual Merchandiser at Vanilla (a previous competition winner) and Sue Dougal, Head of the RETAIL Skills Academy.
Competition-winning City College Norwich student Lauren Loh said, “I was shocked and surprised and really happy to win the competition. I want to do visual merchandising so it was a great experience and the staff at Nola were great”.
Owner of Nola, Sam Papworth, said, “We would just like to say congratulations to Lauren, we have had so much interest and positive feedback from her window display”.
Head of the Retail Skills Academy, Sue Dougal said, “The winning window showed a high level of originality, creativity and impact whilst highlighting Norwich Fashion Week and the products on offer from Nola.”
Ms Dougal added, “Retail is not just about being on the shop floor, there are many different career paths you can take. This competition gives retailers the opportunity to get fresh ideas for their window display that will hopefully attract more customers. It is also a great opportunity to bridge the gap between education and retail.”
