Robert and Caroline (Owner) in front of Robert’s Spring Window ‘Sakura’.

We are lucky to have Robert Doman (Robert Doman Design) as part of our team at Lola.  Robert is responsible for the visual displays at Lola and dresses our window.  Robert is a Freelance Window Designer.  He studied at The Fashion Retail Academy in London.

Robert is very passionate about his work and loves to create striking, theatrical and dynamic displays.  He is known for his amazing work in transforming bust forms and mannequins.

All of our window concepts have a narrative behind them……

Christmas 2010

The White Witch

‘Best Christmas Window in Harpenden 2010′

I asked Robert to create a Christmas Window.  Robert’s idea was to create a window that was by parts feminine, contemporary but harnessed a theme of nature, as all the products sold within are very natural. 

Robert drew upon the inspiration from the White Witch, from C.S. Lewis’s ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe’.  At the centre of the display is a bust form, which has been transformed using mod roc to sculpt in a winter bodice, with large twigs entwined up her body. Feather boas have been pinned to a frame made from wire, very much like a girdle, to create a dress. Surrounding/framing her, is red winter blossom, and natural twigs threaded with fairy lights. 

Amongst the foliage there is a mask also made from mod roc to further the narrative. In the book the witch has cast eternal winter across Narnia but her spell is breaking and the snow is melting. 

Robert felt this was reflected by the blossom breaking through the snow that lightly covers it, and the central figure standing dramatically at it’s middle almost imposing. A mood light has been placed in the right hand corner that changes colour throughout the evening.

 

 Valentines Day 2011

In late January the window was adapted for the approaching Valentines Day.

We chose to modify the bust form and enhance the surrounding foliage, whilst still using a classics children’s book as inspiration. In this case Lewis Carroll ‘Alice in Wonderland’ would provide a loose concept, with our lady becoming The Queen of Hearts, though with a more sophisticated feel. In the book famously the Queen’s roses are planted as white when they should be red and the stifled army of cards she employs rather desperately try to paint them red.

Crimson painted roses were placed amongst the winter flora bursting into life, whilst her skirt was enraptured with garlands of roses. Her bodice also transformed with large turrets of roses spiralling upwards, as if evolving into life from her. Threaded through the winter bracken were several complete houses of playing cards all of them hearts, reinforcing subtly that this was a Valentines window. It was also meant to suggest her army of cards at her command, enraptured around her. The effect this has is to make them look like they’re dancing around in a flurry, forming a discreet barely visible heart shape framing the magnificent Queen of Hearts. With the couple themselves (in card form) finely balanced serenading on the queen’s neck.  

 As Valentines is short lived, and a brand-new spring scheme was awaiting its reveal for the shops fourth birthday at the end of March, we needed a stopgap. Why not reinforce the queen’s army of cards, though this time the hearts disappearing to be replaced with spades, clubs and diamonds. They would morph into butterflies swarming the window rising and falling around her. The lady would now have large evolving shoulder pads made of cards upon cards locked in unison with her.

This sense of transforming and becoming is very much at the heart of our beauty shop, with the windows harnessing this. With the bust emitting this idea of transcending through finely sourced natural ingredients to give you and your body a sense of well-being.

 

‘Sakura’

Spring 2011

“ Finally breaking through the harsh bracken his limbs tired and aching, he fell exhausted into a small clearing. When he awoke still lying on the forest’s rich velvety moss covered floor he noticed a single tree at the centre. An eerie stillness pervaded as if he was in the presence of something beyond this world. Small specs of light broke through the forest’s vast dense roof, and fell at the tips of the tree. Was it a cherry blossom, for whilst it resembled one the closer you looked he was sure it resembled a woman. The air was still yet it, she began to move. The pink and white blossom swayed catching flecks of light, each fine petal illuminated becoming its own character, dancing to its own tune. Haru stood mesmerized in this strange dance of nature, falling under the spell of the majestic Sakura.”

 The end of March saw Lola celebrating its fourth birthday, and with that a new window to mark the occasion. We chose to deviate away from classic children’s books for this scheme, instead taking       inspiration from Japan and its Ukiyo (Pictures of the floating world) artists. These artists who were significant in the 17^th to 20^th century would create their art through paintings and woodblock prints. Many of these would be of landscapes and tales from history and one of the last great artists of this period Hiroshige, was the catalyst for this window.

 I wanted to create the effect of something touched by magic drifting on the wind and again we wanted nature to be the strongest element, with our lady Sakura (cherry blossom) bursting into life. Cherry blossoms in Japanese culture are often used as a metaphor for the cycle of life and we wanted our window to articulate the beauty and joy of living.  

Natural foliage was entwined into the framework alongside many branches of cherry blossom and a large headdress was sculptured into her neck with mod roc extending into the foliage becoming all as one. A mask was placed almost hanging in mid air with sculptured check bones to create a spectral face, giving the lady a regal poise. The whole effect was to create something touched by magic drifting on the wind.

With the summer scent in the air a new window will emerge with a certain garden giving up it’s secret’s.