Upmarket stationery brand and retailer Smythson succeeds in making a bold statement at Selfridges Oxford Street, as John Ryan discovers.
One of the more difficult challenges any brand or retailer can face is taking space in a very large host department store. There will, of course, be substantial footfall, possibly greater than on a high street, but there is also the competition to be considered, both from other offers and the store itself, which will provide a broad range of rival attractions.
However, the new Selfridges Oxford Street shop-in-shop from Smythson, purveyor of high-end stationery, shows what is possible, purely by using colour to good effect.
With interior design realised by Itab, this is a large space by department store standards. Pride of place goes to a display of notebooks with a sky-blue perimeter feature at its heart, while grey shelving and white tables deliver a neutral backdrop for the brightly coloured stock.
Although the tones are vibrant, the area stays on the right side of brashness while still managing to demand attention, whether that is for the posh notebooks or the associated leather accessories and handbags.
This is about being heard above the background visual noise, without shouting.
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