Blog Post February 2019 by Wendy Dobing


Posted on February 14, 2019 at 09.58AM


 Street armour

Walking along the streets of London's Mayfair on a cold rainy Saturday afternoon, I walked past the trendy luxury retailer, Louis Vuitton. Expecting to see the colourful and slightly eccentric promotional shop displays, I was instead met with both in the form of a street hoarding. A wonderful design using a 3D pattern that looks like quilting, my eyes were drawn to the promotion of a new and improved store opening soon and the promise of something wonderful currently happening within. On the street I noticed that people were interacting with this 3D design, something that I really didn't expect. People were touching it, remarking on it and more than anything using it as an interesting backdrop for their selfies.

On the business social media site Linkedin I noticed a discussion about this hoarding. Most people within the discussion seemed to be intrigued and impressed but there were a few traditionalists that argued that it was not in keeping with the 'look of the street'. I understand this, however, as it is a temporary installation I think: why not! It is nice to see a company going beyond the norm and going for something memorable and provocative. It is imaginative and a bit daring and by the time anyone officially complains about it (via the council) it will have been removed anyway, revealing the new re-opened store.

For me as a photographer it is a fantastic bit of street promotional artwork. Not only for the bright colours and texture but also for the contrast as people walk past with their umbrellas, pose by the walls or interact with the walls is all good for the camera! I hope I see more of this in the future. The rain augments the design further by reflecting the colour pop subtly on the wet street.