Visual Merchandising

In Store Window Display Mannequin Justification

 

Mannequins

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There are so many different types of mannequins. They range from realistic to abstract, you can get headless ones and child mannequins. They're also made from different materials with different finishes, and you then have all of the different poses you can purchase, so the variety is never ending.

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Depending on the type of mannequin you choose they can vary in price completely, but having a good mannequin can really impact on the customers perception of the store. The mannequin displays can give off a lot of information (visual cues) about the store, not only their products.

Mannequins are prone to injury so you really need to keep checking to ensure they are always looking as good as they can, but you can care for mannequins so simply, and is something that can save you a lot of money in the long run. Renovating mannequins can mean you don't need to replace them as often which can be quite costly. You need to continuously renovate your mannequins, keeping them looking clean and fresh, getting rid of any scratches or chips etc. Scruffy mannequins aren’t going to give off a very good impression of the store, and as you can see from the image below, I wouldn't be very impressed if I walked into a store to see that. 



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Mannequin Renevation

So this is the  mannequin I chose to renovate. This is  a torso mannequin without arms or legs. This one was in desperate need of improvement, as it was looking dull with many obvious chips and dents which needed filling.

As you can see from this image, is an obvious chip near the mannequins neck which is really clear to see. If this was in a shop it wouldn't look good at all. It could show the workers are careless, and can even bring customers to think that if the display is scrappy, their merchandise must be too, which could have a huge impact on sales. 

So to start off with I used some filler, to fill in all of the chips on the mannequin. And after this had dried it was ready so be sanded down to give a smooth finish over the whole mannequin body. 

At this point the mannequin is really dirty, which needed to be rid of before painting, so I gave it a wipe down ensuring it is dust free.

I started off painting the mannequin white, as the current colour is very dark and dull, and I wanted to ensure the pink would show up as bright as possible. 

This is the finished mannequin. Now with the filler and repaint you can no longer see any of the chips or marks originally on the mannequin, making it look much more professional.

 Mannequin Face Make-Up

So the mannequins make-up was a bit outdated and smudged to start off with, so it really needed a bit of touching up. I started off by cleansing the whole face with paint stripper, to get rid of all make up on the face. 

So now the face has a clean and smooth base, good to start a complete new look. 

I created a paint colour the same as the skin of the mannequin head which I would use on the eyelids, so that I have an even better base for the make-up to go onto, ensuring it will go on as well and stongly as possible.

So now the eyes have been done using eye shadow on top of the paint, I tried to use quite pale/natural colours for the eyes as I wanted a strong lip colour.

This is the final face make-up, which looks much better than previously. I feel it is much more up to date and stands out which is good when in a fashion retailer, as it means it is very eye catching. 

How to care for your mannequins:

You really need to take care of the mannequins by moving and assembling them correctly as they can break so easily. I am going to give you a few tips and tricks, on how to care for your mannequins

• The most vulnerable parts of the mannequin that need extra care are; fingers, hands, joints, face and neck
• Avoid knocking it into anything hard.
• Don't allow parts to fall
• Remove pencil like marks
• Smudges and marks - Remove with toothpaste, water, a sponge and a brush.
• Storage - Bubble wrap, soft cloths, and wrap delicate parts separately.
• Handle with clean hands, remove any jewellery and wear gloves.  

Things you need to watch for when creating a display are:

• Exposed price tags
• Improperly positioned wigs, hands, accessories
• Missing accessories or items of clothing
• Product substitutions
• Dirty looking skin
• Hosiery with runs, holes or sags
• Dusty/marked mannequin bases.

Things to consider:

• Shoppers should never have to search for stock.
• In store (editorial) mannequins should be positioned adjacent to the selling fixture.
• Regular weekly shoppers will want to see something new.
• Changes in position, groupings, and type of mannequins will keep the store looking fresh.

Grouping Mannequins:

• Interact with each other
• Large numbers should be broken into smaller groups
• Mannequins wearing trousers should be positioned behind ones wearing skirts.
• Short coats should be in front of longer ones