2023/05 Akris – FuoriOrticola by Tatiana Tokar
Details:
Akris
FuoriOrticola with Tatiana Tokar
Spring-Summer 2009
Via della Spiga 21, Milan
Review:
by Peter Hamer
may 11, 2023
Oh how I LOVE Akris, and this display is the reason why.
This concept takes place during Milan’s Flower Show: Orticola1. For one week, a selection of events related to flowers take place all around the city. One of these events includes a contest, Le Vetrine Fiorite, in which shops are invited to display a floral composition in their windows. The conditions for participating? Floral arrangements must be made in collaboration with a flower designer, and they must include fresh flowers sourced from Pastor Flowers. Now that we’ve left these technicalities aside, let’s get to the concept!!!
For this edition, Akris collaborates with flower designer Tatiana Tokar, a Como-based wedding florist. The window, entirely dedicated to the contest, is the one on the corner of Via Gesù and Via della Spiga. And while the boutique is no stranger to this contest, there’s something that hits differently. The floral selection includes gerbere, garofani, crisantemi and allium, in shades of arancione, rosa, lila, and verde. (Don’t tell me that doesn’t sound better in Italian!) Whereas the composition, made on an existing store prop, elegantly cascades and hugs the cube in a determined way. It has character.
Now while the composition is beautiful, it serves as an invitation to discover the depth of the story behind the display. And this is the thing about this display that’s different, the composition complements the story, it’s not just an add-on. Taking a look from afar, you see the products and poster are coordinated with the design of the bouquet. As a matter of fact, may I say Tokar did a wonderful job at mimicking the print on the dress? This decision, unwillingly leveraged the product on display because it creates dialogue. But no, it doesn’t stop there. The dress on display is not from the current season, you’d have to know-your-Akris to realize it’s a dress from Spring-Summer 2009! Is this product for sale? I don’t know. But does it matter? Well, I have a theory…
First, while the brand has been celebrating its centennial, it has been constantly informing us through its displays of different brand codes. Previous displays have talked about the use of horsehair and the trapezoid shape, while this one talks about the use of prints. As a matter of fact, the product on display reflects the moment in time when Akris started to experiment with prints. And by reminding us fourteen years later reminding us of this fact, increases the perception of the value of the product. Secondly, this window coincides with the opening of “Akris. Fashion. selbstverständlich” at the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich which explores the inspirations of the international St. Gallen fashion house while providing insight into the sophisticated craftsmanship or technical processes behind the collections2. Could this window be a discreet invitation to the exhibition?
Over the last couple of months, Akris has approached their VM differently: it’s simply more careful. The brand has increasingly been showcasing coherent displays that leverage the boutique’s 7 big and 6 niche windows in a more efficient way and this display is witness to that.
I’ve always said that “If you put flowers in the window, you sell flowers”. And while all my students have heard me say this phrase, in this case, Akris really is not selling flowers. They took this local event as an opportunity and used it as a starting point to create a relevant story that connects with past, current, and future customers of the brand. And while Akris has been faithful to this local event, this time they really made it work for them.
1Orticola Milan’s Flower Show was created in 1996 for national and international specialised nurseries. Proceeds from the show go to greening the city.
2https://museum-gestaltung.ch/en/ausstellung/akris/
