Bought a Netflix account and started to live a life of British and American dramas. When I first saw Mr. Selfridge, I wondered if it was a TV series or a documentary?
Selfridge & Co is my favourite London department store, bar none. Harrods is too imposing and a little repressed; Liberty is a model of small and beautiful, but a little cramped (I still like Liberty's own products, the printed bags and scarves are beautiful.) Selfridge looks serious from the outside. , ancient and solemn, but the window is clearly a young and flamboyant soul. Every time I pass by Oxford Street and see the windows surrounded by stickers, I secretly look forward to a new exhibition.
Halfway through the first season, I wrote some Catch to my novelty. I like to go shopping and I have become accustomed to many decorations and sales methods, but this drama made me go back to the original point and follow the protagonist's point of view to see how the retail department store has gradually become what it is now.
1. They don't know what they want until they see it!!
In the first episode, Mr. Selfridge buys gloves from the clerk, Miss Tao Le, in a store. He asked Taura to put all the gloves on the counter and asked her which one she liked best. In that era, all the products were put in the cabinet. You asked the salesperson for it, and she would get it for you. And Miss Tao Le's move cost her her job. Fortunately, the vexater she encountered was Mr. Selfridge.
Laying everything out was the first step in the evolution of retail, and internet search engines (and deep learning?) accelerated the second. Many times now people have a vague impression of what they want, but don't know what it is. For example, if I really want a necklace with black elements, then I can add the black filter to the necklace. It can even be more obscure, like, I want a bottom that goes with a blue T-shirt. I don't know exactly what I want, I will describe to you what I want, but I also want to see all possibilities.
2. Window Designer
Before coming to London, before meeting Selfridge, I probably didn't really get a taste of what Window Design is. Although each store will have its own window, there will be many furnishings. But the traditional window design is for products and services, which better highlights the style of the new products of the season. For example, when selling beach pants and casual T, the background is coconut grove beach. A small floral skirt can be matched with a white bicycle and a green street scene. But Selfridge's windows are not at all. It's an exhibition of modern art, like this season's Radical Luxury. Full of visual impact, Fancy. It is a deeper fantasy than a realistic set.
3. Ready-to-wear
In those days, clothes were still made to order. At least for Selfridge, which is positioned at the high end, selling ready-to-wear seems to have fallen off. However, by showing the latest black cloak through Pavlova, everyone can buy the clothes they want at the moment of impulse, which can be regarded as a kind of prototype of Internet celebrities.
4. Cosmetics
At that time, many cosmetics were only standard in theaters, such as lipstick and blush with sexual metaphors. Although the upper class ladies will use it, but it is also difficult to be elegant. And Mr. Selfridge put cosmetics on the first floor. This is pretty much what most department stores do today.
5. Perfume
As soon as you open the revolving door of Selfridge, you will be half-smoked by the perfume counter. It turned out to be because the horse manure on Oxfordstreet was too much and smelly, haha.
View more about Mr Selfridge reviews
