It is such fun to watch excellence in action, no matter where it happens to be found. Even better if it happens to show up in ones particular area of interest. By changing it often, Dash’s treats this store front design like a blog, allowing it to attract the interest of locals as well as visitors. I walk out of my way just to see what is up. I will be shopping there, thanks to the window, the next time a need a gift for the men in my family. So what makes it work?
To start with, the natural architecture, already oozing with quaint, is given a decidedly turn of the century Austrian flair by dint of the permanently placed gargoyles and wreathe on the transom shelf. Add the multi panned window arrangement and the place might be right out of a BBC movie set; all the better to conjure visions of high quality haberdashery. Add the attention grabbing black and white planter below the window, which by the way is able to counter the reflections on the glass, and then finish the presentation off with super organized visual merchandising, including the message decals, end view of the suits, and pointed ties all lined up in neat little rows like a line of soldiers on parade. The place not only delivers a really strong retail message, it sets up a shopping experience.
Bridget Gaddis of Gaddis Architect is a Licensed Architect and LEED-accredited Professional practicing nationally, and locally in the Washington DC area. She holds professional degrees in both Architecture and Interior Design, and with a comprehensive background in commercial retail design, planning and construction has completed projects for such for such well known brands as Chloe, Zegna, and Bvlgari. Her career began in tenant coordination and site planning for two well-known Cleveland developers, followed by six years in store planning for a national retailer. After a move to New York City in 1997, she spent the next years working for architecture firms specializing in retail projects. In 2011 she started her own practice in Alexandria, VA. Ms. Gaddis is the author of two blogs dealing with architectural subjects.