As I have been planning on jumping onto the blogging
bandwagon (about fifteen years late, I might add), I thought it only right for
Fashion & Florentines’s first post to be about both my new exciting job and
Birmingham’s well awaited arrival: John Lewis.
Oh man, I have been so excited to be a part of this venture.
If any of you reading this happen to know me personally, I’m not the jump up
and down squealing ‘yay’ type. In fact, unless I’m faced with something edible
I don’t tend to raise my voice above a certain decibel.
But THIS has been a wonderful adventure, one which the
actual branch partners (you heard. PARTNERS) only joined in the last couple of
months. This has been in the making for years, with so many insanely hard
working people getting it ready for yesterday’s grand opening. I can only take
two or three weeks credit on it, the teams building the in store fixtures,
departments and general interiors have been at it for a substantial amount of
time longer. And that’s just taking Visual in to account. If I mentioned trainers,
logistics, planning etc. my first blog post would be about 700 other people.
I was a Visual Merchandiser at House of Fraser for a couple
of years, and that was great, my first job in the ‘field’. Before that, I was
making quarter shot decaf skinny wet hazelnut flat whites (shout out to EAT, I
miss my discount, what you saying?) and although it was fun, I was dying to start
my career properly, in something relevant to my degree. I know it’s a luxury in
this current economical and social state to be in a job relevant to your
educational background, especially if that background was, brace yourself,
creative.
But I gambled my barista job for an unpaid month placement
which, thank the lord of money and mental health, turned into a full time paid
job. I’ll never forget my first day at House of Fraser. I was wearing jeans and
a baggy shirt and someone who started on the same day came in wearing leather
and metal and chiffon and spikes and just loads of other precious materials
which wouldn’t last three seconds in the store. Even then, as fresh meat, I
remember thinking “buddy, what are you dressed for?” She never showed up
again.
My Nan would tell people in Cyprus, that I was a window
dresser. I can’t fault the logic, she’s used to the golden age of visual
merchandising; the unveiling of Christmas windows and ethereal imagery a department
store window would fill Corporation Street with. Basically, an episode of Mr
Selfridge. Alas, a few decades down the line, we are not the Miranda Priestlys
of the store’s hierarchy and pecking order. We don’t strut with sequin gowns in
our hands and leave open mouthed, awe-stricken shop floor staff in our wake,
wishing they had our artistic flair. We tend to run, with bits of ceiling dust
in our hair, holes in our leggings, sale
banners and seven thousand and eighty one little bits and bobs shoved in our
pockets (to avoid a second trip, obviously. Department stores are huge; do I
look like an athlete to you?) We are all, collectively called by one name.
“VISUAL! DID YOU GET MY EMAIL?”
Although I am always first to burst someone’s bubble when
they assume my job role is glamorous, I’m so happy about that truth. I
absolutely love that there is no other role in retail, comparable to that of a
merchandiser or a visual merchandiser. We are the set designers. We are
spending 48 hours preparing and putting up banners for a promotion that lasts
for an afternoon. Then we take everything down and stow it away for next
time. I’d come home with bruises, scratches
and injuries the inanimate mannequins would cause, I learned how to drill and
wallpaper in that first VM job of mine. 20-something windows and in-store
displays, and a couple of golden nurturers made me a fully functioning VM,
ready to take on my next challenge.
Unless you’ve been boycotting news/internet/human
interaction/the spoken word, you will have heard of John Lewis opening in
Birmingham. There’s one in Solihull, but Birmingham has been so ready for its
own branch. We are now the only city outside of London to have all the major
department stores. YES, second city! The new new New Street opened at the start
of the week, but yesterday marked Grand Central’s first day of trade. Grand
Central might not open as shiny and polished as John Lewis will, but it won’t
take long for the other shops to turn their lights on. I am so excited for
Tiger, White Company, Kiehl’s and a few other brands to set up shop. But I am
insanely ready for Cocomacs and Frizzenti. Sparkling wine and macaroons? Try to
find four words that will please me more. I dare you.
The wonderful thing about merchandising in a department
store is that it would be mentally impossible to get bored of your job. There
are floors, escalators, departments separating you from boredom every day. I
used to think I wanted to be a VM for a High Street brand, but now I’ve
experienced the pace of a department store, there’s no going back. This post
isn’t here as a review of John Lewis Birmingham. I’m a part of it, I’ve lived
in it for a little while now and I am already in love with it. I want you to go
and explore the floors, and tell me what you think.
The best bits for you to go
to see are the... ENTIRE home department, the Christmas shop that you are lucky
to get a week before other stores (I’ve already decided what baubles I’m going
for), the completely new “Loved & Found” on Womenswear Floor 2, which is a
cutting edge fashion edit, (seriously, I’m going to lose a huge cut of my wages
to that department) Denmark’s own Joe & The Juice, an insane toys
department and for the love of all that is sugar coated – Gift Foods. Seriously.
Gift Foods. You may think I just listed the entire store, but I didn’t.
There is something really quite brilliant about being part
of a new store opening. I’m in a team of about 12, and we all got to meet each
other on the exact same day, all of us are learning about our new employer together.
If you’re a VM, a merchandiser, or working in retail, I cannot stress enough
how powerful being part of a brand new store opening is. It’s even better if
chaos is your happy place.
Even though I was lucky enough to be here, making history on
Day One of John Lewis Birmingham, I now have a very ill-timed holiday to go on,
back to the motherland.
I will be back from Cyprus in two weeks, a few stone
heavier. Let me know what you think of Birmingham’s changes.
Emily
x
P.S Seriously. Gift Foods. I’m not lying to you.
