Respire Retail Collage

Someone once told me, "when it comes to spreading ideas, collage is contagious".  So here goes...

This particular collage is a collection of initial inspirations for a high-end boutique specializing in women's scarves and coats.  The boutique's concept is respire, which I am attempting to look at through a French lens, which could go beyond breathing to mean inhaling and exuding.  From here, I began to play connect the thoughts:  Respire... wind blown scarves... kufiyas... Parisian chic... tailored coats... handwriting... And then, aspects of the boutique's physical character began to come into focus starting with the color scheme.  Associating color with respire, I landed on the elegant potted lemon trees brought indoors during the winter months to add color and scent to a gray and dormant season (like a breath of fresh air!).  And so it came to be: Dark brown, yellow, green and white for the lemon tree and black and white for the winter.  At this point, texture and light could be brought into the larger picture, where things such as wire armature connect well with the ornate ironwork of Parisian balconies, glossy plastic and sculptural surfacing could be a modern nod towards the textile-rich merchandise and pattern emitting lighting adds glitz and interest with relative simplicity.