design:retail - October 2017 - 26

the visual eye

026

Heritage &
Handcraftsmanship

PETER-TOLIN BAKER
VISUAL MERCHANDISING SPECIALIST
P-T B DESIGN SERVICES

ptb@ptbdesignservices.com

A

FAVORITE ASSIGNMENT
I was once given by this

publication involved
photographing and reporting on an event
at New York's Museum of Arts &
Design at which the famed Ralph
Pucci mannequin sculptor, Michael
Evert, was "live sculpting" the likeness of Bergdorf Goodman's Senior
Vice President (and fashion icon)
Linda Fargo, as part of the exhibition,
"The Art of The Mannequin."
While Evert and Fargo casually
conversed about design, their work
and inspirations throughout the sitting, he sculpted her likeness out of
clay. The attending museum guests
were enraptured, enjoying the conversation while
witnessing how the dynamics between the sculptor, the model muse and even the audience came
together to help inform and define the actual
sculpted bustform.
That type of collaborative interchange and
interaction-the transference between people, materials and the process of crafting something by
hand, versus by a machine-is both inspiring and
valuable in ways that are oftentimes hard to define
or justify within a commercial, mass-produced
retail environment.
Interest in the artistry and craft of products
rose to particular prominence during a period
of history oftentimes likened to today. The Arts
& Crafts movement, as it came to be known, occurred in America and Europe in the late 19th
and early 20th centuries, essentially promoting
the values of handcraftsmanship over industrial
mass production.
It was a time of significant changes in technology,
communications, transportation and urban versus
rural politics; all of which fueled the public's debate

OCTOBER 2017

DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM

and discourse about the rapid changes and the forces at work behind America's emerging role on the
global stage (anxieties that were oftentimes directed
against minorities, immigrants, communism and
the press). Against this backdrop rose an interest and
appreciation for products that were made by hand,
one-of-a-kind versus endless repetition, and made
in a manner that harkened back to a simpler place
and time, however idealized that distant past was.
With today's global tech world, and endless
news and politics, it is not surprising that we
have witnessed a heightened interest in heritage
brands and handcraftsmanship. As consumers,
we don't have to look far to see the range of
products and services promoted as bespoke and
artisanal. Heritage brands abound with all the
implied qualities of goods made-to-order, in a traditional or non-mechanized way-be it a craft beer,
denim jeans or a leather bag. The ongoing challenge is for these businesses and brands to continue
to provide handcrafted products and services that
are relevant for today's market; if not competitive
in price, then competitive in quality.

GLOBALSHOP.ORG

In retail design, the level of art
and craft in the making of store
display forms and fixtures oftentimes is overlooked, with the
final emphasis most often stuck
on what is newest, fastest and the
least expensive. This goes beyond
the still-current, albeit waning,
interior design love affair with retroindustrial chic (think vintage
filament Edison light bulbs and
such). What is important to note is
that handcrafted sample and production work still is essential in
many of the products we use in
display-from jewelry display forms
to mannequins, custom fixtures
and furniture.
But really, if we can mechanize design and production, is it really so bad that these time-honored,
apprenticed skills in handcrafted goods fade away?
How would our industry suffer the loss?
This is not to say there are not new, amazing and
valuable sample and production processes that
exist today that we should embrace and use, such
as 3-D printers and robotics. Rather, these newer
processes may help create the heritage brands of
tomorrow, and perhaps represent select design and
production skills that we may one day consider
threatened with becoming obsolete.
With some effort and foresight, we should be
able to support businesses that dazzle with new
technology and inventiveness, or attract you with
low prices, as well as those with historic legacies
and superior craftsmanship carried forward from
another time and place. Keep an eye on it.
PETER-TOLIN BAKER IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED WITH DESIGN AND
CONTENT SOLUTIONS FOR RETAILERS, BRANDED EVENTS AND
EXPERIENTIAL ENVIRONMENTS AS OWNER OF PTB DESIGN
SERVICES AND AS A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR TO DESIGN:RETAIL.

Photo by FOTOINFOT/SHUTTERSTOCK
http://www.DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM http://www.GLOBALSHOP.ORG
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of design:retail - October 2017
