Work It Wednesday - #MacysBTS

It doesn't seem right that it's only mid-August, and I'm talking about back-to-school. Truth be told, I've been setting up BTS at the store for about four weeks now. It broke my heart when I was setting a graphic for an aisle statement and a little girl grabbed her friend and said, "Look! She's holding a sign that says back to school, but we just got out! That's not right!"

Kid, you have no idea...

Despite the retail industry speeding up BTS, and pretty much everything in general (swimsuits in April? Christmas in October?), I'm pretty excited about some of the work I've done to prep the store for BTS. Here are some pictures of the ledge I set up geared toward Millennials:

Also, my boss asked for my input regarding some visual collateral we could create to beef up our BTS presentation in the Juniors' department. When she asked me what I thought of when I thought of BTS, I immediately mentioned chalkboards, backpacks and school supplies. I then suggested that if we could create some chalkboards with the paint you can buy (thank god for Pinterest, or I might have never known about this paint!), we could hang some chalkboards over the Juniors' runway. Here is the result of my stroke of brilliance:

Once we built the chalkboards, I had a blast with the chalk getting them all beautified and colorful. I hadn't played with chalk since I was a kid - I don't remember it being as messy and dusty as it was the day I did this project. But no matter, it was so much fun!

What comes to mind when you think of Back to School? Does it bug you that these seasonal events come earlier and earlier every year?

Cashmere

Soft Sweater, Warm Sweater, made of goat fur, Snuggly Sweater, Pretty Sweater, perfect lay-er!
Big Bang Theory fans might enjoy singing the above lyrics to the tune of "Soft Kitty."

My store is one of 42 Macy's locations across the country selling Charter Club cashmere earlier than normal... which seems crazy, considering it was 90-100 degrees last week. I'm not convinced that our customers are ready for sweaters, but I still love the shop. It's so pretty (and snuggly, and soft, and warm)! I had a lot of fun working on this project, and it's the first time I've done all of the visual by myself (lettering on the wall, the mounted sweater bar, the light box, the mannequins and the bust form), so I feel like a proud mama. Here are some photos I snapped with my phone (hence the crazy lighting):

Maison Jules launching at Macy's next month

Have you heard the news? Macy's is introducing two new private line Millennial brands in August - Q Mack and Maison Jules. The store I work at will be making room for Maison Jules, and I am very excited to work with the product. Seriously, I can't wait to set up the visual collateral for the shop! We're getting a red beach cruiser bicycle to raffle off, but before it leaves the store, it will be part of my visual presentation. (I already called dibs for the first ride through the store... if I manage to get some photos, I will be sure to post them here!) I wish we were getting Q Mack as well, but I will have to go to the Boston store for that. In the meantime, I've been drooling over their Facebook page!

Maison Jules is a "Girl Next Door" collection with Parisian flair. Who doesn't love a little Paris-inspired flair for their wardrobe? Picture it: tees in quirky (but cute!) conversational prints, feminine A-line dresses belted at the waist, color-blocked skirts, leggings, skinny pants, and cardigans. The collection is all about knits, cute little dresses, and layering pieces which are perfect for mixing and matching. Here are some of my favorite pieces and looks:

I'm obsessing over the polka dot dress, yellow boyfriend cardigan, and that cute bicycle printed tee. My rule of thumb when shopping is to come up with three to five different ways to wear an item with the stuff already in my closet. These three pass the test with flying colors... Macy's might as well keep my pay check. To see the entire line, head over to your local Macy's next month, or check it out on their website, here.

Also, here's some of the hype about this new private line at the following sites:

• Refinery 29 - Macy's And Garance Doré Team Up For A New Parisian-Inspired Line — Ooh La La!
• Elle.com - Maison Jules Creates Bikes with the Martone Cycling Company - Macy's New Maison Jules Brand

And check out Jeanne Damas, the "It Girl" behind the collection. Her personal blog has some gorgeous photos! http://jeannedamas.blogspot.com/

Oversized Barbies and Arts and Crafts

So, it has been two weeks since I started my new job as part of the visual team for Macy's, and I have come to the conclusion that it is SO MUCH FUN. As the title of the post can attest, I basically get to dress oversized Barbies and play arts and crafts five days a week, but with smart business decisions behind both activities. Love! LOVE!

We're prepping for Mother's Day (don't worry, it's a month away... you still have time to go shopping), and just finished setting the ledge over the fine jewelry counter (next to the escalator, a highly-visible display area). Here are some photos of the project!:

The floral star in progress!

 

 

It's done!

A view from the escalator

"Soccer Mom"

"Working Mom"

"Preppy Mom"

"Crunchy Hippie Mom"

(She was replaced by "Preppy Mom" because she looked really boring up there on the ledge)