Much has been made of the new Full Circle concept store in London's Covent Garden so I thought I had better check it out. The store itself has been lauded for its movement theme with furniture moving around almost taking you by surprise.

My experience of the store was pretty mixed. Upon entering I was slightly disappointed as it looked like any other mid-priced fashion brands store. There was very little evidence of movement except for the spinning mannequin in the window. As I started to peruse the rails I noticed that the flowers 'planted' in the floor were not static and in fact they could pop out of their metallic hiding places any time they liked. In addition, some of the mirrors were rotating as was a rack of t-shirts. Despite the run-of-the-mill men's clothing this store was looking slightly more interesting. The best effect though were the shadow projections onto the canvas around the changing rooms - an effect that suggested women were changing in the nearest two rooms. However, for all this the store was not quite the kinetic minefield that I was hoping for and to top it all off the ambiance of the place was slightly off. We were inundated with staff and some 90s trance was, for some reason, coming through the soundsystem.

If you are around Covent Garden the store is probably worth a quick visit and the women's' line is pretty decent.

Another Covent Garden store that has recently undergone a refit is Tiger of Sweden. For a long time this has been a favourite of mine as it combines some sharp tailoring with some excellent casual/sports wear. The store itself has gone very 1980s in look with dark walls and floor with a single thin red line crossing the floor at a 45 degree angle. In complete contrast with Full Circle the staff were attentive without being intrusive and the store music was the latest Thievery Corporation album (not cutting edge but in fitting with the rest of the store). Sadly they have removed the women's collection but the word was that a new women's boutique would be opening in the near future.
www.fullcircleuk.com
www.tigerofsweden.com
Tags: Fashion