7 W hosts Retail Design Collective this week

Home Textiles Today Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 12/5/2012 10:42:06 AM

New York - Starting today through Friday, A.R.E.'s Retail Design Collective at home textiles showroom hub 7 W New York will feature daily conference sessions focused on design and visual merchandising trends.

As part of the program, trend forecasting experts will highlight this year's program, and a panel will discuss the re-invention of department stores. The smaller, more-focused sessions, sponsored and developed by media partners DDI, Stylus and VMSD, will be held in 7 West's Retail Lounge.

Here is a summary of some of the session:

Today, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.: Store design and visual merchandising trends forecast presented by Maren Hartman, WGSN East Coast Content Director. A former designer, Hartman's credentials include stints at Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters, Aeropostale and Stella McCartney.

Dec. 6, 9:30 to 11 a.m.: Master Class--Once considered the dinosaur of retailing, the department store sector is proving it's full of life as retailers, including Macy's, Lotte, Nordstrom and JCPenney, lighten up their store interiors, invest in services and amenities, and find balance in their brand mixes. VMSD editor Anne DiNardo and a panel of retail and design experts will discuss the latest department store strategies and share store design trends from around the globe.

Dec. 7, 10:30 to 11 a.m.: Stylus will present their latest future thinking. The inspirational and informative presentation looks at prevailing consumer trends, and provides a catalyst to push the design industries to new levels. Stylus is an online business intelligence tool that provides reports and inspiration for 20 different industry sectors, including automotive, beauty, architecture, consumer electronics and travel.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to see 34 companies that have signed on with showrooms or sponsorships for the 2012 A.R.E. Retail Design Collective. They include: Ace Designs, Almax, Alpha Display, ALU, Architectural Systems, B+N Industries, Bernstein Display/MC, Bishop Fixture, Bolon by VIIR, CDW Merchants, Christine Taylor Collection, Cubic, Elevations, Goldsmith, Greneker, Holiday Foliage, H+B, JPMA Global, Leo Prager, Lifestyle/Trimco, Manex France Display, Material ConneXion, Media Graph, MG Concepts, Mondo Mannequins/Sellutions by Econoco, Patina-V, RHO, Siegel & Stockman/Superior Model Form, Silvestri California, RPG, Universal Display, VISPLAY, Visual Magnetics, and VisualCiti.

More information about Retail Design Collective can be accessed at www.retaildesigncollective.com. Retail Design Collective is also on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/RDCollective) and Twitter (@RDCollective).