The Art of Window-Dressing

Time flies, doesn’t it? It’s already been 10 years since Barcelona Tourisme created the Top 10 Awards to recognize the great work that many shops in Barcelona do with their window displays. A strategy that also rightly sought to promote shopping in the city and contribute to the international recognition of Barcelona as a city of design and shopping.

During these 10 years, the awards have been growing strong, which just goes to show that in a shop the content is just as important as what surrounds it. Because let’s face it, most of the time the window display is what makes us decide wether we go into a shop or not. So why not make a spectacular package for the content that dazzles us and leaves us in awe? Those are the ones we like the most.

Window displays in Barcelona have evolved over the years. Their increasingly daring and innovative offerings have expanded the city’s international projection and positioned us really close to cities like Paris or London where the windows displays are nothing but true works of art.

And without further ado, we leave you with a list of 2011′s winners. We are lucky enough to enjoy some of them here at Passeig de Gràcia and others are just a stone’s throw away. We look forward to the new offerings for 2012!

The windows displays winners of the Top 10 Awards 2011:

—Cerabella: Award for the large repertoire of constantly varying ideas to show such a classic product product: candles.

—Conti (Diagonal): Award for the rich compositions made with parts and accessories that radiate elegance and freshness in the plasticity of the images.

—Furest: Award for the elegant compositions made with vintage furniture and odds and ends carefully lit to achieve a great theatrical effect.

—Gratacós: Award for the continuous theme of combining their own fabrics with other surprising elements from outside the clothing industry.

—Hackett: Award for elegance and simplicity in the presentation of dresses and accessories achieving a truly British-style atmosphere.

—Josep Tomàs: Award for the elegant compositions made with parts and accessories that give a fresh and light appearance to each and every window display.

—La Mallorquina (Passeig de Gràcia): Award for the recreation of scenes and rich compositions that create a special ambiance that enhances the household clothing on show.

—Nino Álvarez: Award for the creativity and exuberance that sets minimalism aside to give way to exciting windows displays full of passion.

Special award of the 10th anniversary:

—Ferran Amat, Vinçon: Award the constant conceptual and formal richness in all the displays which are treated as visual poems.