The showrooms at the NADI Retail Design Collective (New York, December 9-11) were a good reflection of the mood settling over retail design these days. Many vendors seemed to be tentatively expanding their offerings to reach beyond their core products; some had dusted off older molds and fixture styles and cleverly tweaked them just enough to make them fresh; others were capitalizing on green and vintage trends in smart, stylish ways. New lines were introduced, too, though they weren’t quite as prevalent as in past years.

The outlook was cautiously optimistic as hundreds of retail buyers and designers worked the 31 showrooms, attended the conference sessions and mingled during the PAVE Gala held the first night of the show. VMSD’s educational session, “Visual Merchandising: Triumphs, Trends and Predictions,” attracted a standing-room-only crowd of designers determined to stay creative. VMSD New York editor Eric Feigenbaum, visual merchandising chair for LIM College, led an enlightening panel discussion featuring Raymond Mastrobuoni of Cartier (retired), Lauren Shaw of Louis Vuitton, Tim Calhoun of Macy’s and Paul Baglio of Calypso St. Barth.

“Is visual merchandising ‘art’?” asked Feigenbaum. Yes and no, the crowd and panelists posited. But as one attendee succinctly put it: “We’re using creativity and art to solve a problem. That’s what keeps it interesting.”

Rising Stars Recognized
The PAVE Gala, benefiting young design talent, attracted almost 500 retail revelers to the Metropolitan Pavilion. At the event, PAVE presented this year’s Rising Star Award to Travis Burnham, creative services manager, J. Crew. Finalists included Stacy Suvino, visual director, Miss Jackson’s, and Robyn Novak, director of interior design, FRCH Design Worldwide.

VMSD honored Bloomingdale’s, the Metropolitan Museum of Art Store and Paul Stuart with awards for Excellence in New York Visual Merchandising and Design.