design:retail - September 2015 - (Page 42)

042 ign s e ail D ries Retumina L Luminaries Retail Design By JENNY S. REBHOLZ utstanding individuals who have demonstrated unparalleled creative excellence, exemplary professional leadership and unwavering personal commitment to the retail design industry-that is the definition of a Retail Design Luminary. It is an award of perseverance, passion and achievement. Please join us in congratulating the 2015 class: Tim Greenhalgh, Toni Roeller and Brad Lenz. T IM GREENHALGH GREW up in a creative household in northern England with an actress mother and a father who was a journalist and radio broadcaster. With all of that creative energy surrounding him, what he remembers most is drawing, drawing and more drawing. From drawing as a child to finding the design profession to working on projects around the world, one thing remains consistent: the smile on his face. "Retail is hard work, long hours and full of challenges, yet I still spend most of the day smiling," Greenhalgh says. During his academic years, all aspects of design and making things-furniture, jewelry, ceramics, glassblowing, etc.-fascinated Greenhalgh. At the age of 20, he found a summer job at FITCH. On paper, his background never seemed quite right for the positions he tackled, but he was ambitious, hardworking and eager for opportunities. His hardworking nature paid off when he returned from a holiday and went straight to the office. This was a serendipitous moment, as there was a letter at home telling him he had been laid off. He SEPTEMBER 2015 DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM worked that day anyway, and the team told him to rip up the letter. Aside from a brief spell working for Terence Conran, he has since spent 25 years of his career with FITCH. Today, as chief creative officer and chairman, he leads FITCH by maintaining the "Bold Thinking" culture that he loves. "We are a work hard, play hard culture," he says. "This job is about being irreverent, challenging and bold. As creative professionals, we see and think differently. It is our responsibility to use these talents and to challenge convention." From the 360 adidas World Cup campaign to Hamley's, the world's largest toy store in Moscow, FITCH has implemented bold ideas, including "The Great Wall of Chocolate" at the M&M'S World store in Shanghai and 4-D simulation at VIVID Homes by B&Q in China. Greenhalgh loves being a part of the idea generation stage,where everyone designs, draws and brainstorms. "It is not about churning out a familiar design," he says. "It is about spending the time to think about how to do it differently. When a project is finished, what will it be about, what will they talk about? It may not be about the physical space, but rather the sensation it creates." He takes particular pride in an approach the team took to Lego. From window displays to an immersive "pick a brick" wall, they worked to bring the founding thought of "Play Well" alive. The team pushed to ensure the center of the space was dedicated to play, setting the tone for an authentic child and parent experience. Projects like Lego speak to what Greenhalgh loves the most about retail-the immediacy. "It's changing all the time, and so dramatically," he notes. "It's important to keep up and look ahead. We are being asked different questions now. It could be argued that there was a time when we were once just adding a stylistic veneer-now it's the business effect, brand loyalty and the value out of the shopping experience. You get out of it what you put into it. " Today, the joy of retail comes with client interactions where he gets to challenge convention and bring out the bold. "Trying to get a client to say 'maybe' rather than 'no'-that's cool," Greenhalgh says. "It's not their job to imagine the future; it's ours." http://www.DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of design:retail - September 2015

design:retail - September 2015
Contents
Editor’s Note
Show Talk
On Trend
We Love This!
Designer Picks
Clicks & Mortar
Postcard
How’d They Do That?
Have You Heard?
Perspectives
Shopper Insights
Shopping with Paco
2015 Portfolio Awards
Retail Design Luminaries
Retail Design Infl uencers
Retailer of the Year
Best Store Designs of the Year
Design Firms of the Year
Best Visual Merchandising Programs
Retail Superlatives
Backstory

design:retail - September 2015