DDi - September 2009 - (Page 8)

8 | From the Editor “An Awe-Inspiring Collection of Exemplary Brilliance” O ne of my favorite book titles of all time—“A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius” by Dave Eggers—spoke volumes to me at the bookstore in which I purchased it. I did not read the back cover, but picked up the paperback from its display table, pondered over the audacity of such a “holier than thou” title approach, and instinctively knew it was the book I had come into the store to purchase. It was one of those instinct-overanalysis types of moments. To my delight, I came to discover that the book’s contents equally matched its audacious title. It was a book filled with page after page of gut-wrenching, real-life passion and happenstance. And it has resonated with me since. Eggers’ book popped into mind as we pulled together the pages of the issue you hold in your hands. Internally, I’ve dubbed our September issue “An Awe-Inspiring Collection of Exemplary Brilliance”—not in recognition of anything DDI has done, but in the body of works we have been able to include on the pages of just a single issue. In this month’s issue, DDI presents our Portfolio Awards winners of 2009—a collection of what our readers believe to be the most influential and admired people, projects and retailers of the past year. The consummate collection, as we present to you beginning on page 21, reflects not what this magazine staff believes to be “An Awe-Inspiring Collection of Exemplary Brilliance,” but what the readers of DDI have said is so. (Of course, there’s not a single awardee that I don’t personally think is absolutely worthy of the title—but my opinion is moot here.) I would be remiss in saying the awardees we have compiled are the only people and projects of the year that have impacted the design world. I am inspired on a daily basis by the industry people I interact with and the retail projects I am exposed to. Our industry is one of constant reinvention, and never-ending resonance with the consumer and everyday life. I am proud to congratulate not only the winners featured in this issue, but also those who have contributed to the conglomerate of all retail design accomplishments we have seen in the past year. Keep up the good great awe-inspiring work that you do. Alison Embrey Medina Executive Editor aembrey@ddimagazine.com P.S. DDI has a new trick up our sleeve—er, on our Web site. For a peep into even more store design projects worth salivating over, visit our newly unveiled online Project Gallery. Here we upload images galore of two to three new store designs a week. See what’s happening in stores across the country and across the world! Visit today at www.ddimagazine.com/projectgallery. | September 2009 www.ddimagazine.com http://www.ddimagazine.com/projectgallery http://www.ddimagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - September 2009

Display & Design Ideas - September 2009
Contents
From the Editor
Newsworthy
Greentailing
Editor’s Choice
Portfolio Awards 2009
Retail Design Luminaries
Retail Design Influencers
Design Firms of the Year
Best Visual Merchandising Programs
Retailer of the Year
Best-Designed Stores of the Year
Best-Designed Hospitality
Retail Standouts
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Shopping with Paco

DDi - September 2009