Posted on 23 June 2010
The Le Chateau Window at Yonge/Bloor
It’s funny. Yesterday at Rainbow Toastmasters I was talking about the power of gay dollar and it’s importance on the retail sector. As Toronto Pride (http://www.pridetoronto.com) roars it’s glitter Godzilla like head into Toronto, right after the G20, there are some retailers who are not missing a beat. Le Chateau (http://www.lechateau.com) the retailer many gay men love to hate, has done one of their famous window displays. Over the years, as Creative Director Shawn Schmidt has told me, Le Chateau has come under hetro consumer fire for it’s more risque windows. As a result Le Chateau senior management has asked the effervescent Schmidt to tone it down for their Eaton Centre, Yonge/Bloor and Queen West stores. The result, in my opinion, has has lackluster results. That’s the thing about the gay dollar, retailers know how much gay men love to shop, however they are not willing to take visual risks to get gay men into their stores. Here’s hoping Schmidt gets his creative collar taken off next Pride and brings back the shock value.
Posted on 09 December 2009
Le Chateau heats up Queen Street, just in time for Christmas, by unveiling a Britney-esque display. With a mannequin on a high wire and others contorted through a hoops, there is a strong resemblance to Britney Spears’ hit video Circus. “Though it may look like a rip off of Britney’s circus video, it isn’t,” says Shawn Schmidt Creative Director of Visual Merchandising for Le Chateau. “My team took inspiration from her yes, but there were other influences as well.”
Schmidt’s creative team consisting of Display Managers: Clinton Ridgeway and Marti Suter, plus Prop Technician: Lucy Song have people stopping and admiring the window while holiday shopping along Queen Street West. The window will be up until the holiday season is over.
Photo by: James Dorion