The Still Life: In Product Presentation and Editorial Design

In every segment of retail, countless products
compete for our attention. Whether
fashion, cosmetics, furnishings, accessories,
or gourmet food, the range of goods is
overwhelming. Designers and manufacturers
are faced with the daunting challenge of
setting their products apart to reach their
target audiences. The best ones captivate
us by telling fascinating stories or creating
compelling retail spaces and experiences.
The Still Life compiles striking editorial
photography, innovative shop window displays,
and intelligent visual merchandising
that succeed in doing exactly that. The
featured work is created by imaginative
stylists and photographers who arrange
products, objects, and materials in unusual
ways. Distinctive worlds of images result
that are reminiscent of Baroque and
Renaissance still life paintings in which
arrangements of flowers, fruit, musical
instruments, and other objects were used
as powerful allegories for various aspects
of life and death.
Today’s creatives are developing new
visual storytelling techniques for engaging
customers. The Still Life showcases their
entire spectrum. The book illustrates how
a combination of quality handcraft and
inspired flair are being used to put familiar
products, such as gardening tools, cutlery,
purses, writing implements, or jewelry,
into surprising new contexts, ranging from
minimalistic understatement to opulent
glamour. It includes shop windows, magazine
spreads, and showrooms meticulously
styled into works of art.
The Still Life is a source of inspiration
for anyone working in product communication,
editorial design, and retail who is
responsible for creating fitting platforms
on which to promote premium products —
brand worlds in which the products come
to life for potential customers. Featuring
retail spaces that offer extraordinary experiences
just by stopping in for a visit, the
book is also a visual feast for all connoisseurs
of quality consumer goods.