Holt Renfrew Display

Dog Photos, Punk Rock and the Queen - probably not a window display the founders of Holt Renfrew could have predicted. A few weeks ago, I was walking down Bloor Street and noticed how interesting this particular scene is, especially in relation to our class. The window in the photo is one in a series of "Icons" which spans the entire Holts building. Other of the iconic scenes include: a restaging of the American Gothic painting, some Andy Warhol soup cans, The Beatles' Abbey Road cover. This series seems parallel to what we have discussed in class(and will discuss) as its designers are truly perceptive of the “iconic” popular images of our time. The designers are using their analysis of commercial society to strengthen this society, rather than to form a resistance to its dominance. Each of the windows is interesting (and worth analysing) but this window in particular piqued my interest.

I have more questions than answers about what I think is going on in the window, sorry if this is scattered – I hope you will comment if you noticed the window independently or have any thoughts about it.

The juxtaposition of what appears to be a "punk rocker" sitting down to a formal tea with the Queen is politically loaded, especially in the context of promotion for a high-end department store.

How is it that Holts can appropriate the royal upper-class cachet of the Queen together with the anti-establishment anarchical politics of the Punk movement, then stick symbols of these opposing types in one window, wearing Holts clothing, to create something that would encourage people to invest in the capitalist system through the purchase of luxury goods?

Maybe the designers are consciously emphasising similarities between these two individuals - their obsession with appearance and authentically immersing themselves in every criteria of their social/cultural(?) class - similarities which could extend to the desired clientele of Holts? The Punk has blue hair dye to express his politics (albeit confused, as he displays the Union Jack unaltered) while the Queen has the “blue-rinse” to conceal her age, the Punk’s fingernails and eyelid are painted black while the Queen’s lips are painted red, the Punk has what I read as a deliberately aggressive posture, while the Queen sits with a straight back… If these similarities do exist, is it something particular to monarchy and anarchy, or just icons in general?

We talked in class about how after ripped jeans became trendy, stores began to sell pre-ripped jeans. Here Holts is creating a “punk” look with Burberry clothing – something I think is the ideological opposite of the origins of the Punk movement. Additionally, they are creating the impression that the store sells clothes fit for monarchy – as if and Holt Renfrew consumer could dress like the Queen. Neither of these recreations of these iconic types is authentic to the original. Do the real Queen and a real Punk (whatever that means), although not “art”, have auras which can be lost or altered in reproduction?

Some other interesting parts of the display:

- The Punk is holding a wallet with pound notes with the Queen’s face on them

- The table is filled with pictures of the royal family and dogs which connote lower class tastes

- Is the slogan in the window implying that Monarchy and Punk are some of the world's best creations?

See you in class!

Kate Morris