The Drama Of Gary Card

The multi-talented designer and creator Gary Card has rapidly made a name for himself in the fashion and art world alike. Having studied set design and puppetry at Central Saint Martin, Gary started out creating makeshift masks and headpieces for his friends’ shoots. The masks then naturally evolved into larger props until they started becoming elaborate sets. Now a renowned set designer and illustrator, Gary has collaborated with likes of British Vogue and i-D, not to mention creating costume pieces and accessories for Lady Gaga. For Lane Crawford this Christmas, Gary worked on a conceptual holiday book and five Christmas windows that imaginatively depict the joys of giving. He talks us through these two special projects.

Tell us about the holiday book you worked on for Lane Crawford? What’s the concept behind it?
Lane Crawford’s Christmas campaign this year is called ‘Gifted'. This made me think of imaginative packages somehow revealing gifts inside. My team and I had tremendous fun coming up with different ways in which we could reveal the product. Even the model on the shoot became almost half person, half wrapped present!

What are some of your favourite gifts you’ve received?
My partner last year had my signature made into a purple neon light for my office, it's beautiful. Probably my favourite gift when I was a child was a Prince lamp my father made me, he cut Prince’s symbol out of MDF, sprayed it gold and attached a light bulb to it. It's both hideous and hilarious! I still have it to this day.

Tell us about the in-store visual merchandising you created for the Lane Crawford holiday season?
The windows and in-store merchandising were really an extension of my work for the Christmas book. It was about expanding those ideas into exciting window displays, taking some of the sharp dynamic shapes and developing them. One word I kept coming back to for the windows was 'surprise'. I wanted the product almost exploding out of the windows towards the customer.

What makes an engaging window display?
I think drama – it’s about a story, offering the viewer a sense of wonder and theatre, something far beyond just selling you something. The challenge for me is always making something new and exciting.

What prompted you to work with Lane Crawford and what are your impressions of the store?
Lane Crawford is world famous for being one of the most innovative and creative stores, I really wanted to contribute something to the store since I discovered it years ago. I'm so delighted to have been able to contribute something as grand as Christmas windows, arguably the most important window of the year.

Experience Gary Card’s dramatic displays at all Lane Crawford stores from November 9th to December 26th.