POP 797 Thursday 12 January 2012

Today’s POP is Rachel. The magical quality of a briefcase.

Oliver Ruuger’s accessories line looks like it popped straight out of a fashion adaptation of Disney’s Fantasia. It's a collection which manages to combine exquisite materials and luxury craftsmanship with a strong sense of the bizarre. Each object is imparted with its own personality; umbrella finished with swishy horse-tails and briefcases studded with rubbery porcupine spikes appear both friendly and threatening.

Where did you begin when creating your window display? How did you intend to present yourself as a brand; as a space?
It started with the idea of conveying movement in a static space and adding a somewhat absurd narrative to it. I installed the space in the same manner I aim to create products: sculptural, freestanding elements within a space (or object), precisely set.

The attention spans of shoppers on London’s most famous high street can be notoriously short – how does your window grab their attention?
I have kept the amount of props fairly minimal and instead given the eye a route to follow within the space in order to tell an abstract story – hopefully the viewer will notice this.

Did you enjoy moving from using inspiration to create your accessories collection, to then translating this idea into a static space? What further informed your progression between mediums?
There was an addition of sequence, which ties the elements together. I loved working on the window as I see it as a somewhat claustrophobic exhibition space that the viewer can take in at a single glance – similar to a painting, in a way. When working on a collection at the design stage, I often daydream of some strange scenario, and doing the window felt a bit like acting one of these out.

The creative team behind the Selfridges windows are world-renowned. How did you collaborate with them to achieve your vision?
The team was very supportive in technical matters, but they were also very open to let me run with my ideas and carry out the vision for it autonomously. A special thank you to James from Selfridges, who was there at every stage and also during the nights of the install.

What have you learned on the journey from presenting your work to a somewhat niche audience, to then taking it to the masses in the biggest way possible? Has it altered your outlook in any way?
I have had to turn a body of work, which was in many ways a collection of art pieces, into a considered product that could be marketed and sold to a customer. It hasn’t altered my outlook in the sense that I still show a product that is designed and produced in the same manner. I will however be very interested to see how Selfridges’ customer will view my products.

Which of your own pieces currently stocked in Selfridges did you use as part of the display? And can you explain some of the references or processes used in producing these?
I have produced an exclusive collection of umbrellas which will be stocked in Selfridges and variations of which can also be seen in the window display. All elements and components are bespoke and I’ve tried to make the very best product, using the best materials available. The aim was to make a true luxury product that is bold in its appearance.

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The Bright Young Things windows will be displayed until the end of February. For exclusive pieces created for this project, visit the Oxford St flagship or