Visual merchandising students go green for cylk store installation

Kangan Institute's visual merchandising students have collaborated with cylk's creative team to produce a sustainable installation for their Chapel Street store's Spring Summer 2012 collection.

As part of the design brief, students were asked to think outside the commercial realms of visual merchandising with a focus on sustainability and a prevalence of recycled materials whilst also complimenting the Spring Summer collection. cylk selected an installation designed by student Josie Reys, with birdhouses made from recycled timber and screens made with oversized bamboo and papier-mâché eggs and nests.

Keshia Abeysekera, creative director at cylk, said that Josie's design had best represented the essence of the brand. "We loved the raw and natural elements used in the design and love that the bamboo ties in with the sustainable materials that we use in our collection," she said.

Reusability and versatility were some of the other themes that were instilled in the students as they submitted their briefs. "We appreciate the fact that the fixtures are interchangeable and can be used again," Keshia said.

All of the timber used for the birdhouse displays and shelving units were sourced from a waste transfer centre and made from recycled weatherboards. The other materials used throughout the store include papier-mâché eggs, twigs sourced from the garden for the bird perches and recycled paper twine used to hang the birdhouses in the window.

Kate Carroll, teacher at Kangan Institute, said the collaboration provided students with an opportunity to get creative and explore unique and sustainable designs. "It was great to focus on organic, recycled product for display props as this not only showed students the many options available with reusing and recycling materials, it was also a chance to steer away from typical, supplier options through habit or convenience," she said.

The installation will be in store until 26th August 2012 at 497 Chapel Street South Yarra 3141.