Forefront The Culture of Shop Window Design

A pane of glass, not more than 1.5 centimetres thick, divides the shop from the pavement. On one side, the climate-controlled interior welcomes those who can buy ; on the other, the intemperate street is where those who cannot buy may look without paying, in the time-honoured ritual ofwindow-shopping. Glass is technically a solid liquid, a magical paradox linking the `real' world with a world of luxury. At their finest, the displays behind it can be magical, too. The editors of Frame magazine have invited ten couturiers and shops to participate in Forefront, an overview of today's shop window culture.