The project
Métier is a luxury leather goods house that makes bags and accessories to a high standard of quality. For SS25, the brand collaborated with paper artist Nathan Ward on a summer window for its London flagship, choosing the beach as its theme and building the whole scene from G F Smith papers.
At the centre of the display, Ward reinterpreted Métier's Multi Coupé Weave, a traditional technique for weaving leather, as a series of sea waves, each one formed by hand from paper. Around the waves he added paper ice lollies, a seagull, a buoy and a yacht, completing a light-hearted seaside setting that connects the window directly to the craft behind the brand's own products.
Materials were a central part of the concept. Ward sources his own papers with quality and sustainability in mind, and the project sets out a clear position for display work: choose paper over plastic.
“My team and I had a fantastic night celebrating at the awards, and the Clapham Grand was a great venue. We were delighted to come away having won and been highly commended in the Independent category. I have already received emails of interest and potential projects from commercial brands and agencies who were there on the night!”
The category
Open only to UK independents, this category celebrates the part design plays in independent retail, recognising stores that stand out in their communities and from their competitors. Judges consider the design concept, the connection with the local area, what makes the store distinctive and the value and variety it brings to the local high street.
Read the full criteriaHow it meets the criteria
Reworking Métier's Multi Coupé Weave leather technique as handcrafted paper waves ties the seaside concept directly to the brand's own craft.
A paper artist built every element by hand, from the waves to the yacht and seagull, giving the window a distinctly artisan character.
The seasonal window presents an artist-made summer scene to passers-by, adding a handcrafted, paper-based display to the street frontage of the London flagship.
2026 winners
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