As a customer entering Harrods I was cautious about the reception I would recieve from staff and onlooking customers. I was quick to judge Harrods before I had been there because of its reputation as a high class department store, in a well known wealthy area. In actual fact I was more welcomed than I have previously been in some of the hight street stores in Oxford Street. Harrods are obviously keen to create a warm atmosphere and train their staff to high stadards to accomplish this, and its probably one of the reasons why they are so successful in maintaining a tourist trade.
As a designer I find that Harrods like Harvey Nichols is a great resource where all designers are accessible, and you can comfortably explore their current lines for market research. I found that I was able to spend my time walking around with my sketchbook and take notes, feel the fabrics and I did not get judgeful looks from the staff. Whereas before when I had been to the designers actual outlets also available in Knightsbrige, I did not feel welcomed inside so I had to do my research from the window displays.
Harrods also has an in store gallery called the Halcyon gallery located on the second floor. The Halcyon gallery deals in rare masterpieces from period to pop art, there are a few Warhol editions available but you are not permitted to take photographs.
As a designer I recommend Harrods as great learning resource for the design field, you just have to walk around the departments and explore the variety of surface design attainable. I hope you have as much of a welcomed experience as I did and if you take yourself beyond the ground floor then I promise you will be enlightened.
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