How do you keep your creative brain fresh when collections keep rolling out, marketing briefs speed up, and you still have to surprise, delight, and innovate? To find out, we asked eight leading retail professionals a simple but essential question: "Where do you find inspiration?" Their answers paint a rich and unexpected map—where art, digital platforms, real life, trend reports, and human connection intersect.
“My inspirations are very diverse. I use social media a lot, especially Instagram and Pinterest, as well as various newsletters.”
DAVID MOLIÈRE, EX-VISUAL MERCHANDISING MANAGER AT PRINTEMPS
An eclectic approach echoed by many of the experts we spoke to.
Roya Sullivan, an Award-winning Visual Retail Artist and Storyteller behind Macy’s iconic Holiday Windows and more, (known online as @roya_windows), draws inspiration from the art and theater worlds:
“I’m very inspired by museums, galleries, and artists who work with 3D materials like Kenji Yanobe, Alex Da Corte, or Es Devlin.”
ROYA SULLIVAN, VISUAL RETAIL ARTIST & STORYTELLER
Julie Bataillou, Creative Director and former Visual Merchandiser (known for her poetic storytelling), cites Constance Guisset, Jean Julien Simonot, India Mahdavi, and Shona Heath as key visual references. What do they all have in common? Immersive, poetic, and emotionally charged aesthetics that blend visual storytelling, sculptural play, and sensory materials.
Isabelle Leloup, an expert retail and brand strategist, also recommends artist Jacopo Gio (@jacopogio_for_1prism) for his textured and light-driven compositions.
Tatiana Dzudzova, Visual Merchandiser at Alo Yoga, closely follows accounts like @visualmerchandisingnews and @retaildesignblog to stay on top of competitors’ activations.
Albane Aubert, also a freelance Visual Merchandising Consultant, loves @visualtrendsmerchandising run by Stéphane Mathieu, and praises Tim Nash’s curation on @shopdropdaily.
Jenny Miller, Account Executive specializing in retail operations at Tata Harper, Sulwhasoo, & AP Beauty, is more focused on TikTok trends and pop culture’s influence on beauty retail. She mentions celebrity makeup artists such as Patrick Ta, Makeup by Mario, Mary Phillips, Carolina Gonzalez, and Pat McGrath as key influences for visual campaigns and window displays.
She also recommends following @nikki_makeup and @erinparsonsmakeup to stay current.
“I think most of VM comes from trends on TikTok nowadays.”
JENNY MILLER,
RETAIL OPERATIONS AT TATA HARPER, SULWHASOO & AP BEAUTY
David Molière swears by curated newsletters. Tatiana Dzudzova regularly consults platforms like Frame, Wallpaper, Sight Unseen, and Dezeen to fuel her thinking around forms, materials, and global design trends. WGSN remains her go-to for trend forecasting.
Albane Aubert is also a fan of Goodmoods’ weekly newsletter, which she finds playful and creatively energizing.
Goodmoods Newsletter
“Nothing beats a city walk to check out the latest window displays and in-store installations,” says Albane Aubert. Physical scouting remains a critical source of inspiration for those shaping the look and feel of retail every day.
Tatiana Dzudzova agrees: “I’m inspired by brand storytelling, architecture, unexpected textures, minimalist design, and especially how people interact with physical spaces.”
Freelance Visual Merchandiser Katy Trodd has a pragmatic, IRL-first approach. She no longer uses Instagram or buys magazines, preferring to visit stores or browse LinkedIn posts from professionals like Ian Scott and Jack Stratten (Insider Trends):
“I find it difficult to know what stores are doing unless you visit them yourself. Brands are more focused on lifestyle content for social media rather than showing what their actual shops look like - which is a shame.”
How do you stay inspired in your daily work with visual merchandising?
This deep dive shows how today's Visual Merchandisers are part curators, part trend analysts. Their inspiration comes from a wide variety of sources: intuition, algorithms, culture, and firsthand exploration.
A lesson in relentless curiosity.