“I grew up very quickly”
“I grew up very quickly,” he said with a smile. “I had some family in France but they spoke Portuguese whereas I only knew Spanish. I therefore had to learn both French and Portuguese very quickly.”
Having equipped himself with a rudimentary knowledge of both languages, Yhonny started working in the family’s retail business, but it was not long before he was ready to take on his next challenge.
“I had learnt the language and the work,” he said, “so it was time to move on and start living my dreams.”
Those dreams, which won’t surprise anyone who has seen him – immaculately turned out with just the right accessories to complement that day’s outfit – revolved around fashion, and his first position in the industry was in the stockroom at Gap.
Pictured: Yhonny had always dreamed of working in fashion.
“I started at the bottom and quickly worked my way up, going from stockman to keyholder and then supervisor and deputy manager within a year,” he said.
While enjoying a “good career” at Gap, when one of the managers moved to luxury retailer Zadig & Voltaire, and offered Yhonny the opportunity to join him there, the young fashion-lover jumped at the chance.
“My mum, who had moved to Jersey, called me one day…”
“It was scary because I was comfortable at Gap but the move was a great chance to move on, try something different and grow up again,” he explained.
“As I always do when I join a new business, I started at zero, coming in as a sales assistant, before progressing to merchandiser and then being appointed manager of the brand’s four boutiques in Le Marais, one of the most fashionable districts in Paris.”
But while enjoying the work, the call of adventure was once again too strong to resist and Yhonny headed to Madrid to “open my mind to different ways”.
“I had more time to myself there,” he said. “I took time to party and live, rather than work all the time.”
It only took one phone call, however, to bring those halcyon days to an abrupt end.
“My mum, who had already moved to Jersey, called me one day and asked me what I was doing,” he recalled. “When I said ‘nothing’, she immediately told me that I had to come to Jersey because she needed my help.”
With tickets following hot on the heels of those words, it was not long before Yhonny found himself adjusting to the somewhat “quieter” lifestyle he found in the island.
“I wasn’t being stretched enough”
But while Jersey may not have been his chosen destination, it quickly became home and, once again, he applied his usual work ethic, working first at the Merton Hotel as a porter before having the opportunity to return to his love of fashion with a position at Voisins.
“I first started in the River Island concession, spending a few months there before I was able to return to a higher-end brand with Hugo Boss,” he said.
After a couple of years in the menswear department, during which time he started “taking care of other brands and elevating the merchandising”, Yhonny was beginning to feel that he had hit a ceiling.
“I spoke to the store manager and said that I felt my time at Voisins was coming to an end, as I wasn’t being stretched enough. That comfort zone had become too comfortable again,” he smiled.
Having been asked to “wait for a little while”, Yhonny soon became aware of a new position within the business.
“A vacancy for a visual merchandiser was advertised, and every manager came to me and encouraged me to apply for the role,” he said. “It sounded like my dream job and I was hugely excited by the opportunity, even co-ordinating my outfit for the interview with the colour scheme of my presentation, so that everything was as perfect as I could make it.”
“I was able to start getting more creative”
Having been given the job, Yhonny couldn’t wait to start work on the shop’s windows and in-store displays.
Pictured: Yhonny became a visual merchandiser this year.
“I started in January, so the first window I had to put together was for sale, which wasn’t very exciting, but then I was able to start getting more creative,” he said.
And there is no greater time to bring creativity to the fore than Christmas, with Yhonny’s first festive window for the store having recently been unveiled.
Based on the concept of ‘Gift Them Voisins This Christmas’, which features a campaign starring the store’s vibrant red bags, the window is, explains marketing manager Sarah Sacriste, designed to hit the “sweet spot between commerciality and creativity”.
It was also, she said, designed in a way which enabled the store to repurpose existing props and materials and – perhaps most significantly – in a way which allowed Yhonny to change the merchandise within it.
“Traditionally, once the Christmas window has been unveiled in November, nothing in it has changed for the six weeks that it is visible,” Sarah added. “This time, we have worked with different brands, giving them the opportunity to book a slot for their product to be on display.”
“Four windows in one”
Accordingly, when the vinyl announcing the arrival of Fortnum & Mason in store was removed, shoppers first saw a range of items from Selected.
“This is a brand focused on sustainability and casual formalwear,” explained Sarah. “Following them was a forward-fashion brand, also with a focus on sustainability, and then – perhaps unusually – we featured Wacoal, a choice which initially horrified Yhonny, as he wasn’t entirely sure how to incorporate lingerie into a Christmas window. The final change will see All Saints take over the display with a collection featuring all the sparkle and glitz of Christmas.”
Admitting that having “four windows in one” had made the design element slightly more complicated, Yhonny added: “Although the positioning of the mannequins and some of the other pieces might change, it is important to create the same sense with each display.
Pictured: This year’s window was designed to hit the “sweet spot between commerciality and creativity”.
“Whichever brand is in the window, the display needs to represent a gifting universe. It really is an aspirational gifting scene – it’s almost as if Voisins has exploded in front of your house, leaving an array of beautiful items which make the perfect gifts.
“Meanwhile, the carousel – which, with its moving parts, added a further layer of complexity – screams big city to me and is reminiscent of the displays you would see in London or Paris. All in all, it’s a display which is visually exciting but which also showcases our brands.”
Having created the window display, Yhonny’s work was far from over, as he was determined to continue the theme throughout the store.
“It is so important that when a customer walks into the store, they feel part of your world,” he said. “Visual merchandising really brings that experience to the customer. I think of it as the silent seller, as, if it’s done well, it makes it easy for the customer to find the right outfit. By placing certain items together, you can create a different mindset for shoppers, so my role isn’t just to sell products but to inspire people and help them find the right product for them.”
“Watch this space…”
But of course, with space always at a premium, Yhonny’s displays not only have to look good but also be practical.
“It is always a challenge to make the store feel Christmassy without losing too much retail space, as we also need to have as much stock on display as possible,” he said. “That’s why we’ve hung these clusters of decorations from the ceiling, as they create that festive feel, and are elevated and on-brand, without compromising on display space.”
Having spent much of the past two months surrounded by Christmas mood boards and offcuts of glitter fabric, you could be forgiven for thinking that Yhonny’s festive spirit might now be beginning to fade.
“Not at all,” he laughed. “I’m already decorating my home and dressing the table for Christmas. Even though I’ll be in Portugal for Christmas this year, I still want my home to look nice.”
And it is not just his domestic decorations which are occupying his mind.
“As soon as I finish one window, my mind starts planning the next one,” he said. “While Valentine’s Day will be the next big focus, I’ve also got plenty of ideas for next Christmas, and have already started talking to the carpenter about how we can bring some of those thoughts to life, so watch this space.”
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This article first appeared in the December/January edition of Connect magazine – pick up a copy around the island or read in full below…