From Catwalk to Cart Walk: Visual Merchandising Lessons from the ‘Zoolander’ Runway

Deborah Goldfarb
4 min readAug 26, 2024

Who can forget the classic fashion movie Zoolander? Certainly not me. Oh, that Derek Zoolander character is not just funny, but really, really, ridiculously stylish in his own quirky way. My favorite scene? It has to be the infamous “Walk-off” at the Valentino Paris Fashion Week — a battle of blue steel vs. Magnum that had me laughing so hard, my sides hurt. This larger-than-life approach to fashion, hilariously epitomized by Derek Zoolander, not only entertains but offers unexpected wisdom on the power of visual spectacle, something both fashion shows and grocery stores can leverage to captivate their audiences.

Striking a Pose with Visual Spectacle

Derek Zoolander’s Blue Steel look might just be what your store’s display needs — a visual hook that captures attention and doesn’t let go. Fashion shows and grocery store aisles share this in common: the need to wow. As Zoolander transformed runways with his pouts and poses, your store can transform shopper experiences with these runway-inspired tactics:

  1. Focal Point Displays: The ‘Magnum’ of Merchandising

Imagine each section of your store as part of a fashion show lineup. The endcap displays are your opening and closing outfits, the ones that leave the audience — in this case…

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Deborah Goldfarb
Deborah Goldfarb

Written by Deborah Goldfarb

Debbie Goldfarb is the founder of Biz Made EZ and is a well-respected marketing and branding consultant working with both small and large businesses.

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