Where East meets West
It's tempting to think what Zhu Xi, a man long considered to be one of the founding fathers of Feng Shui, would think of Viktor & Rolf if he were alive today. Not so long ago, the two eccentric designers from Holland literally turned his principles on their head by opening an upended boutique in Milan.
Walk in there today and you'll see crystal chandeliers sprouting from white, pearly floors and even an oak parquet planted firmly on the main ceiling. Surely any good energy - or Sheng Qi as Xi calls it - would be barren from such a heady space? Or maybe Feng Shui didn't weight too heavily on the minds of Viktor & Rolf to begin with.
The same cannot be said for the Cold Water Creek womenswear chain in America, Textile World in the UK and even the head honchos at GAP Clothing International - all feng shui enthusiasts. Alex Burke, a recent convert to the ancient discipline and an operator of marine lifestyle brand Henri Lloyd, also believes it can visually and financially transform a business. And she has the turnover to prove it.
A day after consulting a Feng Shui specialist in September, Burke says the brand's Mosman store experienced its biggest ever sale and attracted a long-awaited "first rate manager". Two weeks later and the store doubled in growth with its most prosperous sales period in recent history; a 40 per cent increase on the same time last year.
"And no, [the expert] didn't suggest gold fish and Chinese lanterns everywhere," Burke adds. "She basically focused on engaging all of the senses and making the Henri-Llyod message as clear as possible. She gave us a detailed report with a lot of recommendations which we are still slowly working through."
One of the first recommendations the expert suggested was harnessing the stores money corner - a heavily neglected area behind its front door. Burke says her team quickly went to work and installed a bright ladder of Henri Lloyd polos; a move which "brought a lot of energy and colour" to an otherwise muted space.
Other simple changes included placing red or pink items in storewindows to catch the eyes of passing shoppers and adding baskets near the front entrance to give a sense of warmth and abundance. All for a minor consultation fee of $300.
"It was all very inexpensive and relatively painless. Anything that creates an area that is more inviting, more pleasurable to be in has got to be a good thing. I think with people paying more attention to their environment, it seems natural to embrace Feng Shui."
Leading Australian consultant, Elizabeth Wiggins agrees. Working across residential, business and commercial properties, Wiggins believes Feng Shui's surge in popularity is due to people's growing awareness of their environment.
"People are realising that their environment can affect their lives in different ways- and this includes the ability to make money and have good relationships and health. The energy coming through the front door is the single most important thing that will determine how prosperous the [business] will be."
Wiggins also warns that poor applications of Feng Shui can result in bad debts, high staff turnover, poor relationships between management and staff, bankruptcy and a lack of general opportunities.
"These obstacles seem very hard to overcome and you seem to be fighting your way through everything, whether it be difficult clients, ideas not turning into reality and stress. Good Feng Shui will allow things to flow smoothly; you may still have challenges but the road followed will be smoother."
While a number of diffent Feng Shui services and remedies currently exist on the market, businesses generally need to have scale floor plans of the premises and approximate year of construction before these can be applied.
Either way, Burke doesn't see the popularity of this phenomena dying down any time soon.
"Since we had our shop done and all the spectacular success, we have had our other retailers enquiring into feng shui. It's been amazing how open people are to the idea."
Ask the expert
One of Australia's leading Feng Shui consultants, Elizabeth Wiggins tackles two commonly asked questions.
What is Feng Shui?
Feng Shui means Wind and Water and is the Chinese art focusing on
life's energy and a way of understanding how energy moves in our surroundings and how our buildings, their interiors, and our environment affect us.
What is Qi?
Qi (chee) is life's energy and is in every living and non living thing. It connects people with their surroundings and is in a constant state of change. When we use Feng Shui we work to enhance the Sheng (good) Qi and deflect or neutralise the Sha (bad) Qi using the five elements - Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water.