We had a fantastic time yesterday at the Selfridges window team HQ, taking photos and interviewing the team for our upcoming designer profile interview for February (come back at the start of the month to see the full thing!)

So - here goes - the moment when we reveal the answers to your questions, sent in via a multitude of social networking sites. And that's not all - we're going to be running a 'question the designer' service every month, so Enjoy!

YSH :What are the training backgrounds of people in your team?
SELFRIDGES : The majority of us have a degree in the arts, everything from ceramicists to photographers and fashion designers.

YSH : Who sets the brief?
SELFRIDGES : The concept team comes up with the initial idea although we collaborate very closely with styling. The production and in store team also weigh in heavily.

YSH : Can you describe a typical job - from initial concept to completed display?
SELFRIDGES : The process begins with image gathering by the concept team which is then edited and presented in a packet to be signed off by store directors. Once the concept is approved, the visualizers illustrate each of the windows. The styliing team will book the garments, products. The production team begins to source, build and problem solve for the mounting of the windows. Then over 5 days and 5 nights we take down the previous windows to replace them with the new ones.

YSH : How big is the team?
SELFRIDGES : The concept team is about 10 people

YSH : How big is the budget?
SELFRIDGES : With a single mannequin costing up to GBP 900, you get the idea! Surprisingly the majority of the budget goes to walls and floors.

YSH : Which window display are you most proud of?
SELFRIDGES : Eye of the Storm, for all it's amazingly authentic props collected from the seaports in the South of England;  moss covered boats, ropes, sky hued shredded chiffons.

YSH : How long in advance do you plan the windows?
SELFRIDGES : The windows change every 8 weeks. The longest lead time is the Christmas window, which we're already working on for 2010!

YSH : How do you maintain consistency across the windows for each specific theme?
SELFRIDGES : Once the concept team's idea is signed off on, a duo of visualizers illustrate a 2D version to which the subsequent production and styling team refer.

YSH : When can we expect to see moving fashion displays in your windows?
SELFRIDGES : We've used movement and mechanical parts in our displays in the past. We're waiting for the right technology to become available in order to incorporate moving images.

YSH : Where do you get your ideas and inspiration from?
SELFRIDGES : By traveling abroad, attending furniture shows, staying abreast of artworld trends as well as fashion and product trends, even trying out new bars and the Marmite popup shop!

YSH : Do you take on interns?
SELFRIDGES : Absolutely, We have a massive demand for interns, however we require a fairly long commitment - a minimum of 3 months. it takes that long for students to become acclimatised to such a big team and since the windows are up for 8 weeks it would be senseless not to be able to participate in the final stages of the display.

YSH : How often are materials such as backdrops and textiles reused?
SELFRIDGES : Almost everything is reused, if not on the shop floor in some form then it's donated to schools, charities or whoever is willing to come and collect it. Plastic fruit has ended up as props in a school play and one woman used laser cut plastic snowflakes in her wedding!

YSH : Where do the materials come from?
SELFRIDGES : Far and wide.  We seek out fresh talent at graduate shows, frequent international design shows and trawl little villages in the British countryside. Although their craftsman and manufacturers are closely guarded secrets, the styling team has been know to frequent Dalston pound shops and AfroWorld.

So there you have it - and please accept our apologies for some unanswered questions which were sent in, which were deemed a little too close to the bone to ask the team, but we hope you've found it interesting and informative nonetheless.

Come back at the start of February for the full report by our reporter Sabrina Morrison, and stay tuned for the next 'question a designer' in our series!