Holiday Windows 2010: Festive and Fashionable Displays
By Erin Donnelly
12/13/10 at 04:12 PM
Flashing lights, fantastical winter wonderlands, campy creations, couture gowns—has window shopping ever been this fun? For the 2010 holiday season, retailers around the globe have brought sidewalks to a standstill with their festive and fashion-minded displays. Come along as FashionEtc goes behind the scenes of the world's most visionary offerings. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...
Bergdorf Goodman, New York City You know the holiday windows are good when they merit their own book. Coinciding with the launch of the Assouline hardback Windows at Bergdorf Goodman, this year’s “Wish You Were Here” concept sees mannequins donning runway designs while embarking on a fantasy voyage.
Bergdorf Goodman, New York City A sort of Planes, Trains and Automobiles for the prêt-à-porter set, the vivid vignettes traverse space and time, showing off Oscar de la Renta in a vaudeville-inspired train scene and Naeem Khan sailor stripes on an antique ship. Vintage flying machines, rocket ships, and a winged Pegasus also figure as modes of transport.
Lord & Taylor, New York City For this year’s “Share the Joy” theme, Lord & Taylor turned to an unlikely source of inspiration: the public. After encouraging customers to submit their favorite holiday memories, the store selected 12 stories to be transformed into holiday displays set in—where else?—New York City. “This year is all about sharing, and we’re thrilled to take our customer interaction to a new level by bringing to life their holiday traditions in our windows,” says Brendan Hoffman, Lord & Taylor president and CEO.
Lord & Taylor, New York City Spanning tales from the last 50 years, the four windows—which range from “A Disco Christmas” to “Holiday Dresses”—are the only department store windows to use hydraulics and were created by a team of 50 people in a workshop underneath the store’s Fifth Avenue sidewalk. Respect.
Bloomingdale’s, New York City Dreaming of a white Christmas? You’re not alone. Bloomingdale’s went the digital route to create a high-tech snowy landscape at its 59th Street flagship. Under the theme “Happy, Merry, Peace, Love,” the windows hold a mosaic created from nearly 100 digital screens flashing animated scenes of a winter wonderland. Little brown bag sold separately.
Barneys New York, New York City Leave it to Barneys New York creative director Simon Doonan to design a holiday window that’s festive, entertaining, quirky and ... mouthwatering? Behold “Have a Foodie Holiday,” a typically tongue-in-cheek homage-cum-roast to culinary stars that will get you drooling if the store’s Louboutin heels and Marc Jacobs bags don’t.
Barneys New York, New York City “It is extremely flattering to be involved and parodied in something as remarkable and strangely beautiful as Simon Doonan’s twisted, defenestrated genius, even if I think I may be a little bit more handsome in person than portrayed,” Batali tells FashionEtc. “But I would bet everyone feels that way, and maybe we are not. The windows are truly brilliant.”
Macy’s, New York City Talk about a miracle on 34th Street! It took 35 weeks, 12,000 pounds of steel, 14 paper artisans, four carpenters, six electricians, and 25 gallons of glue to create Macy’s theatrical Herald Square windows. This year the department store brought in the big guns—award-winning designer Paul Olszewski and Broadway set designers PRG Scenic Technologies—to create a storyboard-style retelling of the CBS animated special Yes, Virginia.
Macy’s, New York City Inspired by Virginia O’Hanlon's 1897 letter questioning the existence of Santa Claus, the six windows take visitors through the tale via LCD screens, specially timed curtains, and elaborate paper embellishments. “Almost every detail within each window is made from paper, cut both by laser and by hand, and has been layered and manipulated to give a beautiful and unique quality,” Olszewski says.
Macy’s, New York City Even the ornate animations created for the LCD screens, such as flying birds, fireplaces, and people decorating trees, are created from paper using this special technique. “It is this combination of artistry and technology that is going to make this year’s windows so special.”
Saks Fifth Avenue, New York City With apologies to Santa and his elves, the holiday’s best dream team may just be Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Alexander McQueen, Marchesa, Kaufman Franco, Sophie Theallet, Jason Wu, Oscar de la Renta, Proenza Schouler, and Nina Ricci, who were commissioned by Saks Fifth Avenue to design exclusive dresses for the store’s windows. “This year’s all-encompassing theme of ‘The Snowflake and the Bubble’ inspired us to expand our scope to include 16 windows, as opposed to our typical number of six,” windows director Julio Gomez tells FashionEtc.
Saks Fifth Avenue, New York City “For the first time in 20 years, we incorporated stunning, one-of-a-kind gowns by noted designers into our traditionally all-mechanical narrative, each inspired by and created in the image of our fantasy-driven story,” says Gomez. “Our windows explore the story of a little girl who is enchanted by bubbles and snowflakes and travels through her vivid imagination, which takes her on adventures through land, sea and air.” But while snowflakes and bubbles are plenty magical, the real stars of the show are the killer fashions the girl encounters along the way—feathered evening gowns and Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa’s sci-fi-chic Lady Gaga dress.
Selfridges, London Welcome to the dollhouse, folks. The windows at Selfridges were inspired by the George Bernard Shaw quote, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
Selfridges, London Selfridges has fashioned a quirky glass-encased playground that features a toy trailer park, stuffed animals galore, dancing denim, whimsical Pete Fowler illustrations, and a deliciously kitschy life-size Barbie and Ken with several bottles of pink bubbly, naturally.
Selfridges, London “This year we are responding to the shift for the simpler pleasures in life and are really keen to get all our customers starry-eyed—especially the adults among them,” says Erin Thompson, the store’s head of windows and visual merchandising.
Printemps, Paris You may have heard of the mastermind behind this department store’s holiday windows—does the name Alber Elbaz ring a bell? Following in the footsteps of Dior and Chanel, the Lanvin designer and recent H&M collaborator lent his signature flair to the “Noël au Château” theme. The concept? Two impeccably dressed marionettes (named Mister and Miss Lanvin, naturally) feast, break into dance, and battle ghosts from the comfort of their exquisite home.
Harrods, London We’re totally hooked on Harrods’s Peter Pan-inspired windows and with good reason: Lost Boys, Tinker Bell, ne’er-do-well pirates, and an incredible replica pirate ship made from chocolate accompany Peter and Wendy as they move from window to window in pursuit of Neverland. Benefiting the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (which was donated story rights by author J.M. Barrie), the luxury department store’s Pan-centric offering also includes a limited-edition Peter Pan-inspired collection and the 8,000-square-foot Christmas World. Consider yourself warned.
Harrods, London “We aim to deliver the most innovative and luxurious displays in the world, but at the heart of each one lives tradition and legacy,” store image director Mark Briggs says. “Harrods has a rich heritage that is celebrated store-wide throughout the year, and our legendary Christmas displays are a great part of that heritage.”
Harrods, London “Our windows feature products from every department of the store, showcasing the most exciting and innovative items,” says Briggs. “The juxtaposition of modern innovation and traditional seasonal décor has always been integral to our displays.” Just be sure to mind the crocodiles.
