As a blogger, looking back at department store holiday windows
gave me a different perspective of the holiday season. If I
wrote about the holiday windows in December, I would have tried to
put myself in the positition of a small child, enraptured with the
magic of Christmas. Now in the beginning of 2012, the remnants of
the holiday season is gradually shedding away- the forlorn
Christmas trees laying in the street, the glittery lights are taken
down, some store windows showing off spring merchandise. A
look back at the holiday windows of 2011, I was able to appreciate
the great work and creativity that stores put into their window
displays- these were works of art that would be appropriate in a
museum- just to create a bit of fantasy and magic in December.
Bergdorf Goodman, New York, created Carnival of the
Animals display. David Hoey, Senior Director of Visual
Display and his team devote a year to the production of the holiday
windows. The inspiration for Bergdorf's windows was from diverse
settings reimagined in various materials and the animals that live
there. Click
on here to view a video of Bergdorf Goodman's visual team creating
the 2010 holiday windows.
Barney's, New York's edgy department store, collaborated with
Lady Gaga over the holiday season and created "Gaga's Workshop", a
shop in Barney's curated with Gaga-inspired items. Lady Gaga's
fashion director, Nicola Formichetti, worked together with Barney's
Creative Director, Dennis Freedman, to make holiday windows
commemorating Gaga's Workshop.
Karl Lagerfeld curated Printemps holiday windows. Chanel's 11
window display for Printemps takes a tour around the world- in Los
Angeles, flight attendants in Christmas-red uniforms and blue go-go
boots; in Moscow, a twirling Chanel ballet troupe; and in Paris,
Karl-as-photographer marionettes.
Below are holiday windows of department stores around the world.
Photos: Vanity Fair.com
Bergdorf Goodman, NY: Snowy birds as models- they seem as
graceful and elegant as the dresses they are wearing.
Bergdorf Goodman, NY: Left: A white tiger, a walrus and a ram
look debonair for their photo with their lady friend. Right: This
display is called "Teacher's Pet" and features 300 different kinds
of paper and a paper zebra!
Bergdorf Goodman, NY:The "Brass Menagerie" display is the most
magical- it seems to glow at night.
Harrods in London collaborated with Swarovski to create "A
Crystal Christmas". It's like a fairy tale!
Harrods in London collaborated with Swarovski to create "A
Crystal Christmas". It's like a fairy tale!
Barneys, NY: Left: "Gaga's Crystal Cave" features a mermaid,
suspended between twinkling LED crystals that change colors from
clear to blue. Right: "Gaga Machine"
Barneys, NY: "Gaga's Boudoir" is constructed from real and
synthetic blond wig hair, in the center lies a Lady Gaga mannequin
on a blond hair chaise lounge.
Printemps, Paris: A Karl puppet photographing camellias, Coco
Chanel's favorite flower.
Printemps, Paris: Chanel ballet in Moscow.
Printemps, Paris: Air Chanel in Los Angeles.
