Eye Candy: NYC Holiday Windows

I was delighted to be in New York City during the holiday season because the spectacular window displays made walking even more fun. The holiday tradition was started by Macy’s in 1874, with more stores following over the years and installations becoming more intricate and decorative!

Department store creative directors begin planning their windows and themes as many as nine months in advance. Bergdorf Goodman did an arts & crafts theme this year, and Saks Fifth Avenue’s light show included a performance by Elton John. So I decided to share a few of my favorite windows and hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Over 250 people worked to create and install the intricate design for the SAKS FIFTH AVENUE holiday windows. The brilliant display featured 600,000 lights for their show every evening. As part of the homage to Elton John, one window was filled with rocket ships and another with his Gucci-made costumes. It was a feast for the eyes!

BERGDORF GOODMAN chose brilliant reds and greens for the ‘Magic in the Making’ theme, dedicated to talented craftspeople and their skills. The windows featured wood-crafting, papier-Mache, scrapbooking (one of my favorite hobbies!), and more. Their designs took 10,000 person-hours to complete.

BLOOMINGDALE’S wanted to remind visitors of their youth and filled their windows with whimsical display features of teddy bears, oversize ornaments, and a toy workshop. They added flashing lights and rotating mannequins to complete the festive look.

HUDSON YARDS, a relative newcomer to the party, did not have traditional window displays. Instead, visitors to the mall were dazzled by over 2 million twinkling lights! They also had a 32-foot-tall hot air balloon on top of the great hall, along with 750 bright Christmas trees.

And finally, CARTIER, which has always been one of my favorites. Every year, the creative team makes the entire store look like a wrapped-up gift!