Holiday Windows, NYC Style, 2014

Over the years I have tried to get out there and brave the hordes and freezing temps to photograph holiday windows around NYC. It was easier when I lived on the Upper East Side, when I could walk down Madison Avenue and click away at the elegant boutiques and their Christmas decor, stopping at Barney's, then make a right on 57th to Bergdorf's and a left on Fifth Avenue down past Saks and if I had any energy left fighting the crowds, to my final destination, Lord & Taylor. Adding Macy;s to this list involved energy I never possessed, and even L & T was a stretch. Bloomingdale's holiday output is uneven from year to year so I don't always bother with them, but Barney's, Saks and Bergdorf's are always worth the effort.

Here are some pictured from this year's trip. The crowds are pretty crazy but at least it's not as cold as it was last year (not yet, anyway).

I took these at Barney's a few weeks ago on my way to an appointment with my iPhone, in a rush, so I couldn't stop for as long as I usually do. These windows were designed by Dennis Freedman, Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin and are called "Baz Dazzled."

Some text has been copied from the Barney's website here. (this explains the different type used)

Front of Barney's with candycanes and gold.

I shot a short video but don't know how to transfer it to this blog, so if you go to the link above, you will see Barney's videos of their windows in glorious motion.

The Spirits of the Snow star in this window, realized by Washington-based artist Anthony Howe and voiced by Pentatonix. These handmade kinetic sculptures, previously only seen as outdoor wind machines, come to life within the window—the first time Howe’s work has been shown in an interior space. The movement of these spirited characters is entirely generated by wind machines, which sets them into mesmerizing motion.

Artist and sculptor Chris Cole has created an 8-foot-tall, 6-foot-wide steampunk talking owl which gravely speaks his words of wisdom, scored to Pentatonix’s version of Madonna’s “Holiday.”

LOVE

A magical corner of Central Park is the mythical setting for the first window, which depicts a forest of 9-foot chromed mushrooms in a rainbow of colors. Elphresh the elf contorts and dances in and around his 14-foot-wide gold and bejeweled boom box, in pursuit of his impossible love, Elfemeral.

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I was fascinated by the live skater in two windows who performs at certain times during the day. Yes, there is a woman skating in a very small space for hours on end.

"Celestina the ice princess, imprisoned for eternity in her ice cave in our mythical tale, skates forlornly in the last window while dreaming of freedom."

The lighting changes color as she skates.

Next, Lord & Taylor's windows....tomorrow.

Holiday Windows at Bergdorf Goodman

I was out with a friend this evening and took many pictures of the new 2010 holiday windows, which I will edit over the next few days and post a link to, but here is a video that features a behind-the-scenes look! If you click on the word "video" you can see the full screen; as I have 3 columns in my blog, you are not seeing the right side of the video.

Holiday Windows 2008

I can't believe that I have neglected my blog for so long! It's the busiest time of year here, and sales are good, often very brisk - I just returned from my little local Post Office, which was crazy busy as it closes at 5:00 and keeps no holiday hours.
The downside of being so busy at home is that I don't get a chance to get out and look at the city and its splendid Christmas Decorations. The night before Thanksgiving I decided that I'd walk down Madison Avenue and across 57th street and take pictures of the holiday windows, as I did last year. Some stores were just putting the finishing touches up, and most...MOST...had a SALE sign in the window, before Christmas. Very sad, but good for anyone with money to buy. How the shopping rules have changed!
Bergdorf Goodman wins again for most amazing windows. If you can, try to visit and see them for yourself! The store, located at 57th Street and 5th Avenue, is lucky enough to have three sides and often feature very different styles of decor on those sides. The north side, on 58th street, features windows with a retro-1930s-style surrealist view of stylish women with animal-men. Here's one:

The prime spot are the windows on Fifth Avenue - these typically feature the most splendid designs, and this year the theme is "The Four Seasons", with one extra, Holiday, thrown in. Splendidly dressed ladies are bejeweled and set inside crazily decorated windows, crammed with merchandise, animals, decor, textures, gorgeously painted backdrops and amazing lighting for such a small space. It's a visual feast - there's too much to look at, and selling clothing and objects seems to be the least of their agenda. They're little worlds of fantasy that allow one to become a child again. David Hoey is the designer of record, and though the windows are stunning all year long, the Christmas ones are a superb achievement. This is one of the windows, called "Harvest Moon", for fall.

The south side, on 57th Street, features very different windows - as far as I can tell, the theme is "Communication", set in a framework of black & white Baroque graphics reminiscent of the work of the Bibiena Family. That's a beautiful website with lovely examples of their work. If you click on the book pages after the site loads about 20 times, you'll advance to work that I'm talking about. When I studied stage design a million years ago, they were one of the first designers/architects we were taught about - active in the 17th and 18th Century and masters, among other things, of perspective.

Anyway, these windows have a palette of black, red and white, and show another group of beautifully dressed ladies illustrating ways in which we have communicated through history - balloon, bird, snail mail..stylized and crisp. The digital work on the backdrops is wonderful, and must have cost a fortune - I don't want to know what the budget was for these windows! Worth every penny, in my opinion, and a real gift to New York.

I'm not clogging up the blog with all of the pictures - you can see the pictures of these windows and more at my Flickr site...the link to that slideshow is here. You can also check out last year's windows and the spectacular Tony Duquette Tribute.

A window at Tiffany's also on 57th Street.

Ralph Lauren's 72nd Street location, the former Rhinelander Mansion; a north side window.

Steampunk influence and one of Macy's windows.

Barneys' SIMON DOONAN has created a series of colorful windows celebrating the 50th anniversary of the peace sign and hippie culture. Can you believe that it's almost the 40th anniversary of Woodstock?