Bloomingdale's Blooms

Bloomingdale's is teeming with activity this season – especially in the luxury department. The fourth floor designer segment at the 59th Street flagship underwent a total renovation, launched September 7. The 25,000-square-foot floor features a new, curving glass facade and has quickly become a hot spot for benefit parties and fashion shows.

Opening night saw the first big event: a benefit party for the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance. More recently, a Sept. 26 fashion show-luncheon raised funds for New Yorkers for Children, a charity benefiting foster children.

While, as of late, new shop openings has been the name of the game for the Bloomingdale's New York flagship store (including the Beatles shop on the lower level, which opened October 5), the designer department is thriving beyond expectations. Chairman and ceo Michael Gould would not disclose numbers, but sources say the renovated floor has reported 30 to 50 percent higher weekly gains over last year since its opening.