Holiday Windows, 2016: Part II

Retail has never been an industry that settles with the status quo, the to-be-expected or the ho-hum. (Isn’t that why we love it?) This past holiday season was no different when it came to holiday window displays. Around the globe, retailers either ditched the standard Christmastime motifs altogether or infused a healthy dose of humor or avant-garde elements to captivate passersby. Browse the annual recap in the February 2017 issue of VMSD, and be sure to check back throughout the month of February 2017 for Parts II-V of this online review.

To view part I of this recap, click here.

Click the gallery above to view more photos.

• Bloomingdale’s, New York – “Lights Up a Young Mind”
  Bloomingdale’s holiday window campaign featured chandeliers custom designed by eight artists of various disciplines to create an eclectic window motif. This chandelier (above), by Sean Augustine March, titled “Luminescence,” features sharp, repeated geometric shapes and vivid hues which blend to create the entire visible color spectrum. The chandeliers were auctioned off as part of the retailer’s “Light Up a Young Mind” campaign to benefit New York’s Child Mind Institute. Each year, the retailer’s displays are highly anticipated, says Bloomingdale’s Window Director Leigh Ann Tischler, noting that the brand’s management department begins to receive calls as early as summer from European tourists planning annual trips to see the holiday windows. • Design: Sean Augustine March (chandelier shown); Leigh Ann Tischler, director of windows, Bloomingdale’s, New York| Photography: Willo Font, New York

• Jimmy Choo, London • Design: Harlequin Design, London | Photography: Melvyn Vincent, London

• Liverpool, Mexico City – “Worlds of Our Deepest Christmas Wishes”
  Liverpool’s concept is derived from the imagined possibility of looking into the minds of others to discover their real Christmas wishes. Each “world” within the windows, including CandyWorld, DiscoWorld, JewelryWorld and GiftWorld, represents the desires of every member of the family. The concept is aligned with Liverpool’s national campaign, which includes the metallic drop as its main element, incorporated into each of its Mexico City windows. • Design: Daniela Olivares Alvarado, senior designer; Lourdes Mendez, visual merchandising and display director; Adolfo Valenti, production manager; Héctor Castellanos, creative manager; Ricardo de la Cruz, senior buyer, Liverpool. Suppliers: Bunker Visual Solutions, S.A. de C.V., Mexico City; Black Box Design S.A. de C.V., Mexico City; Decoplantas, Mexico City; Fabric Images México, Mexico City | Photography: Adolfo Valenti, Mexico City

• Clark’s, London • Design: Harlequin Design, London | Photography: Melvyn Vincent, London

• Brunello Cucinelli, Munich| Photography: Angelika Frank, Munich

• Aquascatum, London • Design: Harlequin Design, London | Photography: Melvyn Vincent, London

• Butch Blum, Seattle – “Spirits of Giving”
  In creating its 2016 holiday windows, Butch Blum set out to “reuse for good,” recycling its old mannequins in its windows and partnering with seven local Seattle charities and organizations. In each window, a used mannequin was reimagined and reused like never before, representing seven joyful spirits of the partnering Northwest community groups and events. This year’s “spirits” represent: The Christmas Ship Festival, benefiting the “Fund for the Needy,” sponsored by Argosy Cruises and The Seattle Times. ACT Theatre, the behind-the-scenes of its holiday productions. Seattle Symphony and its holiday concert series. Seattle Children’s Theatre and the forests of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Stellaluna. The Arthritis Foundation and the annual “Jingle Bell Run.” Fred Hutch and its “Countdown to Curing Cancer.” Cougar Mountain Zoo and its annual “Issaquah Reindeer Festival.”  • Design: Savannah Lew and Faith Chow, visual artists, Seattle. Suppliers: Argosy Cruises, ACT Theatre, Seattle Symphony, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Arthritis Foundation, Fred Hutch, Cougar Mt. Zoo | Photography: Beck Nelson, Seattle