Lord & Taylor

New York is to fashion what the “little black dress” is to many fashionista wardrobes – a classic staple.

So during New York's Fashion Week, held February 6-13, Lord & Taylor dressed up its 29 windows along Fifth Avenue and 38th and 39th streets in a “New York New York” theme in which black and white cocktail confections took the spotlight.

Manoel Rehna, creative director/visual merchandising-fashion-special events for Lord & Taylor, described the windows concept as very graphic, clean and elegant. Eighteen pearl black sculpted Tomani mannequins from Mondo Mannequins (Hicksville, N.Y.) were adorned in designs from Oscar de la Renta, Melinda Eng, Roland Nivelais, b. michael and others.

Panoramic backdrops from New York photographer Richard Cadan further set the sophisticated window tone with evening images of the New York skyline. Vertical lightboxes served as framed window partitions, while painted faux balconies allowed the mannequins to look as if they were posed on penthouse terraces. Finishing touches included silhouettes of buildings airbrushed onto the Fifth Avenue windows and small pieces of mirror inset on the backdrops, giving the illusion of real windows in the buildings.

Lord & Taylor, which regularly changes its windows every two weeks, kept the New York tribute in place for five weeks.

Client: Lord & Taylor, New York – Manoel Renha, creative director/visual merchandising-fashion-special events

Suppliers: Mondo Mannequins, Hicksville, N.Y. (mannequins); Richard Cadan Photography, Brooklyn, N.Y. (photographic backdrops)

Courtesy of Mondo Mannequins, Hicksville, N.Y.