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Photos: It's Over-The-Top Holiday Window Season At Midtown Department Stores
By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 3, 2021
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 3, 2021
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It's the most wonderful time of the year...for people who love gazing at the holiday windows at the city's biggest Midtown department stores. After some stores went slightly minimalistic during our pandemic winter last year, all the big names—including Macy's, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bloomingdale's—are back with the classic over-the-top, extremely positive holiday displays that are beaming good vibes out into the sidewalks.
As is often the case, Saks Fifth Avenue once again has the most impressive light and window display, with six lavish tableaus “inspired by the theme of reconnecting with family and loved ones during the holiday season.” The company asked NYC children to draw and describe their holiday dreams, and then the Saks window artists brought those images to life. The windows are also dedicated to Michelle Obama's Girls Opportunity Alliance—Saks has donated $1 million to the group—and Obama was there in person for the unveiling of this year's windows in late November.
You can see a video tour of those window and light displays below.
Macy's windows tell the story of Tiptoe, who goes on a journey from dreaming of flying, going to flight school, and eventually joining Santa's crew. “Macy’s Herald Square is the home for holiday magic and our iconic Broadway windows have for more than 100 years showcased animated wonders that inspire and delight,” said Manuel Urquizo, National Director of Visual Campaigns and Windows for Macy’s. “With Tiptoe, we have created a whimsical story highlighting the important power of belief and the joy and wonder of the season.” You can watch a cute animated video about Tiptoe here.
Bloomingdale's displays were inspired by the store’s “Give Happy” holiday campaign, and include themes like "Red Wrap-Ture," "Magical Memories," "Cozy Comforts" and "Totally Rad."
"Every year, we look forward to our holiday unveiling event as a gift to our customers and the city of New York. And, this year, we are even more excited to come back together and celebrate," said Frank Berman, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Bloomingdale's.
Read More: Midtown Will Become More Pedestrian-Friendly For The Holidays
And lastly, Bergdorf Goodman's windows are all under the theme of "The Present Moment," depicting joyful moments in which characters are, you guessed it, "in the moment." Additionally, they also have a Wes Anderson-inspired holiday campaign with the same theme.
“These windows are extremely complicated to install, considering the layers of scenery and props,” David Hoey, Bergdorf Goodman's senior director of visual presentation, told Yahoo. “Windows are usually tight spaces. It’s like sensory overload. We purposely overstuff these windows in a designed kind of a way, attempting to induce an aesthetic delirium. To us, they are extremely holiday and festive. A state of mind. While we don’t necessarily have Santa Claus, we do have a spirit of holiday.”
You can see a video of their windows below.
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midtown
saks fifth avenue
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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