In annual ritual, festivities and pageantry mark the displays’ debut
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Since I haven’t seen the holiday windows yet at Barneys—or for that matter Bergdorf, Saks, Lord & Taylor or Macy’s, I can’t say which are my favorites.
I typically wait until after Thanksgiving to focus on this all-important seasonal ritual.
Notice that I didn’t say best windows. Because if anything boils down to personal taste, it’s holiday-season pageantry. Those who fancy themselves creative types might prefer the inventiveness of “Chillin’ Out,” the theme of Barneys’ ice carvings, to the more traditional “A Few of Our Favorite Things” approach of Lord & Taylor.
However, I did have the opportunity to partake of the excitement at the unveiling of the Bloomingdale’s windows on Wednesday evening.
The festivities began with a performance by Sara Bareilles. As much as I like Sara Bareilles, who was singing songs she wrote for the coming Broadway musical “Waitress,” I didn’t last long. I gave up standing at concerts around 1980.
So I decided to get a jump on my holiday shopping, at least holiday window-shopping, by ducking into Bloomingdale’s. Where I made the hardly original observation that I don’t think I’ve ever visited the store where things were in the same place from one trip to the next.
I made a mental note to take this up with Bloomingdale’s executives, should I run into any at the holiday-window unveiling. That appeared to be getting under way—as signified by Santa’s helpers handing out candy canes in the lobby of the department store and the strains of an approaching marching band, its musicians dressed like toy soldiers.
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ENLARGEThe windows were designed by Jeff Leatham, artistic director of the Four Seasons hotel George V in Paris. Mr. Leatham also came recommended by Jane Krakowski, of “30 Rock” fame, who wasn’t on the program. She had just dropped by.
“I’m just friends with Jeff,” Ms. Krakowski explained. “I didn’t realize it was going to be such pageantry.”
The crowds on Lexington Avenue were so deep—who knew there would be such enthusiasm for the holidays, even before Turkey Day—that I was blocked from seeing the moment of unveiling from where I was standing.
However, John Klimkowski, Bloomingdale’s operating vice president national director visuals, gave me a guided tour once things had quieted down slightly.
The windows featured legions of red roses—Mr. Leatham’s credits include florist—and lots of faceted mirrored surfaces. Whatever their competitors inspiration, I doubt anybody is going to out-glam Bloomingdale’s this holiday season.
I also loved that a couple of the windows pumped scent, such as peppermint, into the air, lending the festivities a Sensurround thrill.
However, one window particularly spoke to me. It featured a sparkling golden Boston terrier popping out of a box. The five senses is this year’s theme and that particular window tackled sight: a child, or at least a video representation of one, peered excitedly through a keyhole just as my brothers and I did Christmas morning 1963, when Santa had brought us our Boston terrier puppy, Skippy.
I got my opportunity to complain about Bloomingdale’s ever-changing landscape when I was introduced to Jack Hruska, executive vice president of creative services.
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Mr. Hruska was unapologetic. “It’s retail,” he explained. “You have to be competitive, keep things fresh.”
I recalled when Bloomingdale’s fluffy house-brand sock came in a rainbow of colors, not that one has anything to do with the other. Mr. Hruska, who has been with the department store for 23 years, remembered them, too.
These days, his sock drawer is monochromatic. “Now I just try to buy the exact same pair of black socks,” he confessed, as if there’s nothing wrong with a world devoid of socks of eye-popping distinction. (Imagine if the theme of Bloomingdale’s holiday windows was the color black.)
“Now people generally don’t wear socks,” he went on. “Generally guys don’t wear socks any more.”
I could have shared my thoughts on that preposterous trend, but didn’t want to sully the fledgling holiday spirit.