New York stores give the gifts of window entertainment

Kansas City Star 11/27/2011 14:57

Long gift list or short, light wallet or big spender, window shopping is something that can be enjoyed by almost everyone. In New York, Manhattan’s most famous Midtown retailers are known for splashy displays that have become as much a holiday tradition as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree or sidewalk Santas. Store executives say they see the windows as their seasonal gifts to the city.

Some highlights:

• Tiffany & Co.: Using the familiar (and nearby) Central Park as its reference, Tiffany fashioned a miniature wonderland anchored with a carousel.

The carousel animals, including zebras, lions and giraffes, take off in the Christmas Eve sky to deliver holiday gems to presumably good girls and boys.

• Saks Fifth Avenue: Snowflakes and bubbles are the stars here, elaborating on two previously popular themes for the retailer. The windows tell the story “Who Makes the Snow” (the picture book is being sold exclusively at Saks), which features a girl searching for the source of these magical, visual treats. A light show projects against the facade of the building to make it appear as if it is snowing.

One-of-a-kind dresses by Alexander McQueen, Rag & Bone, Nina Ricci and Olivier Theyskens, among others, add a little fashion to the fantasy.

• Bloomingdale’s: The flagship store on 59th Street uses as its centerpiece some of its vintage shopping bags — made bigger and better with movement that allow passers-by to peer inside.

Some of the bags have been reproduced, and a different one will go home with shoppers each week through Christmas.

• Lord & Taylor: Inspired by a 1941 illustration by Carl S. Wilson called “What Is Christmas Made Of?” the store asked local children to draw just what they think constitutes the holiday.

The favorites: picking out a tree, trimming it with all the bells and whistles, ice skating in Central Park, building a snowman and waiting for Santa. They’re among the themes incorporated into windows.

• Macy’s: Designers used many shades of white as the backdrop and decoration for each scene, encouraging passers-by to imagine their own magical holiday moment.

The story that moves from window to window starts with a mysterious ship headed to the North Pole. It takes a few detours by the Tree of Wishes and a wish factory before reaching its destination.