Wednesday, December 11, 2013

THE HOLIDAYS ON ICE


Last week my team and I took our annual pilgrimage to NYC to see the unveiling of all the others departments stores windows besides our own we helped with. And it has become tradition here on A Day With the Mistress Borghese to give those who don't make it up, to see all the beauty, and I'm all about tradition!!!! So now till Christmas I'll sprinkle in some of my favorites I enjoyed. As always, in my opinion, Bergdorf Goodman had the hands down best windows again. The holiday windows at Bergdorf Goodman, a true New York spectacle, continued their renowned tradition of captivating imagery, extreme luxury fashion, and  fantasy. The 2013 Fifth Avenue windows, titled “Holidays on Ice” will present an unexpected proposition: What if traditional holidays throughout the year—no matter what their normal season–were re-imagined as a series of icy, snowy, frozen dioramas?
 
 
APRIL FOOL’S DAY: An icebound Art Deco iron gate opens onto a formal garden party. A mannequin dressed in Oscar de la Renta is the center of attention amid a group of animal-shaped ice topiaries. You may need to stand on your head to get the full effect, because as a surprise prank, Bergdorf’s will install this window upside down!!!
 
 
ARBOR DAY: This window will provide a split-level view of a forest clearing. Above ground, a mannequin (dressed in Alexander McQueen) rests on the icy branch of a 10-foot porcelain tree, its branches adorned with crystal leaves and flowers. Porcelain fauna populate the scene: birds, butterflies, insects, and reptiles. Below ground lie the tree’s roots, encased within a massive block of ice.
 
 
 
VALENTINE’S DAY: A luminous, cave-like boudoir, its walls encrusted with pink flowers. An icicle-laden crystal chandelier. Surrounded by a lavish, pink confectionery buffet, a mannequin (dressed in Giambattista Valli) sits with feather quill at a writing desk made from ornately carved slabs of ice.
 
 
 FOURTH OF JULY: Patriotic pageantry on ice. A full-size replica of a Colonial building facade, forged as if from a glacier, is the backdrop. A parade of characters in red, white, and blue (dressed in Rodarte and Thom Browne NY Men’s) march in the foreground. Flags, bunting, and pennants fly from above.
 
 
 
HALLOWEEN: Midnight. A masquerade party in high Gothic style. A spider web studded with Swarovski crystals. A towering haunted mansion glazed in ice. Not an ordinary mansion, but a meticulously crafted model of the Vanderbilt house which once stood on the site of Bergdorf Goodman. How's that for details? This window will play tricks with scale and will treat with a custom dress by Naeem Khan.
 
The Fifth Avenue display was rounded out with smaller shadowbox windows depicting several more holidays on a more intimate, but no less lavish, scale: Thanksgiving, Mardi Gras, New Year’s Eve, and Groundhog Day. While the others depicted lovely wintery scenes which were still very well done and elegant.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
And check out these tidbits our connection gave us there on the tour of the windows......
 
1,000 — Linear feet, when placed end-to-end, of icicles in the  Fifth Avenue windows alone.
500 — Sweets in the Valentine’s Day window: 200 cakes, 300 cookies and 500 pieces of candy, approximately!!!
365  — Days spent preparing, brainstorming and creating the Holiday Windows, at least
 
100 — Persons involved in the creation of the Holiday Windows, from day 1 until the reveal
34 — Windows total, including Fifth Avenue
15 — Days spent installing the mannequins, props and pieces into the actual Fifth Avenue windows
 
— Feet is the tallest mannequin featured in a window
 
3 — Boroughs in which artisans to hand-create the holiday windows props.
 
— Custom Naeem Khan gown created for the 2013 Holidays on Ice Fifth Avenue Windows 
 
The Women’s Fifth Avenue windows contain twenty five birds, eight insects, two snails, and one each: bear,  llama , monkey, giraffe, elephant, horse, ground hog, squirrel, miniature poodle, frog, tortoise, lizard, komodo dragon,  oversize spider, as well as one slightly hidden mouse.
 
Now that  IS A LOT OF WORK!!!!  Great job to Dan Hoey and his team for such brilliant work and
 chic, elegant, and quite meticulous creations!

35 comments:

  1. Being in retail myself... I can appreciate the work and creativity that goes into these windows. STUNNING!!!

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    1. Oh good!!!! Another retail cohort!!!!!

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  2. Wow, those are elegant! The April's Fool Window must have been hell to put in. Thanks for the warm tour. Your in a neat field to be in my friend.

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  3. Thank you for the preview! I adore the holiday windows at BG. It's my favourite ritual this time of year. I will be there next week to pick up a dress, so I'll see these in person. Can't wait. Will salivate over your photos until then!

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  4. They have the coolest windows don't they? You would NEVER see that here! Valentine's is my favorite.

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  5. One could spend hours looking at them and all the detail, with a very warm coat on of course! Arbor Day is pretty cool

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    1. And the more you look, the more detail you see. One must really take time to get the full affect of these windows.

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  6. Gosh, aren't they all amazing! What a treat to be able to see them in real life. I used to love the windows in London, but these are incredible. I think the valentine's day one is probably my favourite - so romantic too.

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  7. Great displays! Looks like the Mistress could live in the Valentines window.

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  8. Wow, beautiful, my favourite is definitely the Valentine's Day display, so pink! I would love to see in person.

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  9. clever creative concept here! I think YOU would make a perfect mannequin for the valentine's day window, yes? thanks for sharing these photos!

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  10. OH MY GOD, these are amazing! No other store can touch these! I adore that ice poodle! What will they do with it once the windows are down?

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  11. Thanks for the tour as usual! I and my boyfriend might head up this weekend. I can imagine spending hours taking in all the intricacies of the windows.

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  12. Beautiful! Bergdorf knows how to do impeccable windows! Love the thanksgiving window, and o really like the wintery scene ones.

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  13. I had no idea that window displays were this elaborate. I like how Bergdorfs addressed holidays throughout the year, not just Christmas.

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  14. cool. can't wait to get into manhattan to see all the holiday windows

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  15. LOL! Love the Ground Hog Day! This is so exciting! I love the BG windows and won't be making it to the city this year. I love every little detail!

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  16. WOW! is all I have. It must take immense patience to set these windows, especially the upside down window! Love the monkey!

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  17. So very unique, so fun to see the artistry in these displays for the Holidays! I remember being in London one Christmas, and their windows don't even compare, nice, but didn't compare.

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  18. Extremely beautiful and elegant.. Not unfairly your and most of the New Yorkers favorite window displays. The details are sickening

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  19. Anonymous12/12/2013

    I always look forward to this time of year because of your posts on store displays. They are truly works of art and thank you for sharing them with us!

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  20. You're so damn tasteful, darling, you make my teeth ache. Had I but a shot glass full of your divine sense of style. What a life you must live. It's a good thing we're in the midst of the holidays... all that red and green - for I'm green with envy. Oh well, at least I won't stick out too much (save for the tent I get in my 501's whenever I think of you.) Shine on. - Uptonking from Wonderland Burlesque

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    1. I have never minded a pitched tent in a pair of 501's!!!!!!!! You are too kind handsome and I'm sure you lead a charmed life my friend! Now.......to the tent!

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  21. So gorgeous, all of them, but I kept staring and staring at Halloween.
    That one is amazing!

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    1. The Vanderbilt house was a real neat touch and ode to a once fabulous landmark.

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  22. wow! thanks for sharing that! :-)

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  23. Can for one day I just live in one of these windows! They are all so stunning. That's a genius I idea!!!

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  24. So putting me in the spirit for the holidays. Something old fashioned about walking around town window shopping!

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  25. Thank you everybody!!!!! I enjoy sharing them and glad y'all enjoy them! They really are spectacular!

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  26. Fabulous!

    Thanks for sharing, dahling.

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  27. beautiful!!! I don't know how any store would ever top there windows! They go way above and beyond with the details! Lovely post!

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  28. I need to go on a Christmas window shop for sure.. after a glass of wine at the Gramercy tavern!!

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Go ahead darling, tell me something fabulous!