Saturday, December 5, 2009

Dark and Edgy Holiday Store Windows in NYC

Who says store windows have to be full of tacky glitter and fluff for the holiday season? (Okay, many people seem to think so). Some of the more striking retail displays in NYC have a darker, humorous edge to them but still convey a great look.

Calvin Klein has a simple, dripping black window, appropriate for the chaotic shopping day known as "Black Friday" in the U.S. (the day after Thanksgiving where all stores mark down merchandise for the holiday season).
Bergdorf Goodman had an Alice in Wonderland theme. It seemed to subscribe more to Tim Burton's version than the Disney one. It had a wonderful, chaotic, nightmarish quality about it.

Creative director Simon Doonan has always had an edgy sense of humor. Instead of decorating Barney's holiday windows with fluffy reindeer and snowy happy scenes, he paid tribute to the comedy of Saturday Night Live. The over sized papier-mache versions of the show's iconic characters were disturbing and creepy, (probably intentional). The colors deviated from your typical Christmas colors and set itself apart from every other luxury store in the city.