Nothing like a trip to New York City to get rid of the bah-humbugs! Where else in the country will you see scores and scores of gilded department store decorations, guaranteed to have you whipping out your smart phone?
I did just that last week when the city was already brimming with holiday glamour. None reached a higher glitz factor than the windows at Bergdorf Goodman which this year celebrate the 120th anniversary of Swarovski Crystals. Following a "Brilliant Holiday" theme, the windows are decked out in 7 million crystals in elaborate displays with such alluring titles as "The Crown Jewels," "Glitterati," and "The Treasure Chest."
Ingenuity wins out at Barneys New York where two of the windows in the "Chillin' Out" display are actually giant walk-in freezers where ice-carving artists have created frozen masterpieces and two other windows draw inspiration from ice, showcasing the work of Dale Chihuly, Utah's Ice Castles and the artist collective Okamoto Studios.
"Embracing the chill that typically accompanies this magical time of year," Barneys website states, "our New York flagship’s windows celebrate winter by bringing one crucial element of the outdoors inside: ICE."
The displays range from the brash of Dolce & Gabbana to the serene of Tiffany & Co. to the most delicious windows of all — that of Teuscher chocolates. Champagne truffles for all my friends!
The decorations pictured here are merely the tip of the holiday iceberg in the city that is burning up the kilowatts this season.
Dolce & Gabbana sets a pretty holiday table in its Fifth Avenue windows.
