As the holiday season lights up New York City, few traditions shine brighter than the iconic holiday windows. Bergdorf Goodman. gave Luxury department storeThe displays are more than just decorations – they are works of art.
And the mastermind behind the art is David Hoey, senior director of visual presentation at Bergdorf Goodman. He has been with the store for over 20 years and oversees the window designs each year.
He noted that there are no schools for creating window displays, and that no one in the field seems willing to do the “deliberate” work.
“We just kind of got into it,” he said. “And we wouldn't want to do anything else because we're doing a little bit of everything. We're doing a little bit of theater, a little bit of storytelling, a little bit of advertising, a little bit of fashion.”
This year's theme is “Toast of the Town” in recognition of its 200th anniversary Fifth Avenue's retail strip. The store's five large windows refer to iconic elements of the avenue such as parks, libraries and flagship stores. Hoey's team used a variety of materials, including original taxi parts, to create scenes that celebrate New York.
Planning for the display begins in February, and artisans work in warehouses for months to create detailed pieces. The finished windows are installed in just two weeks before being exposed to the public.
One of this year's standout pieces is a rhinestone-covered praying mantis, made of 100,000 rhinestones, accompanied by a typewriter display.
Hoey's attention to detail is evident as he directs his team to make sure every piece is just right.
“It's almost creating a holiday experience for clients,” said Darcy Penk, president of Bergdorf Goodman.
The windows will be on display at Bergdorf Goodman until January 6, continuing a tradition that has delighted shoppers and passers-by for decades.
“Every year the question is, did we achieve what we set out to achieve?” he said. “I would say this year, we did.”
