As the holiday season lights up New York City, few traditions shine brighter than the iconic holiday windows Bergdorf Goodman. The luxury department stores‘s exhibitions are more than just decorations: they are works of art.
And the mastermind behind the art is David Hoey, Bergdorf Goodman’s senior director of visual presentation. He has been in the store for over 20 years and oversees the design of the windows every year.
He noted that there is no school for window dressing and that no one in the field seems to set out to do the work “on purpose.”
“We had a little bit of fun with 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 City”, a nod to the 200th anniversary of Fifth Avenue commercial strip. The store’s five large windows feature references to emblematic elements of the avenue, such as parks, libraries and flagship stores. Hoey’s team used a variety of materials, including real taxi parts, to create scenes that celebrate New York.
Exhibition planning begins in February, and artisans work in warehouses for months creating the detailed pieces. The finished windows are installed in just two weeks before being revealed to the public.
One of this year’s standout pieces is a rhinestone-encrusted praying mantis, made up of 100,000 rhinestones, along with a typewriter screen.
Hoey’s attention to detail is evident as he directs his team so that every piece is perfectly placed.
“It’s creating an almost festive delirium for customers,” said Darcy Penick, president of Bergdorf Goodman.
The windows will be on display at Bergdorf Goodman until January 6th, continuing a tradition that has delighted shoppers and passers-by for decades.
“There’s a question of … every year, have we achieved what we set out to do?” he said “I’d say we’ve done that this year.”