Merry Christmas!

Madison Avenue: 2011 Holiday Windows

Along Madison Avenue there are many high-end luxury labels.  But only a few have creative window displays for the holidays. For those that do, it seems this year rely on the strong saturated hues of red to bring in the holiday spirit.

The window at Lanvin makes the chic party dress central focus

At Donna Karan, it's all about the winter wonderland - with a few small pops of red.

Prada covered their windows in beautiful velvets making a point to show off their new jewelry line. 

At Dolce & Gabbana they constructed a large open market cart. 

And Alice & Olivia brought in a pop of red as well. 

Anthropologie: 2011 Holiday Windows

Anthropologie has created this niche for itself in the window display world where it uses everyday and usually inexpensive objects to create beautiful displays.  This year is no different as the materials are tape, plastic strips as streamers, plastic FedEx envelopes, parachute fabric and other insulation materials. Using mostly white materials these windows have great a wintry feel about them.  They also used fans and a little motorized elements to create real movement within the windows.

Louis Vuitton: 2011 Holiday Windows

Louis Vuitton's playful harlequin windows are so fun and bright! Each year it seems like they try to use elephants in their holiday windows and this one is my favorite yet! The animals are incredibly sculpted and painted, such wonderful execution. Enjoy!

Tiffany & Co.: 2011 New York Holiday Windows

Image from Tiffany & Co's Instagram page Tiffany and Co. © 2011 All Rights Reserved

For 2011 Tiffany and Co. stepped outside their blue box to create an marvelously grand statement with their window displays.  For a company with some of he smallest scaled product at a high price point, the creative team brought fantasy into reality by producing almost life sized carousel canopies.  Following the carousel theme throughout, the interior windows document the tale of the central park carousel animals as they fly through the skyline of New York.

In addition to the window displays the interiors are dressed to the nines including carousel horses and a sleigh on the gifts floor.  Lastly,  an actual children's book was written and illustrated to tell this year's story.

Image from Tiffany & Co. Winter Carousel Tiffany and Co. © 2011 All Rights Reserved

Tiffany Winter Carousel

Bergdorf Goodman: 2011 New York Holiday Windows:

This year Bergdorf Goodman based their holiday windows on the Carnival of Animals Theme.  All of the windows were designed in relation to animals, taking on new shapes, forms and personifications.  As always, they're luxurious, complex and and festive without being too "holiday."  Bergdorf Goodman windows will always be at the top of my list, in my mind they can never do wrong.  There is too much to say about these lovely windows, so I'd rather just let the images speak for themselves.  Enjoy!

58th street

Fifth Avenue

57th Street

All photographs by Lauren Gries © The Visual Beat 2011, All Rights Reserved