Baby, It's cold at Bally!

Bally looks a little iced over these days. Frosted plexi props resemble ice in these unique windows. We haven't seen this concept around yet but think it's a 'cool' idea as we finally head into winter. Brrrr never looked so good.

Nordstrom holiday is "for the birds"

It seems everyone is feeling rustic this season and Nordstrom is no exception. But they have included a place for the birds with some great birdhouses adorning their slender trees. The snow and birch stumps round out the look.

Now if only the birds had a twitter account, they could let their friends know where they are! Tweet.

5 themes we noticed this holiday

Holiday 2009 was an exciting season at retail and kudos to the hard working teams of visual merchandisers who helped bring some fun back into store display! We noticed a few themes emerging during the season:

1. winter white - seen here at Polo RL but noted in many locations, the snowy frosty look was a hit.

2. natural influences - the inclusion of real and fake trees, garlands and other natural elements like pine cones lent an old fashioned air to store display.

3. wrapped boxes - most likely what retailers hoped all our homes looked like but the inclusion of wrapped packages in many retail windows gave an air of positive thinking and colorful imagery. Noted here at Ann Taylor Loft but noted in earlier blogs as well.
4. glitter - things that sparkle and shine catch our eye and many went in this shiny direction. Looking ahead to brighter times?

5. effort!! - the biggest thing we noticed this season was retailers big and small put a lot of effort into giving a festive appearance at retail that made shopping fun and entertaining. When was the last time you said that?

What did you see around this holiday season that is worth noting?

Paper covers rocks!

Remember when you were a kid and you would fold white paper into squares and cut it and make paper snowflakes?

Well the windows here are a little more intricate -and inspiring!

These whimsical paper miniature "worlds" are a delight and a must see at Tiffany & Co this season.
They say diamonds are a girl's best friend (but this paper may be a BFF!)

Winter Wonderland

When it comes to beautiful windows - it's all in the details - and no one does details like Bergdorf Goodman. Their sense of whimsy creates a magic that captures pedestrians attention time and again. To see it in person is worth the pilgrimage.