The 2015 Holiday Windows Are Here! See the Best Displays in New York City

By Samantha Simon
Updated Nov 19, 2015 @ 12:15 pm
Ricky Zehavi

The holidays are officially here, and nothing puts us in a festive mood quite like a trip to New York City’s decked-out department stores. Each year, the biggest retailers in Manhattan unveil their magical window displays, filled with fantastical themes and dazzling details—and this season’s storyboards certainly don’t disappoint.

From Bergdorf Goodman’s “Brilliant” themed Swarovski-embellished display to Barneys New York’s wintery “Chillin’ Out” motif, each and every window has an enchanting effect. We can’t stop staring at them, so we’re bringing them right to your screen to give you a close-up look without having to stand outside in the cold. Peek inside the most elaborately decorated windows in the city by clicking through our gallery above, and be sure to keep checking back. We’ll be adding more mesmerizing photos as additional windows are revealed, and trust us—you won’t want to miss a single one.

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BARNEYS NEW YORK: Chillin’ Out, Ice Castles

Tom Sibley

Barneys New York is “Chillin’ Out” this year—quite literally. The retailer enlisted the help of ice formation company Ice Castles to create frozen-over windows for its Madison Avenue flagship. Kept at a cool 3 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, the “Ice Castles” window is a fully operational ice locker that even has a custom misting system to help fuse icicles together for a full-on winter wonderland.

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BARNEYS NEW YORK: Chillin’ Out, Arctic Chase

Tom Sibley

For its “Arctic Chase” window, the Barneys New York teamed up with Lexus to create an icy racetrack. A friendly penguin can be seen zooming along as he tries to beat his opponents while an animated tale plays in the background.

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BARNEYS NEW YORK: Chillin’ Out, Arctic Chase

Tom Sibley

This penguin rides in style. The arctic animal has his own crystallized Lexus to race along the translucent polycarbonate track.

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BARNEYS NEW YORK: Chillin’ Out, Winter Brilliance

Tom Sibley

Sculptor and artist Dale Chihuly designed an installation that features hand-blown glass icicles suspended from the ceiling of the window. Hanging above a reflective pool of water, the frozen sculptures are meant to look like they’re about to fall. Lighting effects and 3D digital mapping bring the snowy landscape to life and result in a showdown of fire and ice.

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BARNEYS NEW YORK: Chillin’ Out, Ice Carvers

Tom Sibley

This window puts on a show unlike any other. Live carvers will be holding performances inside the ice locker, creating wintry sculptures from 20 x 30-inch ice blocks. To beat the chilly temperatures, the carvers are bundled up in metallic Moncler Gamme Bleu outerwear designs by Thom Browne.

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BERGDORF GOODMAN: Brilliant, The Birthday Party

Ricky Zehavi

Bergdorf Goodman’s 2015 holiday windows are decked out in Swarovski crystals for a dazzling “Brilliant” theme. The partnership celebrates Swarovski’s 120th anniversary, so it’s no surprise that the retailer’s central window, “The Birthday Party,” is devoted to the milestone. Featuring a ballroom setting, everything in the display is crystallized, from the wallpaper and furniture to a guitar and chandelier. Even a set of 12 birthstone cakes is completely blinged out to represent each month of the year.

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BERGDORF GOODMAN: Brilliant, The Treasure Chest

Ricky Zehavi

“The Treasure Chest” window features a sculpture of Neptune, and pearls reign supreme in his world under the sea. “This window just uses pearls,” Nadja Swarovski told InStyle. “Our pearls actually have crystals at their core, but they’re dipped into lacquer seven times to get the pearline effect.” 

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BERGDORF GOODMAN: Brilliant, The Crystal Cavern

Ricky Zehavi

“The Crystal Cavern” is a not-so-hidden gem. Inside an amethyst cave, a woman sports a hard hat and holds onto a rope while standing among crystallized rocks. Swarovski-encrusted tools including a hammer and shovel sit nearby as a bat flies overhead.

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BERGDORF GOODMAN: Brilliant, The Crystal Ball

Ricky Zehavi

Get lost in the world of fortune-telling when you stare into this window. Among a space filled with wheels of fortune and zodiac signs, a fortune-teller gazes into her crystal ball while predicting a colorfully-dressed client’s future.

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BERGDORF GOODMAN: Brilliant, The Crown Jewels

Ricky Zehavi

Now, to the palace. For “The Crown Jewels” window, Bergdorf created glittering suits of armor, golden lion sculptures, and a queen mannequin whose bright yellow outfit features embellished faces, animals, and objects. The entire display is made to look like a jewel box cushioned with red velvet, and a giant sparkling crown hangs above the monarch’s head.

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LORD & TAYLOR: A Few of Our Favorite Things, Gingerbread Kingdom

Cindy Ord/Getty Images

This year, Lord & Taylor’s windows are meant to evoke warm and fuzzy holiday memories. The “Gingerbread Kingdom” display features dozens of dancing gingerbread men holding up a Victorian house made of—you guessed it—gingerbread.

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LORD & TAYLOR: A Few of Our Favorite Things, Holiday Countdown

Cindy Ord/Getty Images

24 windows count down the days ’til Christmas in the centerpiece of this display, a snow-dusted mansion. The shutters on each of the large home’s windows open up to reveal animated images from the holidays in New York City.

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LORD & TAYLOR: A Few of Our Favorite Things, Sweets Shop

Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Inspired by a Parisian bakery, this window boasts so much holiday deliciousness that you’ll be drooling while watching the pastries whiz by. It’ll have you wishing you could step right up to the counter and place your order.

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LORD & TAYLOR: A Few of Our Favorite Things, Sweets Shop

Cindy Ord/Getty Images

We'll take two, please! The festive treats just keep on coming—check out the snowman-style lollipops on the top shelf.

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LORD & TAYLOR: A Few of Our Favorite Things, Cuckoo Clock

Cindy Ord/Getty Images

When this clock strikes midnight, everything really does go cuckoo. An owl pops out to say hello, and a bunny runs around in a circle.

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HENRI BENDEL: A Retrospective of Renowned Fashion Illustrator Izak Zenou

Craig Barritt/Getty Images

The windows of Henri Bendel’s Fifth Avenue flagship are meant to look like a vintage-inspired apartment filled with bright and colorful accessories. A golden tree sits in front of a white staircase in the main display, and designs by fashion illustrator Izak Zenou adorn the wall in the background. Framed in trompe l'oeil frames, more illustrations are on display throughout the store, which boasts a two-story tree decorated with 10 gigantic ornaments.

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Saks Fifth Avenue: The Winter Palace 

Courtesy BFA

Saks took the holiday cheer up a notch and created a fantastical light and pyrotechnics show that dances across the department store's Fifth Avenue facade every ten minutes come nightfall. To celebrate this year's Winter Palace theme, 200 members of The Oratorio Society of New York and the Cathedral Choristers of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine performed songs like "Carol of the Bells" for a crowd of eager onlookers. 

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SAKS FIFTH AVENUE: THE WINTER PALACE, THE GREAT WINTRY WALL OF CHINA

Courtesy BFA

For its six center windows, Saks searched the globe for inspiration. Inspired by the Great Wall of China, this dream-like design features a fully embellished mannequin perched atop clouds along with a model of the Great Wall made entirely of ice blocks. 

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SAKS FIFTH AVENUE: THE WINTER PALACE, THE GREAT BRRRIER REEF

Courtesy BFA

If you've ever wondered what lives deep in the depths of the ocean, now you know. Saks took a cold nosedive into the Great Barrier Reef, transforming the undersea environment into a frozen paradise. 

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SAKS FIFTH AVENUE: THE WINTER PALACE, THE SUB-ZERO SPHINX

Courtesy BFA

A sphinx appeared inside an open pyramid surrounded by ice and snow for the Egyptian-themed window. 

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SAKS FIFTH AVENUE: THE WINTER PALACE, THE ICE-COLD COLOSSEUM 

Courtesy BFA

For the Roman window, an armored gladiator oversees an ice-made model of the city's famous colosseum. 

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SAKS FIFTH AVENUE: THE WINTER PALACE, THE FROSTY TAJ MAHAL

Courtesy BFA

India's Taj Mahal may be lined with palm trees and crystal blue fountains, but Saks transformed the iconic landmark into an iced over, snowy structure. 

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SAKS FIFTH AVENUE: THE WINTER PALACE, THE ICY EIFFEL TOWER

Courtesy BFA

The Eiffel Tower was covered in chilly icicles for the Paris-inspired window. 

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Tiffany & Co.

Ricky Zehavi

Tiffany & Co. took their beloved blue boxes to the next level with a window inspired by miniature theatres of the 19th century. So how did they recreate the look? The display includes proscenium arch frames with sleighs, chandeliers, and jewels throughout. 

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