Holiday Windows in Manhattan

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Practically every child in this world looks forward to Christmas time, and why wouldn’t they? The winter season is the most magical and miraculous time of the year, from giving and receiving presents on the holidays to playing with friends in the snow. Even as an adult, just the prospect of Christmas gives me excited flutters and happy thoughts. Anything related to winter and the holidays brings me immense joy, and we’re nearing that time of the year, so it only made sense to choose the holiday windows in Manhattan as my topic. I worked together with Jasmine and Jenny, and together we explored and researched this year’s window displays for Macy’s, Lord and Taylor, and Sak’s Fifth Avenue.

New York City is a shopping heaven, with Manhattan’s Herald Square and Fifth Avenue being the two most popular centers. As a child I visited Herald Square once in awhile to shop with my family, but I’ve started frequenting this bustling part of the city more so the past five years to shop and to eat with my family as well as my friends. I visited Rockefeller Center when I was but a toddler, so my memories of that area of the famous borough are very fuzzy. I actually only learned that Fifth Avenue is a shopping heaven two years ago, so I am considered an outsider to some degree.

For this project, Jasmine, Jenny, and I were each responsible for one store, and I chose my favorite of the three: Macy’s. As a New Yorker, Macy’s is a must-go-to store during the holidays. From the July 4th fireworks to the Thanksgiving Day Parade to the Christmas window display, Macy’s is one of New York City’s cultural icons. That being said, I was very excited when I stepped out of the train station and headed towards the iconic department store. As I expected, this particular area of Herald Square- 34th Street between Fifth and Seventh Avenues- was bustling with New Yorkers and tourists anxious to catch a glimpse of the magnificent window display.

This year’s show is a six-window display titled “Santa’s Journey Through the Stars.” The entire production was designed and overseen by Roya Sullivan, the National Director of Window Presentation for Macy’s, Inc. She has previously worked alongside previous directors at Macy’s, as well as at stores such as Bloomingdale’s and Polo Ralph Lauren, but after returning to Macy’s, this is her first season running the show. She got inspiration from children’s books to create this year’s theme: Christmas in outer space. The display tells the tale of Alex, a young boy in bed on Christmas Eve too excited to sleep, and his journey through the stars with his pet dog Bella, Santa and his space reindeers. They start out on Earth and each successive window presents the Earthlings stopping at each of the planets. Anyone can tell that special attention to details and careful planning went into this production, and the final outcome is impressive: colored lights, grand sculptures made from 85% foam, and video monitor with Alex narrating his adventures. My favorite window was the one of Earth because the replicas of New York City’s landmarks gave me a surge of pride for the city. However, I was also impressed by the sculptors’ efforts in making the planets seem as realistic as possible- craters on the planets’ surfaces and tiny rocks to replicate Saturn’s rings. Overall, the windows are too colorful and impressive to miss- even for busy, preoccupied New Yorkers rushing to and from work, and the towering sculptures are enough to make anyone ooh and ah.

After entering college, I found myself maturing, as well as becoming indifferent towards things that used to excite me. I was scared that I had lost my touch of childishness and childlike innocence. However, after visiting Macy’s for this project, I realized that even if my environment and mentality changed, a part of my heart would always stay the same. As cliché as that sounds, it is true- I am grateful and relieved that I haven’t lost this part of my childhood. Adults are all children at heart, and the winter season is magical because it allows the hidden children to surface for adults to experience innocent happiness.