City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008 - (Page 12)

around the City The Purveyors By Kailash Maharaj and Shivana Maharaj How Calgary's spectacular storefront windows attract customers and the work and people behind them. THROUGH THE LOOKING Glass Storefront windows are the all important first impression customers receive about a store, its products and its style – the link between the outside world and the store itself. Window displays bring back regular customers and draw in new crowds. None are more spectacular than the opulent holiday windows. Large department stores in urban centres are world-renowned for the splendor and magic created in their 12 | WINTER 2007/2008 | citystyleandliving.com COURTESY: BERGDORF GOODMAN It is winter and for a period of time stretching from mid-November to mid-January amidst preparations involving eggnog and baking, there is one ritual that unites - shopping. For some it is the thrill of the purchase, for others the excitement of giving. Regardless of the intent, the shopping store experience begins even before entering the store. Marching through the fluffy, freshly fallen snow, bundled up in a plush cashmere scarf, and mittens on a late chilly winter afternoon, shoppers stop in their travels and gaze through the expansive storefront window. The warmth of the lights draws them in to a winter wonderland – a fully sensory experience for the enchanted season. Bergdorf Goodman’s fanciful storefront windows speak for themselves window displays. Bergdorf Goodman, a luxury department store in the U.S. has been executing some of the most spectacular and intricate storefront window displays on their 5th Avenue store for decades. This year, each of the elements fire, light, water, air and earth are represented in a tribute to legendary American interior designer and artist Tony Duquette. This breathtaking storefront window at Bergdorf Goodman depicts Light More than a simple façade, the window displays are the result of a meticulous attention to detail, a dedicated level of planning and a number of creative minds. “Preplanning begins corporately, almost a whole season prior. We look at our directives three weeks in advance as a team. We share ideas in a brain storming session, sketching and then finalizing how each space will be installed with the directive,” says Adele Meshen, visual presentation manager at Holt Renfrew in Calgary. The Winter 2006 theme at Holt Renfrew featured a cornucopia of embellished ballet flats, birch tree branches as a backdrop, and a fashionista’s dream dinner - immaculate vintage candelabras hanging overhead plates serving ssalG http://citystyleandliving.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008

City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008 Contents Editor’s Note Website Behind the Cover Contributors The District Calgary’s Holiday Storefront Windows: Through the Looking Glass Need it Want it Fusion Culinary Adventure Champagne 101: Tiny Bubbles Covet Prêt-à-porter Fashion Adventure Resort Wear Enchanted Evening Passport 24 Hours in Paris Anatomy of... Costa Rica: In Search of the Resplendent Quetzal Final Thought

City Style and Living - Winter 2007/2008

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