Tony Duquette Homage

More of Bergdorf Goodman's homage to Tony Duquette today, because who could possibly show all 5 windows in 1 post? Duquette is the best match for Bergdorf's Christmas windows with his sense of wonder and fantasy.

Plus Duquette's philosophy that if some is good, more is better makes a perfect fit.

An obsessive attention to detail - no surfaces are left unembellished.
Here a chanteuse sings in the "Light" window.

All the windows have a natural element theme:

Light - Air - Water - Fire - EarthAnd monkeys are EVERYWHERE! Here in top hat and tails...Here a picture from Duquette's house in LA, "Dawnridge". The "Air" window inspired as much of Duquette's decorations were, by the East.
With Duquette it's hard to know what to look at first. His love for highly layered surfaces were inspired by global cultures and incorporated spectacular antiques. The multi-faux finishes reflect Duquette's love of exotic over-the-top decorating.

Monkeys in gold-encrusted outfits...

Duquette's bedroom at "Dawnridge" surely inspired the Bergdorf's windows...

A studious monkey from the "Water" window...

Even more monkeys...

The new Tony Duquette book by Wendy Goodman and Hutton Wilkinson - the source of all this inspiration and excitement.

THANK YOU Bergdorf Goodmans and the display team for another set of fabulous holiday windows!!!

Have a GREAT NEW YEAR'S EVE ALL!

Imagine You're at Bergdorf Goodmans

Imagine you're standing in front of Bergdorf Goodman's Holiday windows.

Suddenly you find yourself inside the window surrounded by shells, monkeys, Gawd knows what all and decked out in a FAB sequined white gown!

One monkey prepares an exotic cup of tea for you with Parisien petit fours

Behind you is Bergdorf's Dr. Caligary's Cabinet - every year filled with different treasures.

Last year it was filled with all manner of Victorian gingerbread.

Imagine your poodle is here too, his paws gently resting on a giant snail.
Bergdorf Goodman's windows this year are an homage to Tony Duquette (1914–1999) and a new glorious book just published. Duquette was the over-the-top designer of MGM musicals sets and celebrity homes for Elizabeth Arden, J. Paul Getty, the Duchess of Windsor, Herb Albert, Greta Garbo. He was the first American to exhibit a one-man show at the Louvre in Paris.
Imagine you're wearing a bunch of sticks on your head for a hat.


The rest of you is enrobed in glittering gold lame and mink.

And you're enveloped in a room full of golden reflections.


Next imagine yourself dancing with an elegant aligator or giant lizard, whatev.

Monkeys are playing music this time and endless shells and lobsters look on as you prance around... Duquette was mad for seashells - they turn up everywhere in his decorations. He once filled a Venetian palazzo with red coral sprigs alone.


Exotic excess was Tony Duquette signature style. A quote from Hutton Wilkinson, “Tony was the only man who could spend $999 in a 99-cent store.”

Here's a mini-video from Bergdorf Goodman's explaining this year's windows. Bergdorf's window designer, David Hoey says, "We have the tallest windows of anybody, so you can really exaggerate proportions. I wish we had another couple feet of depth, but we compensate with the height."

What makes a good holiday window presentation?

The 3-second rule! "The window has to grab somebody's attention and hold it for 3 seconds," says Hoey. People should be able to understand what the window is about in that brief amount of time. "But it should also be good for those standing there for 15 minutes."
The rest of Bergdorf's windows coming on Monday... Stay tuned!

Dream in GREEN

This year BARNEYS NEW YORK went the GREEN route...Remember last year I showed you BARNEYS FAB ANDY WARHOL windows..?Well last year just around this time, Simon Doonan, Barneys window designer par excellance, started to map out this year's windows and the consensus was GO GREEN Gorgeous green gifts, fabulously fair-trade fashion, sensationally sustainable swag, orgasmic organic denim and cashmere, environmentally conscious tchotchkes of all descriptions + philanthropic gestures to warm the cockles of your heart.

Here are Simon's "12 Days of Christmas"

12 tons of tofu...11 solar panels...10 new age gurus...9 organic carob bars..bla bla bla

Naturally Al Gore is not left out - plus other green celebs...

A closer look at Al..

 Naturally everything in BARNEYS windows is bio-degradable.

3 rolls of recyled gift wrap...

2 FREE-TRADE futons...

1 NEW YORK unGREEN Sabrett Hot Dog Stand nearby...

Did You Dream Of Bendels?

What did you dream of last night?

Were your dreams answered under the tree..?

I haven't finished showing you all the dreamy windows in New York...

And Bendels on 712 Fifth Avenue takes the cake for crazy wild dreams...What's going on here?

A sort of spa/gold-tiled bathroom scene fills their window - a little girl holding onto a pole with dancing fish - a floating mermaid - a gal getting silver sparkles poured down on her.Bendels helps us out with this Marcel Proust quote on the window-The Dream
If a little dreaming is dangerous,
the cure for it is not to dream less but to dream more,
to dream all the time.
Inside flocks of Bendelian geese fly round this puffy glamour puss... Carmen Miranda sits in a bird cage and asks,
Do you dream in color?

Up above more geese make your dreams come true...

And mermaids dance among the geese...

While I was shooting these mad mermaids, a woman began reminiscing about the old Bendels. The Bendels that used to be on 57th Street, when Geradine Stutz ran it. It was a dreamy place all year round then, full of unique, astonishing items no other store on earth had. When I was at Parsons School of Design, I worked there part-time as a Saturday stock girl.

I used to dream of buying those treasures...

Is this little girl dreaming of these giant candy canes...

I'm dreaming of this Bendels' signature chocolate striped china set...Who says you have to stop dreaming just because Christmas is over?

BIG MERCI!

BIG MERCI! dear PB readers and have a happy holiday
New York's lights and windows are my Holiday gift to you
Here's the annual Rockefeller Center BIG tree overlooking the skating rink.

A bottle green Xmas tree at Botticelli shoes
You can buy this Swarovski crystal cut glass tree at Rock Center... It's all of 5" inches high.

Those green ball trees in front of Reed and Renny Florist.

Multi-glass trees are decked out with watches on 57th street.

Bernardaud porcelaine has snowy birch trees in their windows.

Plus they have a specially designed hot chocolate set made for Pierre Herme's Chocolat Chaud.

A tradional Victorian tree in a posh men's haberdashery on East 57th Street.

Back at Rock Center giant wooden soldiers watch over.

The evening skaters under the lite trees.

New York dog photo by Bill Cunningham
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This is no reindeer, but a New York pup braving the cold while window shopping captured byYNYTimes venerable photographer, Bill Cunningham.

Please visit his wonderful tour of NYC's decorations.
Happy Hols Everyone!