In another life, I would have moved to Manhattan, followed in my grandfather’s footsteps and become a window dresser. As a teenager, I was one of the rare birds who put the profession on a pedestal, as two of my favorite men killed it in the field- Jim Shocket, Hiriam Walker’s merchandiser extraordinaire, and well, Simon Doonan, the man who revived and rebranded Barney’s after their financial crash of the 80’s. I remember reading his book in college, promising myself that I, too, would combine small things in mass and craft witty displays that hit high and low culture.
Fast forward, and the picture’s a bit different today. I’m designing, writing and connecting, not prop styling, though still very much obsessed with the commercial art form. I’ve always believed it’s a way to expose the public to creative commentary- so the task should be taken seriously.
As serendipity would have it, during my first week of paid work in New York, I rode the elevator up with Mr. Doonan. I was in lime green new balances and polka dotted slacks (a la Lena Dunham). He was wearing a floral shirt, lavender tie and tinted glasses and had a serious, focused presence. All I could hear was my heart racing, as the numbers inched their way to our floor. Those were my shyer days when all I wanted to do was speak up- give him a compliment, talk about papier mache, the New York Observer, or just ask if he needed a hand in the office…but before I knew it, the ride was over, he took a left, and I a right. Of course I later learned that Barney’s visual workshop was on our floor…pretty cool, but what a tease.
So back to today’s post…Bergdorfs. Last week I had errands uptown, and when I’m near Central Park, I try to hit the nearby department stores. The Spring displays were in full swing, and as I was exiting the women’s ready-to-wear floor, I happened to catch the magic in the making in the homegoods department by the escalator. I got permission to snap a few shots. Here we have the Greek Islands going up, and while it felt a bit intrusive, I was really excited to document the work in progress. Expressive and mediterranean, just like the plates.
