Senay Topcuoglu

Fashion windows; where's the retailer's most economical form of advertising; bring glamour, fun, theatre and art to the streets, while visibly expressing the store's image. The creative part of visual merchandising is at their hands of "window dressers". Simon Doonan has always been my favorite window dresser. Of his approach to visual merchandising, Doonan brings a wealth of personal experince and insight to the window displays. He has a "must have" book called "Confessions of a Window Dresser", you'd better have one if you're interested in this business.

The story about window dressers begins with a well known name; Salvador Dali. In 1936, when Bonwitt Teller - a Fifth Avenue store - hired Dali to make their window design, Dali ended up with the "Narcissus White" window featuring a claw-foot bathtub covered in white fur.

There were�multitude of mannequin hands breaking through the red painted murky water, each holding a mirror up to the face of a mannequin wearing only a feathered negligee.

The surreal window offended and horrified customers and also the store executives. Therefore the window was altered but without Dali's consent. He was very upset that he pushed the tub through the windowpane, all the mannequin hands and the water in the tub flew into the sidewalk. Dali was arrested because of his angry manner but he was named as the first "window dresser" of the window displays history.

At this time of the year, New York's Christmas windows are taking us back to our childhoods with the scenes from the beloved tales. From "Cinderella" to "The Frog Prince", "Aladdin" to "Snow White" at the Bloomingdale's, black and�white contrasts, porcelain details�at Bergdorf Goodman.��

Let's take a look at these wonderful windows of Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale's, Macy's and Emanuel Ungaro.�Photographs are�shot�by our New York Editor Tandi Tuakli.

Click any image to enlarge or click here�for the slideshow.

Photography by
Tandi Tuakli
New York Editor

� Fashion Trendsetter

DDI presents New York's finest in the seventh-annual holiday windows competition. We're very pleased that the windows we selected are awarded by DDI.

Platinum Award : Macy's Herald Square.
Gold Award : Bergdorf Goodman.
One of the other breathtaking windows : Bloomingdale's

For more information and for the article please visit : DDI Magazine