One recent afternoon, I was rushing off to buy last-minute Noche Buena ingredients at the Supermarket like any other harassed holiday mother when I saw something that stopped me in my tracks. In the middle of the global-warming December rain, with shoppers covered up in jackets, face shields, and masks, Rustan’s Department Store turned on all the lights in their windows, revealing their Christmas window displays. Others were stunned as well, and approached the windows like it was some magical thing, gazing at it and taking photos.
Rustan’s is long-known for pulling out all the stops when it comes to Christmas windows, and It was such a relief to see these windows in the middle of the pandemic grayness. There were better displays in the past, and these were in an all-red theme, but the sheer opulence of it all meant that in spite of all the bad news that haunt us daily, Christmas will still push through.
Gawping at the windows made me forget the pandemic for about thirty seconds, and made me remember how my parents would drive me around the city as a child just so I could see all the store windows and lights. This comforting, return-to-childhood memory was possibly the reason why SM Home chose a candy theme last year, and a children’s theme this year. I loved their Christmas tree forest display in Makati, with toy trains choo-chooing around it.
I wondered about window displays around the world, and while many stores remained prudent, others still went all out in their visual merchandising. Take for example, the frosty, twinkling Swarovski window in Vienna created by Dutch Garland Light designer Tord Boontje–you can almost feel the snow falling on you.
The ne plus ultra of Christmas window displays is the work of Simon Doonan in Barney’s New York, of course, but even that yearly magic had come to an end when that particular store closed in early 2020. Barney’s Japan is still open, their windows less ornate, but still intriguing. Check out the retro Christmas-at-home display above, with Jean Philippe Del Homme’s whimsical illustrations as backdrop.
On local shores, I’ve always looked forward to Ito Kish’s Christmas parties in the former KISH store along N. Garcia; it was so lovely, packed to the rafters with ornaments and friends from the design industry. Kish’s Christmas décor in his new ITO KISH store in Makati is more subtle, but beautiful nonetheless. Simple trees decked either with fairy lights or pinecones, patinated gold ornaments on the wall, and sage garlands still gave off that holiday spirit.
What was your favorite Christmas window memory? Drop me a line or message me, so that I can reminisce along with you!
Images: Rustans photo by me, header photo from Crate & Barrel, Swarovski photo from Tord Boontje Facebook page, Barneys Japan photo from @barneysny on Instagram, Crate & Barrel, SM, and KISH courtesy of the brands.
Rachelle Medina 