CHRISTMAS WINDOWS – HARRODS

25/11/2023

We’ve been here before. Where’s the story? What is the narrative? This feels cold as cold as the gold and clinical, sterile even. Yes we know; Harrods is the home of extraordinary luxury, unparalleled if you ask me, and it will not be bested on that front by a mile, but this is a Christmas window hence recycling some part of the Dior theme from last year which was stupendous by the way, is not a good look. Look I am all for recycling it is great for the environment and I am big on that, always will be but this ain’t even it.

I could excuse the fact that that there is some work going on, on the façade of the store hence parts of it are boarded up outside, but I think this is where the windows should have carried on the story, incorporating it into a theme perhaps. As an avid window dressing watcher, and somewhat a professional observer of the Christmas windows especially, celebrating the works of visual merchandisers up and down the land and farther, this was lacking. Harrods have done some spectacular windows in the past, absolutely stunning. I wanted them to lean into the construction of it all and make it a Christmas within the chaos of home. London? Pulling it together. You know those persnickety issues that only arise when you really don’t need them to: the holidays. Dishwasher breaking down. Flooded loos. Stressed out parents. Frazzled aunts and uncles with trying to decide what to get for whom this year… London with all its construction work and traffic chaos… it is a nightmare at the best of times and during Christmas, forget about it. This is me just spitballing here, but they need not have reminded us that they were having some work done which is what this only does, we know, we walk past it and we see it. This window says, this is your lot mate.

I wanted to be encapsulated in that minute square mile through the looking glass and thrust into the joy of Christmas. Christmas is the most magical time of year in London, and the windows of stores go a long way to creating that magic. Especially the biggies. Maybe I’m being particularly hard on Harrods but that’s only because I’ve come to expect so much more from them. Since 2013 (ish), when I started looking at these windows they’ve hardly missed the bar and so this was incredibly disappointing. It shouldn’t be the last on the list but my levels of expectations make it so. Okay, a little redemption here; if you’re looking for a swish advertisement for what to get that special person or the Peculiar Petes and Penelope’s in your life this is the window for you. A Montblanc pen perhaps? A fancy evening gown? They’ve got you covered. But if you are looking for something to spark some warmth, hope and joy even if it is inviting you to spend some money? This is not it, walk right past and go into the store.

And what was with the see no evil hear no evil speak no evil in the beginning? And then the end is the Teddy window which I suppose is some sort of collaboration or advertisment? It is as odd as it feels just typing it out, like they were first going to take a trip to Egypt and the pilot misread the points on the compass and landed in Switzerland instead… I am no great shakes at geography or directions so that could very well happen no? It’s all disjointed, like a rather unedifying turkey sandwich post Christmas Day luncheon. I didn’t love it.