Cue up the holiday playlist: the season is officially upon us. Bloomingdale’s was the first major New York department store to mark the season with the unveiling of their holiday windows and facade, in collaboration with Burberry, on Wednesday night. But before the grand reveal, guests got into the festive spirit with cocktails on the store’s second floor.
“It’s my first holiday event, so it’s nice to kick it off this way,” said Sarah Pidgeon, who was already bundled in a Burberry coat in preparation. “ It’s always nice to be out and about in New York. It’s wonderful to see everyone dressed in their Burberry best,” she added, glancing around the store’s Studio 59 restaurant-photo studio, where it was Burberry as far as the eye could see.
The actress, who’s starring as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in next year’s “Love Story” series, added that she’s looking forward to checking out the windows on Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller tree over the next month. “It’s such a romantic idea of window shopping in New York. I haven’t gone ice skating yet at Rockefeller Center, so maybe this is the year,” she added.
Guests including Alicia Silverstone, Isan Elba, Lori Harvey, Suni Lee, Paige Desorbo, Taylor Hill and Vinnie Hacker were all decked in an assortment of plaid ready-to-wear, outerwear and accessories, including Burberry’s trademark check scarf. Nicky Hilton made the evening a family occasion with her two young daughters — the trio in matching Burberry trenchcoats — and mother Kathy Hilton.
“I grew up going to Bloomingdale’s as a fancy, special thing with my grandma. So I was just excited to be getting the invite,” said “Nobody Wants This” star Justine Lupe, who also brought her baby daughter along for the nostalgic moment.
For Lupe, the holidays are less about fancy shopping, and more about quality time with family.
”If we do any gift-giving, we make each other things,” said Lupe. “And I like that as a tradition, we cook a big meal and we play games that we create, and sometimes we gift each other things that we make,” she added. “It takes all the holiday shopping for adults off the table, which is nice.”
“ We are just so excited to kick off the festive season and to bring a little bit of Britain to the iconic corner of 59th Street and Lexington Avenue,” said Burberry CEO Josh Schulman, as the crowd began to make their way down the escalators and outside to Lexington Avenue for the window reveal. “ I didn’t expect to have the type of emotional reaction I did when I saw it light up the other day,” he added.
Outside, British singer Raye performed a four-song set for the bleachers of seated VIPs and crowds huddled behind barricades nearby.
“ We’re gonna sing you a little bit of ‘Jingle Bells,’” she said, throwing a festive song into the mix with her other hits. “Turns out, there’s a lot more words in ‘Jingle Bells’ than you would’ve thought.”
At this early point in the holiday season, the crowd was eager to hear each one.
