THE WINDOW DRESSERS
Selfridges
London’s Oxford Street is the busiest shopping district in Europe, and the department store Selfridges occupies a whopping 155 metres of space along the thoroughfare. The storefront’s 29 windows are among the retail industry’s most prime real estate, enticing shoppers inside and setting the scene for the magic within. ‘We start planning ideas more than a year in advance,’ says Morag Hickmott, Selfridges’ senior creative lead for windows, ‘and hundreds of team members are involved, from the initial concepts through to the execution.’ For Christmas, past displays have included a feathered dress on a snowy mountain backdrop, and a rock-and-roll Santa Claus complete with electric guitar. Influence comes from various spheres, including fashion, art and culture, with the visual merchandising team ‘drawing inspiration from everyone and everything around us,’ says Morag. ‘We use our windows to tell a story,’ she continues, ‘and at Christmas, we always want that story to be heartwarming, fun and bold.’ selfridges.com