New Art - The Story of Wandering Through the Medina

 

By 8 a.m. the already sweltering Marrakesh heat follows her through the labyrinthine medina. Decorative lanterns and pottery and spices of every hue surround her in a dizzying display. She is fresh from a relaxing bath of rose petals and orange peels. A short distance away in the square, snake charmers and monkeys amuse the tourists from across the sea. But she is not one of them. With a good eye, she knows how to get what she wants, negotiating with the vendors in a language that only they, between them, can understand.

Kim Piotrowski Etsy Shop Annual Holiday Sale

Santa in the Corner - Greenpoint, Brooklyn 2008

Welcome to my Holiday Sale for 2013! Enjoy 15% off all original art and prints at kipi.etsy.com

No discount code needed.

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Ends at Midnight (Eastern) on Monday, December 2nd 

From the Store Windows Archives...

The side windows at Bergdorf's from 2011

Manhattan's Christmas Windows - The 2012 Tour and Review

The magic of the holidays in Manhattan has begun. Come hither, and peek behind the curtain into Bergdorf's cabinet of fabulosities....

The girl with the wild eyes and her poodle act (left); and

the guardian of the miniature mannequins (right).

Composed of different "acts" this year's theme was Vaudeville shows and performers of the 1930s and the Art Deco era. Bergdorf Goodman never disappoints when it comes to their holiday windows. Never. Always over the top and full of visual drama, this is what a storefront in New York City during the holiday season should be. 

Icy glass reflections of the Jazz Age. 

An odd couple out for a night at the theater.

I can't say that for all of them this year though. The windows at Bloomingdale's featured these odd microscopic dolls in a setting with a lot of spare space. Only after seeing an ad on television with similar imagery, did I figure out that there was a Cirque du Soleil theme. Tiffany's was equally disappointing with staid dollhouse-looking rooms. They were nicely done, but didn't grab me. Maybe it's the economic environment, but shoppers and tourists alike need something to lift their spirits. Even in bleak times, people come to New York to see a spectacle. Overall, Fifth Avenue let me down this year. (I haven't made it to Macy's or Lord & Taylor yet.) 

 Feathers and crystalline light of the Roaring 20s.

The finesse and flair of the visual department is evident by the birds' eye perspective of these bawdy ladies enjoying music and playing instruments in this black and white window.

But wait....there's more!
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Barneys opted for the easy way out this year- a video in collaboration with Disney called "Electric Holiday". It is a loop of the story of Minnie Mouse's love for a Lanvin dress with a side ruffle (a girl after my own heart). She becomes bewitched by the dress and consumed in a starstruck Parisian Fashion Week daydream featuring stylish heavyweights like Lady Gaga, Daphne Guinness, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz, and other well-known stylists, designers, photographers, and magazine editors.

In a clever merge of haute couture with adorableness, Minnie's dream continues with familiar and beloved Disney characters elongated for the Paris catwalk. The crowd on the sidewalk in front of Barneys cheered with laughter at an expressionless Goofy in his hipster gear as he marched to the hypnotic electronic beat. In the end, Minnie gets a surprise Christmas gift from her longtime beau, Mickey - guess what was in the big box?! It was disappointing that Barneys didn't have their usual window outlandishness, but the animation and story line were really cute.

Anthropologie's usual stunning displays made from simple, everyday objects and materials.

The Saks windows tell the story of the deconstruction of snowflakes and the science behind them. The bulk of the display consisted of lame kinetic figures. I've honestly seen better moving figures on front lawns in the outer boroughs and suburbs. By far, the most appealing part was the kaleidoscope imagery above and the digital chalkboard-like drawing of the reindeer below.

The view that everyone in Midtown is clamoring to see.

Bendel's celebrates with a golden Miss New Year floating from the rafters in a giant glass of champagne. 

Happy 2013, everyone!

Road Trip - Lancaster, PA

Having lived in New York for the last decade or so, one would certainly label me a city girl. I am the first to admit that I love the country life too. When a family member made the decision to look into some property in Lancaster over the course of several weekends, I jumped at the chance to make a road trip or two. Lancaster is pronounced with the heavy accent on the "Lan" followed by "kisster" as it would be in England. Similarly, the symbol for the region (and seen all over) is a red rose opposite the white rose symbol for the York family in the Wars of the Roses commencing in 1455.

The area is also known as "Amish Country" and you can regularly share the road and parking lots with horse buggies (like the one above) and dining rooms and grocery aisles with Amish and Mennonite farmers. It's a fascinating unique cultural mix for this New Yorker who lives admidst a whirl of every other possible language and ethnic heritage that makes the big city what it is.

Lancaster's Central Market

I loved driving through the spectacularly open spaces and seeing the sun set behind the laundry lines and silos. I also loaded up on hard-to-find penny candy treats, locally pickled beans and vegetables, and other bulk supplies at Yoder's grocery store. Lancaster offered me the unique mix of fresh air and shopping while sorting through the thrifty treasures of the area's many "Re-Uzit" shops. The hundreds of quilt designs were my favorite (separate post coming soon). 

I'm already looking forward to more exploration on my next visit!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year - New York's Christmas Windows

Halloween was barely over when New Yorkers were thrust into the holidays full throttle. The Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center has been in place for well over a month now and enjoyed by literally thousands.

Above, a replica of the star of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree also stands at eye level,
and the windows at Bergdorf's are always a treat for the eyes.

Above, more windows from Bergdorf's and decorations in front of the Plaza Hotel.

Above, the colorful starry light show at the Time Warner Center, Columbus Circle.

Everyone has been busily prepping with lights and decorations to lure shoppers from all over the globe. Despite the sometimes unbearable crowds, natives also get to enjoy this time of year as they see the big city transformed into a cheery wonderland. The window displays of the large department stores are my favorite all year round, but their Christmas windows are always fabulously over the top. During the holiday season, New York puts its best foot forward for everyone to enjoy. Here are some of my favorite photos and scenes from last year too.

The windows at Saks Fifth Avenue, 2009 depicting a childrens' story about the travels of Twinkle, the snowflake.

Bergdorf's spectacular homage to Louis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland in a series of windows called a "Compendium of Curiosities", 2009. The queens featured in the four suits of playing cards sit in ball gowns in a display that is turned on its side as the ladies pop out at passers-by in a distorted birds' eye view perspective.

Always quirky with a creative sense of humor, the Barneys window display honored a New York institution, Saturday Night Live. Below, a portion of a Christmas tree inside the store compiled from globes and vintage mannequin heads, 2009.

Merry Christmas, everyone!