From candy canes to festive carousels: The most dazzling Christmas displays of 2023

With Christmas just around the corner and the hunt for last-minute gifts going ahead, fashion retailers and department stores are continuing their efforts to reel in customers with festively decorated shop windows, displays and pop-ups. Whether it's a Christmas tree, artificial snow or twinkling fairy lights, nothing has been missed for this year’s festive season. FashionUnited has put together the most dazzling displays from fashion stores around the world that will make your eyes light up and immerse visitors in the world of Christmas.

Valentino at Harrods - London

Valentino once again puts its attention on the colour pink. The Italian brand's 'Pink PP' line has encased the windows of British luxury department store Harrods in the glow of the characteristic colour for the festive season. Lavishly wrapped gifts are piled up in the window displays alongside accessories from the latest Valentino collections. In front of the Hans Crescent entrance to the shopping centre is a nine-metre-long Christmas tree bearing the brand's logo. Next to it, a food truck serves hot chocolate and sweet treats - also in Valentino style.

Ralph Lauren and the KaDeWe Group – Berlin, München und Hamburg

The German luxury department store operator KaDeWe Group also took the opportunity to give its eponymous flagship in Berlin, the Alsterhaus in Hamburg and the Oberpollinger in Munich a festive makeover. This year, the US fashion group Ralph Lauren had the honour of designing the shop windows. In addition to sledging teddy bears and a traditional chalet atmosphere, the winter collection of the premium label can be discovered in front of a snow-covered Christmas landscape. KaDeWe is playing host to a pop-up of the brand with an in-house café that serves visitors warm drinks and desserts.

Dior at Saks – New York

A special Christmas spectacle can be seen at Saks on Fifth Avenue in New York: French fashion house Dior has transformed the 10-storey façade of the luxury department store into a 'Carousel of Dreams' using a work of art with watercolour effects and three-dimensional metal elements. When it gets dark, around 300,000 LED lights illuminate the building, while a medley of Christmas songs emphasises the atmosphere.

The shop windows tell "an enchanting story about Monsieur Dior's dream journey from Paris to Saks' hometown of New York City" using animated projections and images of typical city landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty. The theme of the carousel installation continues inside the department store, where Dior haute couture models are displayed on the sales floor.

Anya Hindmarch – London

Visitors to British accessories and bag designer Anya Hindmarch's 'Village' shop on Pont Street in London's Chelsea neighbourhood can immerse themselves in a dreamy Christmas atmosphere. With a specially painted red façade illuminated by fairy lights, the pop-up, 'Anya's Grotto', creates a radiant Christmas oasis. Children can book in advance for an adventurous tour with Father Christmas, which ends with a Christmas story by the open fire. Gift ideas round off the shopping experience.

Brunello Cucinelli in Harrods – London

The Italian fashion house Brunello Cucinelli defies the freezing cold at Harrods in London. The shop windows, framed by blocks of ice and icicles, offer a view of a winter landscape in which snow bunnies and foxes frolic. White sales areas present a neutral-coloured collection to match the season. The design concept, 'Solomeo in White', takes its name from Cucinelli's small home village of Solomeo in Umbria and is intended to evoke the snow that is often longed for in winter.

Stella McCartney and Selfridges – London

British designer Stella McCartney has brought her own flair to The Corner Shop at Selfridges, offering customers a theatrical experience entitled ‘Stellabration’. Here, her eponymous brand is displayed among a vintage aesthetic and festive tropes, with The Lucky Light Show being a core part of the space, where a collection of neon lighting from past displays have been reused to emphasise McCartney’s sustainable mindset. In fact, according to the department store, the majority of materials and decorations used in the display are recycled, recyclable or biodegradable.

Bergdorf Goodman’s ‘Isn't it Brilliant’ – New York

Following the holiday theme ‘Isn’t it Brilliant’, luxury retailer Bergdorf Goodman has unveiled a series of windows throughout its New York store, each designed to reflect what it said was a 360-degree holiday programming. Lights, mirrors, chrome, ice and neon colours are aglow in the displays, each created as always by the retailer’s in-house design team, who brought their own take on the concept at hand. Among the designers featured in the windows are the likes of Balmain, Rodarte, Simone Rocha, Jil Sander and Rabanne.

Printemps and Prada – Paris

Prada has taken over a part of Paris’ Printemps Haussmann department store for a select period of time, hosting a pop-up that celebrates the New Year. An installation within the retail space is dedicated to the theme ‘Paper Christmas, wishes come true’ and draws inspiration from literary classics, as reflected in an 11-metre-high library housing books stamped with the luxury label’s logo. Among bauble designs and cascading envelopes is further evidence of Prada branding, in particular its signature triangle reinterpreted through the use of paper.