There are holiday windows and then there is what I experienced last night on Fifth Avenue at the unveiling of Saks and Dior’s holiday window, called Dior’s Carousel of Dreams. Calling it just a holiday window would take away from the moving experience that it was.
When I arrived, along with the other guests of Dior, they ushered us into seats across from Saks with a view of the windows and building. We were greeted by cozy blankets at our seats to keep us warm in the 40-degree weather. On Fifth Avenue, there were eight packed rows with the first row full of celebrities like Tracee Ellis Ross, Jennifer Lawrence, Rachel Zegler, and more. When it was time for the ceremony to start, I gazed in shock as security completely shut Fifth Avenue off. (Cars and buses were not happy; they excessively honked.) Onlookers barged the barricades to catch a glimpse of the show themselves.
In anticipation of the light show and reveal, we were greeted by Marc Matrick, CEO of Saks, who said the window experience was “the most ambitious in Saks history.” Delphine Arnault, the chairman and CEO of Christian Dior Couture, called the show “an ode to the magic of creation in all its form.” Then the light show started.
First the Martha Graham Dance Company flooded the street, draped in flowy pieces. Then I looked up. I saw a massive celestial tableau with the zodiac signs on it. The tableau wasn’t only adorned with botanical flowers drawing inspiration from Dior’s Cruise 2024 collection: It also is where the light show lives as an extension of the windows. We watched during the show as fireworks shot up from the building’s roof — it was jaw-dropping. According to Dior, the light show features 300,000 LEDs (a Con Edison bill I would pay to see), creating an experience that will light up New Yorkers’ faces this holiday season.
Following the show, before heading into L’Avenue for a private cocktail party, guests got to take a closer look at the windows. What I noticed was that the display, upon closer inspection, was the perfect blend of New York and the heritage of Dior. In the window, I saw the Brooklyn Bridge lit up with a J’Adore slingback pump sitting in front of it in layers of snow. I also saw mini Lady Dior bags and Miss Dior perfume carousels turn in the windows. After all, the partnership is named Dior’s Carousel of Dreams. It was not only dreamy, but also a moving and emotional moment for the city of New York. As a native New Yorker who has been visiting the holiday windows since I was about 8 years old, when I would go to see the lights with my aunt and cousins, I was brought back to my childhood. I had a conversation at the cocktail event with someone who told me she almost cried while watching the show. Same.
In addition to the holiday windows, the Dior Carousel is a digital pop-up on Saks.com that includes Dior accessories we love, ready-to-wear, beauty, home, and even baby Dior. Luckily, I will be able to relive a small part of the experience, as our gift for the night was a snow globe with a Lady Dior inside.
