The holiday season isn't just about conspicuous consumption. It's also about showy trimmings—brightly printed wrapping paper, glossy ornaments, strings of lights. The most refined seasonal decorations are the ephemeral pieces of art cropping up in the windows of major department stores. Throughout the week, we'll be showcasing some of the most elaborate public displays for your viewing pleasure; up to bat today is Barneys.

[Caricatures of eco-friendly celebs, like Bono and Leonardo DiCaprio, hang in the window at Barneys. Photos by Krieger; click to enlarge]

Barneys has gone green (sort of). The brain behind the department store's beautiful window displays, executive VP of creative services Simon Doonan, decided to pay lip service to the eco-friendly movement sweeping the fashion industry with this year's holiday windows. In a humorous video interview with New York Magazine, the window man states that his staff had to buy raw materials like cans and bottles off of homeless people on the Bowery to put the looks together. Recycled cardboard and sustainable wood were also used to create the displays. The effort feels a bit tongue-and-cheek, which is in line with Doonan's quirky sense of humor.

Rudolph the Recy-cling Reindeer

The awwww factor: portraits of Mother Earth painted by the children of the East Harlem School. The pieces are for sale; proceeds benefit the school.

Number 12 on the 12 Green Days of Christmas scroll reads "12 tons of tofu," followed by "11 solar panels," "10 new age gurus," "9 organic carob bars" and "8 tickets to Burning Man." You get the drift.

Posted in In the Window, Manhattan: Upper East Side
Tagged Barneys, Holiday Windows, Simon Doonan

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