Holt Renfrew Windows

 We love walking by the Yorkville Holt Renfrew on Bloor Street because they always have the most innovative and interesting windows.  Although it took our second viewing before we realized these were not random holiday images, this year's Christmas theme played out the carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas".  In retrospect, how we did not recognize the drummers and pipers decked out in Holt's casual wear and the elegant looking bird in a shimmering evening gown sitting in a twirling pear is rather perplexing.  I guess we were just so overwhelmed by the overall beauty of each window that we didn't connect them together.

We are always excited when Holt Renfrew changes their window displays.  Prior to the Christmas windows, they recreated iconic movie characters, wardrobe and scenes. It was so much fun trying to identify the movies.  Some were obvious including "Say Anything" where John Cusack holds up the boom-box, Legally Blond's shocking pink outfit, Rocky's grey sweats and boxing gloves, Annie Hall's masculine Bohemian look or vamped up Jessica Rabbit in slinky red.  Some took more of a guess and we weren't sure if we were correct - there were possibly tributes to The Birds, Aviator, Clockwork Orange, etc.   And some we just had no clue - what movie involves a man trying to lift a rowboat?

This year's Toronto International Film Festival involved a clever paparazzi spoof with various scenarios of reporters trying to appear incognito in Groucho Marx style fake glasses/rubber nose and moustaches while following young starlets. In a previous year, the TIFF tribute went for classic movie glamour with mannequins dressed like Marilyn Monroe and Humphrey Bogart type characters.

The creations are always vibrantly colourful, whimsical and cause you to stop and take a look which is half the battle in window display advertising.  Viewing the Christmas scene almost made us want to buy a bagpipe!  However sometimes I wonder if one gets so enamoured by the overall scene that the actual clothing being hawked becomes almost incidental.  Regardless, I can't wait to see what comes next!