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Reviewed: London’s Christmas window displays

Top of the shops!

Joe Mackertich
Written by
Joe Mackertich
Editor-in-Chief, UK
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London currently teeters on the precipice of Full Christmas. Within a week or two, every aspect of our lives will be thoroughly drenched in sparkly festive dressing. How do we know this? Central London’s big shop-window displays (arguably the capital’s horsemen of the Christmas apocalypse) have started to appear. Let’s take a look.

Selfridges

Selfridges Christmas window 2020
Photograph: Selfridges
Selfridges Christmas window 2020
Photograph: Selfridges

An uplifting ‘Once Upon A Christmas’ theme from the Oxford Street big boy. What does this mean for the windows? A series of very traditional, very heartwarming scenes involving presents, trees and decorations. Selfridges taking things back to basics here... and pulling it off with aplomb in our opinion.

Festive gaudiness: 3/5 (relatively tasteful colours on display).
Sense of cheer or goodwill: 5/5 (feeling of palpable optimism).
Time Out approval rating: 4/5


Liberty

liberty christmas window display 2020
Photograph: Liberty
Liberty Christmas window 2020
Photograph: Liberty

London’s favourite fabric-heavy department store has plumped for a ‘Peace, Love and Liberty’ 2020 campaign, allegedly inspired by ‘the historic use of scarves’. That would explain all the hand-painted scarves! Nice windows with a strong William Blake vibe.

Festive gaudiness: 1/5 (Liberty does not do gaudy).
Sense of cheer or goodwill: 4/5 (very wholesome, very good).
Time Out approval rating: 4/5


Harvey Nichols

Harvey Nichols Christmas window 2020
Photograph: Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols Christmas window 2020
Photograph: Harvey Nichols

Maybe the best of the bunch? An enormous, Scrooge-like grunt of displeasure. Two fingers aimed at 2020. For its display, Harvey Nichols has successfully channelled how many of us are feeling with a huge ‘BAH HUMBUG... BRING ON 2021’.

Festive gaudiness: 2/5 (a very pared-back showing).
Sense of cheer or goodwill: 1/5 (cheer is absent from this window).
Time Out approval rating: 5/5

Now check out London’s Christmas lights.

See what else is in store for London’s weirdest Christmas yet!

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