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EXPLORE (AND SHOP) OUR MAGICAL CHRISTMAS WINDOWS

Can’t make it to Oxford Street to see our extraordinary displays this year? 
Then join us on a virtual visit to see our magical, earth-conscious and unabashedly festive Christmas windows.

All year round, our Windows team transform the Selfridges windows into theatrical displays of light, life and colour. And when it comes to Christmas, the team pull out all the stops. Of course this year Oxford Street hasn’t been as bustling, and many of you may not be able to see our windows in real life, but we’re here to bring the festive spectacle to your sofa. This year the team were inspired by the ultimate symbol of the festive season – the Christmas tree – designing unique scenes inspired by the way we might all be celebrating a little differently this year. What’s more, in the spirit of our long-standing commitment to sustainability with Project Earth, the team have used more recycled materials than any Christmas past.

Here we uncover the stories behind these magical displays – from the scenarios that inspired them to our collaborations with exciting artists – with our Head of Windows, Morag Hickmott, as we pay a virtual visit to our world-famous windows.

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With cooking utensils impressively hung in the shape of a tree and set in front of a relaxing teal colour scheme, we can only be in one place: the chef’s house! This display was inspired by those who have been spending time at home bringing our their ‘inner Nigella’ and the warmth of Christmassy street-food markets. With a scalloped tile backdrop, busy shelves and shiny pots – the team have brought this energy into the home.

For a festive feast with all the trimmings

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To celebrate the joy of handwritten letters and their important role in keeping loved ones connected this year, we’ve teamed up with Royal Mail to launch a unique destination in store (opening 3 December). To complement this exclusive collaboration, our window designers created ‘The Messenger’s Room’, featuring shelves lined with drawing materials and stacks of colourful notebooks. To deliver a tree fit for this display, our Windows team erected a tower of parcels and letters destined for close friends of the Selfridges family – from Simone Rocha to the Beckhams. So, what for the star at the top of the tree? A letter addressed to none other than Mr and Mrs Claus of course! How else could Santa deliver all our Christmas wishes without the timeless power of the post?

Deliver the best stationery stocking fillers

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For this display, the Windows team were inspired by the magic of FAO Schwarz, our magical toyshop on the fourth floor and the power of kids’ imaginations to create magical stories. The window also shows how our teams used their imaginations to make our displays the most earth-conscious yet; the paper chains were meticulously handmade by paper artist Samantha Quinn using sustainably sourced papers and non-toxic adhesive and the silver balloons scattered across the tree were made using scrap fabric left over from previous projects. 

Playful presents for a touch of Christmas magic 

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Seeing life as a champagne glass that’s always half-full is a motto we can certainly live by – and in this decadent, playful window, the bubbles are poured in anticipation of joyful celebrations. Our Windows team painted this set in azure and called upon artist Charlie Whinney to handcraft a bamboo cage for the pet parrot who oversees the at-home celebrations. The vintage chairs, bought second-hand online, have been reupholstered by Brian Ranken in a luxurious green cotton-velvet – the perfect place for sitting back and raising a glass to the arrival of 2021…

Eclectic gifts for life's unique characters

 

Our starting point was archive pictures of families at Christmas. The team and I began by looking at kitsch 1970s images of trees with really retro decorations! We wanted to explore how the fashion of Christmas trees has changed over time.

– Morag Hickmott (Senior Lead – Windows)
 
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Forget the loungewear and ‘camera off’ – this display is a call to arms for adding an uplifting sense of glamour to your everyday. Artist Samantha Quinn used recyclable materials to craft lavish paper chains hanging from candy-pick curtains handmade by The chairs were sourced second-hand on e-Bay and have been reupholstered by Brian Ranken at Invision. Taking centre-stage is a dazzling pink flocked tree, standing proud upon majestic tiered steps and surrounded by the glitziest of slip-on heels (because aren’t we all bored with slippers by now?)

Glitz and glamour, Christmas is the time to shine

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In celebration of the couples who have managed to see through nine months or so of being cooped up together (and the many ‘discussions’ on whose turn it is to do the washing up), this window shines a light, quite literally, on the power of love to brighten up even the darkest times. The display was constructed using a bright pink and red screen providing the perfect backdrop to help the couple shine together. Our Windows team deliberately used flexible neon lights over glass so that the lovers’ tree can be transformed into inventive new shapes for future displays.

Thoughtful beauty buys for your nearest and dearest

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Here, stacked cushions made from recycled foam and tartan fabric create a gleaming tree of presents, while the items of vintage furniture were thriftily sourced online – it’s a more sustainable approach to Christmas, all wrapped up!

That's a wrap...

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Project Earth was a real game-changer for us. We really started to look at what materials we were using and how we can make better choices.

– Morag Hickmott (Senior Lead – Windows)
 
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While we may not be heading to the usual office parties or bars this year, that won’t stop us cutting a rug in the living room! So here’s our tribute to all the at-home revellers. With sustainability front of mind, the team left the chandelier’s aluminium framework untreated, making the lightweight material easily recyclable. What’s more, the multi-coloured beads used to give the tree its ‘wow’ factor will be donated to Work and Play, a south-west London-based charity and scrap store that provides art supplies to schools and communities in need.

Fashion and accessories designed to steal the limelight

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Those who have perfected the art of missing out are sure to have a boudoir to match their sensibilities. To celebrate a penchant for self-care and their love of gold, our Windows team delicately strung a gold brocade curtain around the façade of an elegant tree dressed in gold leaf. With a dressing table stocked full of dreamy products, chilled champagne and an array of silk dressing gowns, it seems that staying ‘in in’ is the new going ‘out out’.

Your pamper partners in crime 

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This tree is dedicated to those who take Christmas to the next level – while also serving as a gentle reminder of technology’s power to connect us with loved ones far and wide this Christmas (look out for a very special launch in our Corner Shop this December). The neon wall, crafted using recycled polycarbonate, features bright green lights that beam down from above. Morag’s team repurposed these gleaming screens from previous Selfridges displays, completing the scene with futuristic bouquets of metallic flowers. Let the Christmassy games begin!

Next-level gifts for the gamers 

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Just one look at the glassware precisely positioned to form a delicate tree and it’s clear we’ve set foot into a perfectionist’s Christmas. For those who plan Christmas well in advance, right down to the table settings, this spectacle is a pure winter wonder. For the tree (which wouldn’t look out of place in the Snow Queen’s castle), our Windows team meticulously balanced glassware, made from recyclable acrylic, upon a white plinth – destined to live its next life as part of an upcoming display in store.

All that glitters

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It just wouldn’t be a Selfridges Christmas without inviting Santa himself! When he’s not hosting our exciting in-store and virtual events you’ll find Santa decorating his very own Christmas tree in our corner window on Orchard Street. In true Claus-ian fashion, the bigger and more traditional, the better. With a back-to-back schedule this year, the King of Christmas called upon members of the in-house Selfridges family to help get his decs up in time. His Christmas wishes? For illustrative baubles to hang alongside ribbons made from recycled plastic bottles and embroidered with cheery festive messages, for one and all to read. Oh, and did we mention all the lights – and in fact all our stores – are run on green energy?

Deck your halls with Santa's picks

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Having a tree in each of the windows is a real symbol of
Christmas and something that everybody can relate to. We hope that people
can see themselves in one of the trees we have created.

– Morag Hickmott (Senior Lead – Windows)
 

OUR WINDOWS ARTISTS

Throughout the year we dedicate our window spaces on Orchard Street to showcase the work of artists we admire. We spoke to the three artists behind this year’s Orchard Street Christmas displays to discover how they put their own spin on the humble Christmas tree.

HELEN BULLOCK

“The tree I made for Selfridges was inspired by the amazing colours and patterns in A Charlie Brown Christmas. My mother used to hide all the fun decorations at the back of the tree, but there is no sneaking under this tree as ALL the fun is on display! The piece is almost completely made from wood – Selfridges was really keen to use sustainable materials, which also got me thinking about designing a range of plastic-free Christmas decorations in time for next year!” – Helen Bullock

Helen Bullock is a London-based fashion illustrator and print designer with a spontaneous, colourful aesthetic. She has previously worked with top luxury brands including Ralph Lauren, Phoebe English and GQ Style.

HANNA HANSDOTTER

“These ornamented glass objects represent individual bodies – they are different but equal, just like us humans! I wanted to use them to create an abstract interpretation of a Christmas tree, as a tribute to community. I hope that my window can convey how dependent we are on each other, while serving as a reminder of togetherness and that everyone has a function in society.” – Hanna Hansdotter

Hanna Hansdotter is a Swedish artist from Småland working in collaboration with the glass maker Kosta Boda and is considered to be one of the 21st century’s most brilliant names in glass.

ANTHONY BURRILL

“I set myself the challenge to make a Christmas tree that didn’t look traditional. The wooden structure, informed by the work of Enzo Mari, supports large cut-out letters made from recycled plastic set in the typeface Bureau Grotesque. The phrase ‘MAKE CHANGE NOW’ is intended to provoke. When we change ourselves, we can change the world.” – Anthony Burrill                 

Anthony Burrill is a graphic artist working with analogue craft techniques to create powerful, positive messages. He frequently collaborates with other forward-thinking creatives across music, architecture and education.

CHRISTMAS AT SELFRIDGES

We're here – online, on our app and via virtual appointments – to help you enjoy extraordinary festive moments that you’ll remember for years to come.

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