**Bergdorf Goodman 'Brilliant Holiday' Windows 2015- Crystal Rhinestone Art by Sarah Sparkles **

This November marked my 10 year anniversary as a Bergdorf Goodman window dresser, and coincided with one of the sparkliest years of holiday windows to date! The Bergdorf 2015 'Brilliant Holiday' windows were designed in collaboration with Swarovski. An estimated 7 million crystals were used to embellish Bergdorf's scintillating 5^th avenue holiday vitrines. According to window director David Hoey 'These windows have everything to do with 'crystals, gems, and jewels.' The street is lined with fantastical scenes including an Amethyst encrusted cavern, a nautical pearl-laden Poisiden, a regal rhinestone royal court, and a glittering fortune teller scene. The windows have gotten much fabulous press this season including glowing mentions in the NY Times, Architectural Digest, and Vogue. Swarovski also produced a short video that reveals a glimpse behind the scenes of the massive team effort that makes these dream holiday windows come true.

On a hot summer day in late August, two 3 foot tall winged mythic griffins and a large shopping bag full of Swarovski crystals descended upon my studio. From there on, I worked around the clock for three solid months bedazzling custom props for the Bergdorf Goodman holiday windows. 2 griffins, a blue ribbon, an alligator head, a bear head, 2 baby birds, and a partridge in a pear tree… ;) My studio was fondly coined the 'Sarah Sparkles Super Sparkly Swarovski Sweatshop' with shopping bags full of crystals and glittering props covering the room. The two griffins were commissioned for the royal themed 'Crown Jewels' holiday window. They were the most labor intensive project of the season that required an extensive amount of shading and contoured work. We exhausted Swarovski's entire inventory of the SS30 Gold Dorado and Bronze Shade crystal. These glittering beasts are an absolute must see in person!! Special thanks to my trusted assistants at the Sparkles Swarovski Sweatshop; Abby Hertz, Kayla Jo Berley, Contessa Create, and Timothy Wood.

 Knights and crowns by Burke and Pryde, Hair by Mio Guberinic, Griffins by Sarah Sparkles studio.

  Window design by David Hoey, Fashion by Libertine, Bergdorf 'Brilliant Holiday' windows November, 2015

Crystal birds, bear head, and copper leaf rocks 

commissioned by Shane Ruth, visual director of Bergdorf Goodman's Men's store

 for the 'Crystal Cabin' 2015 holiday windows.

As the pair of griffins for the 5th ave 'Crown Jewels' window neared completion, I acquired additional commissions to embellish a large Blue Ribbon and Alligator head for the 5th Avenue shadow boxes at the women's store. At the Sparkle studio, we affectionately called the blue ribbon 'Baby Boy' and the Alligator 'Ali G the Scorpio.' Though he was the last prop to come in sending deadline pressures through the roof, Ali G was my favorite sparkle project of the season :)

                                            Crystal Rhinestone Art by Sarah Sparkles, Sparkledome Studio

                                                                          for Bergdorf Goodman 2015

                                              'Rockstar' Swarovski Alligator by Sarah Sparkles StudioC
                                              Window design by David Hoey, Purses by Judith Leiber
                                              Bergdorf 'Brilliant Holiday' windows, November 2015

Dreams do come true!!! :) I am so deeply grateful for the opportunity to participate in this dynamic collaboration with Bergdorf Goodman and one of my favorite sparkle mediums of all time- **Swarovski Crystals.** The Bergdorf 'Brilliant Holiday' windows on 58th street and 5th ave are up thru January 4th, 2016. If you are in NYC, go check them out!!! Wishing you all a happy, sparkling holiday season. <3

LOVE,

Sarah Sparkles

*Bergdorf Holiday Windows 2014, Crystal Rhinestone Masks, Bette Midler's Hulaween Party, and More!*

Summer vacation came to an abrupt halt in mid-August when I got word that I would be assisting ‘Biak’ Kerdkan- a master paper sculpture being imported from Sweden, on the fabrication of an ornate lion and griffin for the Bergdorf Goodman holiday windows. Yes, Christmas in August. That is my world. My days in the Bergdorf studio with Biak and assistant Tate were spent meticulously cutting paper into thousands of layers of fur and feather. All of the paper was gorgeous custom shades of blue to emulate blue prints for the architecture-themed holiday window. We worked along side artists Jay and Gloria who had already been in the BG studio for many months crafting a city of paper skyscrapers. The level of detail and layers was truly unbelievable. The atmosphere in the studio vacillated the extremes of ultimate zen to steaming pressure cooker. Biak became my 'Russian coach' who enforced utmost speed and precision. After five weeks I thought my hand was going to fall off. #carpeltunnel. The end result is beyond worth it, and am very grateful to have worked on this stunning holiday window. 

                    'Architecture' Bergdorf Goodman Holiday 2014. Window director - David Hoey
                                 On display at 58th street and 5th Avenue thru January 4th.

      Click here to see behind the scenes action in a NY Times video about the creation of this window.

 
After an extended stint in the Bergdorf studio, my season took on a more diverse, independent tone. I did a few days of painting props for another BG 5th ave holiday window, a few days of window installs, and then started doing more work out of my own studio.  One of my favorite projects was a commission of 5 crystal rhinestone masks via Abby Hertz of AHZ Concepts for a notorious fashion world 'A- list' Halloween party. This collection of masks required hand application of more than 15,000 crystals!!!

Most days I was doing a combination of teaching, making crystal encrusted masks, fabricating a stone sculpture for the Bergdorf men's store, and coordinating props, labor, and crafting decor for Bette Midler's Hulaween party. This was my fourth year working with art director Douglas Little on the decor for Bette Midler's annual Halloween party at the Waldorf Astoria. This years theme 'Fellini Hulaweeni' was an ode to the surrealist Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini. Many of the decorative components were crafted from Italian newspapers, and based off of bizarre characters from Fellini films. 

                                               Fellini Hulaween 2014. Art Director- Douglas Little

'Hulaween' is the annual benefit for Bette's Midler's non-profit organization 'New York Restoration Project.' NYRP plants trees, revitalizes parks and gardens, and facilitates free arts culture in NYC's green public spaces. Bette is a true inspiration for me in the way she uses her influence to cultivate stewardship, while being oh so fabulous. Thank you Divine Miss M <3 

My hallowed holiday production season culminated with a project very dear to my heart. In 2014 my manager/mentor of nearly 10 years in windows, Shane Ruth got a mega promotion and became the Visual Director of the entire Bergdorf Goodman's men's store. Bravo!!! Early in the season Shane commissioned me to make a stone encrusted sculpture for the Archeology themed holiday window. Earthy, masculine, organic, and glamorous. He quickly earned the name: 'G of D' AKA 'God of Display.' We worked in collaboration. Shane built the base, I picked and applied the stones. Titanium treated Quartz, Agate, Pyrite, Druzy, tile, rock candy, and glass. The 'God of Display' is a demanding and expensive god, but oh sooooo beautiful. During the homestretch, I was working around the clock at the Sparkledome studio. Fingers perma-stained blue, a landscape of stone, glass, and glue forming on my gold studio floor. It was such a proud and happy day when I got to carry him into the store. It felt good to join my teammates, do finishing touches in the men's visual studio, and then watch Shane place him in the display case inside the window. Moments later our whole team gathered across the street for the official window unveiling. There was songs, speeches, and massive fireworks were shot off of the iconic building, illuminating the night sky. For most bystanders it was the week before Thanksgiving, for me it was New Years Day :)

                           Tada!!!! 'God of Display' designed by Sarah Sparkles and Shane Ruth
       'Archeology' Bergdorf Goodman Men's holiday window 2014. Window Director- Shane Ruth
                    Bergdorf Goodman holiday windows at 58th St. and 5th Ave thru January 4th.

                                                        Happy Holidays everyone!!!!!!!
   Utmost gratitude for a deeply inspiring, creative year.  Cheers to the next, and many more <3
Also a special thank you to the amazing art directors and visual teams I worked with this year. All of these projects are huge collaborative efforts. It is a privilege to work with all of you. 

*Behind the Scenes Pix from Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Windows* November 2012

Ron Salva is the creative genius that styles all of the mannequins in the Bergdorf windows. All of them. Pulls the fashion. Does all of the hair, make up, and accessorizing. I love Ron's style immensely and am grateful to be exposed to all of the high fashion combined with his aesthetic. One day I will do an entire article as a mini retrospective of his work. It will be called "Ron's Girls."

It's hard to not be tempted when surrounded by the hottest mannequins on earth.
Daniel was Ron's trusted assistant this season, he rocked it!

                                     Window director David Hoey: the ultimate magician.

*Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Window Installation* November 2012

For the past 7 years the season finale of my fall production season is always inevitably the installation of the Bergdorf Goodman holiday windows. This years theme was The BG Follies of 2012, with windows inspired by Ziegfeld Follies, Vaudeville revues, old Hollywood, Art Deco style and vintage show girls. (YAY!!!) This year my assignment was to install a window on 5th avenue entirely covered in meticulously patterned feathers. Thousands of feathers. Ostrich, peacock, rooster, I was in heaven! The window was designed by window director David Hoey in collaboration with Johanna Burke of Burke and Pryde design studio.  My co-worker Rory and I spent an entire week installing and doing last minute production for the feather window. This window is a true masterpiece, I'm grateful to have been apart of it.

"Called Naughty and Nice, Act II Window is a tribute to burlesque performer Sally Rand, inventor of the risque fan dance... Our visual team’s obsessive artistry: it’s covered in thousands (if not millions) of white feathers. The feathers are used as a mosaic and was constructed feather by feather.”- Window director David Hoey quoted on BG's window blog.

                 Rory put forth an impeccable attention to detail while installing the feather window.

Johanna is schooling Rory on her stellar rigging techniques.
Its perfect that we cant see what she is doing. You are not supposed to. That's what makes it so good!!

Sparkles werrrking in an Alexander McQueen hat.

Inside one of the greatest shows on earth

                                        BG Follies 2012 "Naughty and Nice" Holiday Window
                                      Fashion by Marchesa, Accessories by New York Vintage

          Bergdorf Windows are on display at 58th Street and 5th Ave until January 3rd, 2013