**Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Windows 2017 Crystal Rhinestone Bedazzled Dinosaurs and more!**

Holiday 2017 was one of the biggest, sparkliest seasons in Sparkledome Studio history. Christmas started in May, when window director David Hoey sent me to the Bergdorf warehouse to measure a life-size velociraptor skeleton. Every single bone. This was to estimate the amount of crystal rhinestones and time it would take to cover a full skeleton. In June the first skeleton arrived in my studio. 325+ hours later, the specs for the project were set, size and quantity of crystal, and amount of labor for the remaining 6 dinosaurs in the window. The Dino's required an aggressive amount of bedazzling for 360 degree coverage. From the moment the dinosaur landed, until the first week of November, we were almost never apart. The removable claws came with me to the beach, to friends houses, and to the woods. The Sparkledome studio was a rotating crew of 10 fabulous assistants that sparkled diligently to complete 3 of the 7 dinosaurs for the Museum of Natural History themed holiday window. 

   

A fourth dinosaur was decisively taken off the Sparkledome studio plate, in exchange for a variety of other exciting projects during the fall season including Bergdorf's Fashion Week Windows with set design by Douglas Little for international style maven Giovanna Battaglia’s new book ‘Giography.’ The Sparkledome studio was commissioned to bedazzle a 7 ft tall letter ‘G’ as well as 2 weeks of production and install for the ‘My Favorite Color is floral’ window. 

                      Swarovski Crystal 'G' for Bergdorf Goodman by Sparkledome Studio

After Fashion Week, the focus shifted back to the dinosaurs until the wave of Halloween commissions and installs rolled in. This included custom designed candy fascinators for a swank A-list ‘Rock Candy Rococco’ themed party curated by AHZ concepts, an adventurous week long decor install at Alder Manor in Yonkers for the ‘You are so Lucky’party, and a myriad of walkthru’s, team coordination and install for Bette Midler’s Hulaween party at St. John the Divine. 

                     Custom Candy fascinators for AHZ Concepts,  designed by Sarah Sparkles

                              Bette Midler's Hulaween Party 2017 at St. John the Divine. 

                       Art Direction by Douglas Little. Install by Sarah Sparkles and Crew.

Its no wonder Day of the Dead follows Halloween, because after all the costuming and party installs,  I'm done. Except I had to keep going. On Halloween night, I resumed the home stretch week of completing the final dinosaur. On the day I submitted the final Dino, I jumped into the Bergdorf Men's windows for a week-long 5th ave holiday install. The Bergdorf Men's windows, are in homage to BAM, and feature displays based on music, theatre, dance, film. 

                             Bergdorf Goodman Men's BAM /Dance holiday window 2017

                Art Direction by Shane Ruth, Install by Sarah Sparkles and Bg Windows Crew

                 Fashion by Gucci, Libertine, Rick Owens, Saint Laurant, and Dolce and Gabana 

                

                                                       Last but not least: TADA!!!!!!!!!!

                  The Bergdorf Goodman 2017 Museum of Natural History Holiday Window. 

                                           Art Direction by David Hoey, Fashion by Halpern, 

                          3 crystal Dino's by Sparkledome Studio, Install by BG Windows Crew. 

What a season!! I am so very grateful for all of the wildly creative, sparkling projects, and all of the fabulous art directors, co-workers, and assistants that all helped make it happen. Special thanks to Abby Hertz, Kayla Jo Berley, Contessa Hinderliter, Fade Kainer, Ellen Robin, Brian Oreck, James Brenner, Dina Satti, Charlotte Gaspard, and Al Malonga for a fabulous season in the Sparkledome studio. Epic teamwork!! The Bergdorf holiday windows are up until January 2nd on 58th street and 5th Avenue in New York City. If you are in town, they are not to be missed. Wishing a happy holidays to one and all.

***Sarah Sparkles***

*Gucci Fashion Week Windows, Swarovski Crystal Props, Bergdorf Installations and Darrell Thorne!*

2016 began with a flurry of exciting, creative projects in the Bergdorf Goodman visual department. No sooner then I could wipe off my New Years glitter, we began taking down the illustrious holiday windows, and putting up two new sets of Men's store fashion windows and the 7th floor Decorative Home interiors displays at women's under the watchful eye of Visual director Shane Ruth. I lovvvved working on this interiors installation. The premise being downtown chic takes over her stylish, vintage Granny's apartment. We did an extensive wall treatment of ribbons, lace, stencils, and spray paint, accompanied by Bergdorf's fashion and decor merch, and specialty  furniture and art objects from 'Mantiques Modern.' Using the realistic, antique mannequins was the icing on the cake!

 

Oh the joy of taking a can of spray paint to the walls of this illustrious house of high fashion!!!

Installation by Sarah Sparkles and BG Crew, Art Direction by Shane Ruth, Fashion by Gucci, Marni, Dries van Noten, Kentshire Estate Jewelry, and Prada.

The next exciting turn of events was getting a call from designer Johanna Burke of Burke and Pryde asking me to do large, custom sparkle props for BG's Gucci Fashion week windows out of the Sparkledome studio. The answer is YES!!!! One of my major life callings is to make intensely sparkling objects out of my studio and anywhere for that matter... YES. The assignment was to embellish larger-then-life snakes that were designed to emulate the blinged-out appliqués on Gucci's most recent fashion collection. The 8ft and 5ft sparkle snakes overtook my studio. With a two week deadline, I worked around the clock cutting and glueing paillettes, weaving strands of sequins, beads and gems. Upon pick up, I went straight into the Gucci window install at the Men's store to culminate my 100hr work week. :) 

Embellished snakes by Sarah Sparkles/Sparkledome Studio, Window direction by David Hoey and Shane Ruth, Fashion by Gucci. Special thanks to Johanna Burke for fabulous art direction on the props, and my trusted assistants Abby Hertz and Charlotte Lily Gaspard.

Up next was the '5th Avenue Safari' installation in Bergdorf's 7th floor Decorative Home loft. This was a really fun environment to create, with my highlight being making faux mud brick walls from scratch. There is even an indigenous fashionista that presides high above the room on a bridge, and a custom made treehouse! 

                                     

 Very grateful to work with this awesome team of artists! Sean Slaney, Erin O'Brien, Elliot De Cessare, Ryan Shaeffer, with Art Direction by Shane Ruth. 5th Avenue Safari on Bergdorf's 7th floor is up until June.

Dream come true alert!! This March I did my first job directly for ***SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL.*** The mothership of all things sparkling and good. :) It is one of my major longterm life goals to work in Swarovski's bling arsenal. So it was to my great joy, when they reached out and asked to hire me to do a 360 degree treatment on the props I had embellished for the sight line of the 2015 Bergdorf holiday windows. Now Mr. Alligator and Blue Ribbon are in Swarovski's archive of bedazzled objects that are going to be used in shoots and installations around the world <3

 

Dream come true to work for Swarovski!!!

Custom crystal embellishment by Sarah Sparkles/Sparkledome Studio.

                         
The day after submitting my bedazzled props to Swarovski I thought I might sleep in, however the sparkle Gods had other plans. I woke up to a phone call from Darrell Thorne, one of my absolute favorite costume designers in NYC. He asked if I could come to his studio and rhinestone embellish a mask for a photoshoot that was in two days. So I threw on my glitter, and off I went. :)

                Costume design by Darrell Thorne, Mask and partial wing embellishment by Sarah Sparkles.

Thus concludes a supremely epic art season. Am so deeply grateful to work with such talented, inspiring artisans and creative directors. Reaching the milestones of working directly for Swarovski, and more sparkle projects out of my own studio has shown me that with clear focus, and being willing to give it your all, you can make dreams come true. So Very Grateful <3