Billy Porter Helps Bloomingdale’s Unveil Holiday Windows
Billy Porter regaled a streetfront crowd Thursday night and helped Bloomingdale’s unveil its holiday windows.
Wearing an embellished long black leather coat and other No Sesso attire, the Tony winner performed a few songs and encouraged attendees to seek authenticity regardless of what their families or governments might say. Afterward, he led attendees in a countdown as the scrim imprinted with “Best Holiday Ever” slowly rose to reveal he flagship’s 150th anniversary window display.
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Before and after the holiday kickoff, many ducked out of the chilly air and into the store to check out the holiday merchandise. One of the many highlights can be found in “The Carousel,” where shoppers can find “The Greatest Gifts” that have been curated by Ayesha Curry. The assortment includes more than 16 diverse and woman-owned brands, including Curry’s lifestyle brand Sweet July.
Sizing up Thursday’s festivities on Friday morning, Frank Berman, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, enthused about the “incredible turnout” and Porter’s “spectacular” performance, as well as “how nice it was to see the smiles on everyone’s faces.” This year’s unveiling was the first group one since John Legend performed in 2019, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pre-Thanksgiving timing is meant to get a jump on the holiday selling season with organizers starting the process nine months to one-year in advance. In honor of its 150th anniversary, Bloomingdale’s wanted to do something “whimsical, surprising and with interactive components that stops you, when you are walking on the sidewalk,” Berman said.
Thursday night several passersby on Lexington Avenue stopped in their tracks after realizing it was Porter performing. A few commented what an unexpected choice he was for Bloomingdale’s. “He’s a phenomenal performer, who has a great story on his own and he is certainly an award-winning talent. That’s what we’re looking for — people who engage our customer base, today and those for tomorrow,” Berman said. “He definitely spans a wide range. That’s why we chose to work with him.”
Porter is an encouraging personality who personifies diversity and inclusion, which is in synch with Bloomingdale’s ethos and its “B [folo] The Change” social purpose campaign, Berman said. “Certainly, we’re very cognizant of supporting the communities that we serve.” Porter also supports children’s mental health initiatives.
An assortment of 150th anniversary items are showcased in the store windows, while the Little Brown Bear, an icon the company sells to help support the Child Mind Institute, is featured in another window, in an oversize, gold-colored version.
New York is dealing with a major downturn in office occupancy, and a recent survey of 160 New York City employers by the Partnership for New York City showed that only 9 percent of employees are back to the office five days a week. Rates are expected to climb, and asked about how telecommunity and hybrid working will affect daytime holiday shopping, Berman said, “Some days are crowded. The street was crowded last night on both sides of Lexington Avenue. There is a good amount of traffic in our stores. People are coming back into stores. Maybe they’re not going into the office. But we’ve seen that in what the customer has been purchasing.”
Bloomingdales recently saw about 400 people attend a concept store opening in Chicago, Berman said.
He acknowledged the effects of inflation, and said, “At the same time, Thanksgiving is still coming. People need to get ready. Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanzaa are still coming. People need to get great gifts for family and friends.”
“There is a feeling of hope and wanting to socialize. Gift-giving is a great part of that. The human factor is a big part of that fourth quarter,” he said.
“Personally, I am very thankful for what I have — for my family and my friends. In these turbulent times, I don’t take that for granted — being together with friends and family to celebrate and to do that in a way that makes us all happy. I certainly saw that in the people who came out Thursday night and walked into our store with that energy. They had it. I hope for more of a glass half-full [approach] due to the pandemic,” he said.
