If you need some help getting into the Christmas spirit this year (whose idea was it to have a December election, again?), get yourself down to Harrods. The luxury department store's annual festive celebrations are the stuff of legend and, with the unveiling of the Kingdom of Christmas, Harrods' 2019 holiday season is set to be as epic as ever.
Harrods' famous Brompton Road windows are now home to a menagerie of animal models; from brown bears, to sleek snow leopards, to, erm, zebras (not the most Christmassy choice, but we'll take it). Each animal was chosen by a different luxury brand in reflection of their heritage and product aesthetic — hence, that zebra is carrying a heavy load of Carolina Herrera perfume...
In creating the concept, the store's Creative Visual Director, Alex Wells-Greco took inspiration from the "fantasy worlds dreamt up by childrens’ writers such as Philip Pullman, particularly the use of animals as figures of magic and escapism." A cannily-timed name-drop, with the BBC's highly-anticipated adaptation of Pullman's His Dark Materials having just been released.
Inside, the yuletide cheer continues, with a giant mistletoe sculpture in the atrium, loads of festive decorations and traditional Christmas fare in Harrods' famous food hall. There's also a Tiffany tree, an interactive, AR Christmas trail, and — on Hans Crescent — an eight-metre Christmas tree adorned with Balmain baubles.
Harrods promises a full calendar of Christmassy activities this November and December — click here to see what's on.
