As the rival of the Printemps store, Galeries Lafayette’s window displays are rarely is good as its neighbour’s. However, one inside the store the incredible Xmas tree will just blow you away. Check out our photos…

photos : JasonW


Don’t get us wrong; we have nothing against Galeries Lafayette. It’s just that over the years we’ve always preferred the window displays of the Printemps store, more inventive and stylish. This year is no exception; GL could do with a little more imagination, something new (but – hey – go down and judge for yourselves!). There are already huge queues in front of the main windows, worsened by the smaller space available in front of the store. If you want to get a decent view, best go early or – even better – late, when all the lights are illuminated. You’ll find a whole load of teddy bears, dolls and inverted flamingoes waiting for you!

Despite not being bowled over by the kids windows, we had to admit that the fashion displays were rather good…


Our favourite was this one, where you had to look down into a mirror to see the model stuck to the ceiling. Can you see it?…

You should also be sure to look at the displays on the sides of the buildings (most people don’t even notice that they are there). Although they are all sponsored by a brand name and do not move, there are some humorous touches that should make you smile…



And let’s not forget that the interior of the store is one of the marvels of the city. Their huge tree is awe-inspiring, the carved arches and glass ceiling are both amazing, and the giant balloons set the whole thing off to amazing effect. Despite having seen it twenty times before, I was blown away!





And there are couple of things not to forget to see when leaving: 1. A window display on the side of one of the buildings with Vuitton clothes, surrounded with mirrors and dripping with thousands of Swarovski crystals…


…and 2. The façade of the buildings and the lights (which are animated this year for the first time, I think…).

You can see all our photos in the mini-slideshow here, or click here to see the sparkly Flickr gallery in all its glory!

And click here if you want to visit the official Galeries Lafayette site.