Haute 5 Holiday Windows: A Very Merry Manhattan

Barney’s, 660 Madison Avenue

This year, Barney’s windows (along with the backing of NBC) celebrate Saturday Night Live’s thirty-firth birthday with the theme “Have a witty holiday.” The windows feature the playful, oversized–almost surreal– floating paper mache heads of famous SNL characters. One window, dedicated to the women of SNL features Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin, Molly Shannon’s Mary Katherine Gallagher, and the infamous “Pat” (should she really be in the girls’ window?).

The Barney’s windows have a pop-arty feel to them. In one window a giant “35” and the entire floor are covered with a giant collage of SNL cast members. The collage includes pictures of everyone from Gilda Radner to Kristin Whig and Christ Farley to Will Ferrel. An inexplicably inordinate amount of space is dedicated to Jimmy Fallon’s face.

The background of each window is filled with glitter, sparkles and what looks to be left-over wrapping paper. One window is devoted entirely to the Dan Aykrod Conehead’s sketch of the seventies. The Coneheads’ monstrous green foreheads are the unfortunate canvases for “Live from New York It’s Saturday Night” scrawled across.

Barney’s holiday cheer extends beyond comedy to charity too. One window displays the art of students who go to the East Harlem School. All the proceeds of the pieces sold ($250 each) will go directly to the students’ school. Call 212-876-8775 ext.305 to purchase one of the bright, colorful one-of-a-kind pieces.