Barneys New York took a major leap in a recent window display. But the chances they took on this window display may have cost them more than they thought. The mannequins in the Barneys window were dressed to kill, with a blood splattered window display and mannequins being attacked while wearing Helmut Lang and A.L.C..
The display did not stay up long. Once Racked.com covered the display, news stations were calling Barneys to ask about it. Though Simon Doonan, creative director of Barneys, was out of town as the display went up, he said this crossed the line and compared it to “someone seeing a bad Hitchcock movie.” Be assured heads will be rolling from creative display team after this incident. [More via NY Daily News]
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I would like to hear from those that think portraying violence is artistic?
I love it! Isn’t Siman Doonan famous for doing crazy window displays in London?!? He’s gone soft…I’m disappointed!
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To Kara: Quentin Tarantino perhaps? Any violent movie?
I’m surprised that Simon Doonan didn’t okay it himself before letting it go up. Maybe if it were less plain more Quentin Tarantino-like in its violence (macabre but with a dark humor) perhaps it would’ve been nicer.
uh, not really my thing. it really doesn’t make me want to go in and buy those products.
Now that’s how you dress to kill! haha!
Although it doesn’t bother me, I think they went a little too far with the window display.
I think its funny, clearly they are not real people, and its not real blood, and the clothing was not damaged, so I dont see the harm. Unfortunately I think overly sensitive people tend to complain the loudest. They knew what they were doing, the complainers will complain and now we are all talking about it and its free advertising for barneys and the designers, brilliant!
I totally agree with Candace. The display was not literal or graphic. I assumed that Doonan had done these!
What is this supposed to say to customers? Buy these clothes and you’ll be brutally murdered?
I dont’ really see what the fuss is, it’s not that graphic or gory os where’s the distaste from? Just look at all the much more violent movies out there and complain about that rather than targeting a harmless window.
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MizzJ, I totally agree with you. Quite the hoopla for something that is nearly not as grotesque as what’s in television. Folks need to lighten up a bit.
I simply don’t see what death and violence have to do with fashion. I expect it when I watch an action movie.
distasteful or not – its all moot. the display did what it was supposed to do, draw attention and it did.
Lol!!…… distasteful indeed. Shocking! but funny.
Everyone seems very split about this one… votes are nearly equal give or take
Artistic or not, realistic or not, it really doesn’t matter. Of course it drew attention, and that is the point of these window displays.
BUT…come on…it is in very poor taste. In today’s world where violence has become so commonplace, why portray it in a window where the ultimate goal is to entice people to buy high-priced designer clothing? Seems like a cop-out – I’m sure a less shocking method of attracting attention can be used.
Fake blood smeared on a window certainly doesn’t make me more likely to buy!
When I saw the picture of the window display, I gasped and then laughed. I thought it was funny and artistic. For a society that is always looking for something new and always trying to push the envelope, I think the idea was tasteful.
People out there are taking themselves too seriously if they are offended by the display.
It draws attention, but the display could have been far better if that’s what the artist was going for.
Why are some americans so close minded? I dont see how you relate this to real violence, at the least it made people look and talk. We are one of the most violent countries in the world have the largest prision population worldwide and are the most “armed” population in the world. And some pretty clothes with a “blood” display scare us?
I thinks is no big deal, I mean, we’ve been running around in AMQ Skull Scarves for years now.
I think it looks really artistic and moving!!
They should have left the display that way for a while longer…maybe it will make people realize what a trivial (though not bad!) thing fashion really is.
There’s more violence on TV every night and day, news, crime series and so on and you hardly ever hear complains that…at least not that many to take “TV” down.
I don’t get it…but I really don’t care enough to complain about it! It would scare my kids though…
It doesn’t offend me, it really has nothing to do with tv or real war. That’s the point. The clothes aren’t even military-inspired.
The display is beautiful. Some people are just too prude. Some just want to make a big deal out of everything. Sensationalist.
Barney’s = pretentious
I doesn’t offend me. I think it’s really creative and fresh….”Dressed to Kill”…LOVES IT!!
Well im not offended by it and i think it definitely draws attention but i can imagine a mother walking past and her child gets freaked out.
Hmmm….very interesting. This might draw people into the store to see what is going on inside.
I am not offended. I like the twisted body of mannequins and the tilted furnitures but visually it does not work, in fact the theme fell flat.
If the intention is “dressed to kill” then the mannequins should be perpetrators, not victims. This display should be “dressed to be killed.” Big difference.
Art doesn’t have to be literal but it should correctly convey what the artist is trying to say. This does not.