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Bloomingdale's: 150 Years

Challenge

Bloomingdale’s, the iconic New York City department store, came to us wanting to create a lavish tome celebrating its 150th anniversary and demonstrate how it had transformed itself from a bargain bazaar into a fashion mecca. But there was one big catch—the store had kept no archive.

Solution

In record time, we tracked down artifacts and images from a hundred sources and teased out memories and quotes from a hundred past and current employees, celebrities, and designers.

Digital art selected for the #.
(T4 BLDDMINGOALES THHH IS IS,no person, retro, vintage, theater, travel, design, architecture, art, vector, classic, display, old, building, picture frame, graphic, gold, illustration, decoration, movie, symbol)
The new black case for computer.
(15 blomingdale

INVENTING THE TRENDS

Each chapter featured a breakout profiling a specific fashion trend that Bloomingdale’s had fostered—from the polo shirt to Juicy Couture tracksuits—making a strong case for how the store has remained on the cutting edge since its beginnings.

The cover of the issue of magazine.
(fast-trackea SPARKING TBE Referencing the early days of hip-hop in the 70s and 80s, in 1994 high-fashion designers began fo incorporate athletic stying into their foshion shows, mxing in fracksult-stye jackets and side stripes. Watching from the front row wos Kal Ruttenstein, Bloomingdales long-fime oju| srooj eu ejorodidou] Oj udDeq oum asdt co saaqd Kidpueo D puD aopooap uopsoy the store
Person covers the issue of magazine.
(SP UOq CHAP ALL 2007 MAKING SI1 Bloomie

RETAIL AS THEATER

Bloomingdale’s pioneered the concept of retail as theater, so we played up the spectacular shows and events they have orchestrated over the decades, using a design reminiscent of a fan’s scrapbook.

Digital art selected for the #.
(a space for expression Dougherty. Cor oms.Brendo vons.Yoncey.Doris W nefiting,woman, fashion, vector, magazine, business, shopping, man, bill, design, presentation, style, contemporary, illustration, graphic design, layout, no person, sexy, art, banner, paper)
Digital art selected for the #.
(P aa crnthnjiti yuityJightsad ag Aroadias Cas Suit Charity Breadinay 70,woman, fashion, sexy, business, girl, glamour, artistic, people, love, money, shopping, pretty, young, retro, paper, model, isolated, hair, contemporary, graphic design)
The brochure is a simple, yet effective way to introduce your brand to the world.
(00g (1987,movie, cinematography, no person, screen, film director, exposed, business, filmstrip, video, negative, paper, retro, data, graphic design, display, action, industry, technology, slide, production)

A GALLERY OF BLOOMIE’S BAGS

To underscore the store’s brilliant move to adorn its shopping bags with art, turning a utilitarian object into a covetable collectible, we devised a double gatefold gallery that showed off scores of the most striking bags in their history.

Digital art selected for the #.
(big umoim bag,no person, business, paper, research, facts, data, internet, education, writing, knowledge, document, technology, wood, organization, text, money, wealth, isolated, indoors, finance)
Digital art selected for the #.
(no person, illustration, indoors, facts, telephone, flat, room, calendar, business, spherical, adult, desktop, ball-shaped, number, education, flag, group, data, building, text)

DELUXE VERSION

Being able to offer its VIP customers something exclusive is a hallmark of the Bloomie’s experience. So, we also created a limited edition version of the book that comes in a slipcase adorned with a full-panel gold-embossed illustration depicting the store’s famous Art Deco façade.

Digital art selected for the #.
(no person, business, paper, wealth, money, retro, desktop, finance, pattern, gold, luxury, text, vintage, old, bank, travel, design, achievement, financial, currency)
The cover of the book.
(Stn y,fashion, woman, shopping, girl, people, footwear, model, sexy, wear, editorial, winter, glamour, stock, Christmas, shop, elegant, indoors, street, contemporary, foot)