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.
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.
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.
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.
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.