ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS TREE DECORATIONS

Few weeks before Christmas this year I have been checking Christmas markets here in Dublin. What I believe is one of the nicest activity before festive period and then shortly after the sale period. Yes, sale – I know exactly where to buy porcelain candle holder.

Of course one of the nicest parts of this time of the year is the preparation for Christmas. We all would love to see snow flakes falling down slowly out the window while our Christmas tree blinks with lights and decorations.

Then later on one of the saddest moment of the post-Christmas time is the image of what it use to be a beautiful Christmas tree, now is just a half dry bits of wood thrown out at the front garden waiting to be collected – hopefully with the organic waste. Even though the trees are planted especially for the purpose I use to think it is really unfair on our planet. Some sellers sell the trees planted in pots, the tree stays fresh and when done with Christmas we can plant it into our garden. My friend back in Poland does it every year, she has a personal miniature forest in her garden now. They could also be planted into the wild, what nature gave should receive back.

But there is nothing worst then very toxic plastic Christmas tree. The toxins disable me to speak when I had to unwrap and fold good few of them. So, my guess would be it ain’t good for asthmatics.

There is plenty of alternative Christmas tree decorations to explore, handmade natural gifts of nature. They last a lifetime and when their life is over they will not do any damage to any living creature. Why not focus on those?

Driftwood Wall Hanger in Wicklow, Ireland. — Driftwood Decs

Driftwood Christmas tree — Driftwood Decs

Driftwood Decs sells beautiful Christmas trees made from driftwood in Wicklow town and in Dublin flea markets where I met the maker and designer Tom – to find out more click on the link which will bring you to Tom’s Facebook page.

LET’S TRY NOT TO ADD MORE WASTE DURING THIS CHRISTMAS

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Author: Walkowska Aleksndra

2016-12-192018-03-14

CHRISTMAS WINDOWS, DUBLIN 2016

Author: Walkowska Aleksndra

DUBLIN WINDOWS 2016

Early Sunday morning is the best time to take a stroll on Grafton Street and appreciate window displays on one of the busiest shopping streets in Dublin city.

December this year as many others years previously is very mild, our garments are just a little bit warmer than those in the very early spring. It is well noticeable in the Christmas window displays where mannequins are styled quite light too.

Christmas window display on Grafton Street, Dublin 2016

The Christmas theme is displayed in the windows but not so much of the winter itself except maybe Brown Thomas. The theme of their windows this year is based on an old-school Christmas card, all kept very kept to the roots of festive tradition. When I saw it first my first connection was made to Russian fairy tales …

Brown Thomas Christmas window display 2016

Brown Thomas window display — Brown Thomas Christmas window display 2016

M&S is boosting with red colour and plenty of good quality looking gifts stock around female mannequin the position of her arms suggest she expects to receive even more presents.

M&S Christmas window display, Dublin 2016

Personally, my favourite once is Massimo Dutti windows. The suggestion that those are Chrismas windows is very settled. The props are very minimalistic, well composed, all products are well exposed and visible to the public. It is the warm light coming from the suspended lamps that suggest it is the time of the year when we want to keep warm when we want to party when we want to be stylish despite long and dark winter’s evenings.

A few minutes away from Grafton Street – Dunnes Stores on Dame Street has as always perfectly styled windows. Same as in Massimo Dutti all the merchandising products are visible even though the windows are quite busy or busier than normally – the products look very tempting to buy, to have, to own. The construction of the display is very harmonious. All three windows are kept in the same colour scheme what creates a perfect balance. To me, windows in this particular store are always more of an art installation. Perfecto!

Dunnes Stores Georges street Christmas display, Dublin 2016

Few more Christmas windows 2016 on Grafton Street, Dublin

Nespresso

Topman Christmas window on Grafton Street, 2016

tommy hilfiger Dublin window display — Tommy Hilfiger Christmas window display, 2016 Dublin

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2016-11-222018-03-14

ENDURANCE BESTSELLER BOOK DISPLAY

Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage is a bestselling book written by Alfred Lansing

First published in 1959
The cover of the book was the major inspiration for my window display. Available on Amazon.

Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage (Anniversary Edition)

ENDURANCE

One day in late 1914 what was intended as an important Antarctic expedition went terribly wrong. Anglo-Irish explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton took on the board of Endurance 28 men heading towards Antarctica. Close to the shore, the ship got trapped in the ice and keel over 30 degrees. Attempts to rescue the ship into the free water failed after few days Endurance sunk. The crew was left with no hope of being rescued. The decision was made to try to reach Elephant Island, the more stable land. The rough journey on the boat through the ocean took seven days in -20 degrees.

The harsh land was still miles away from civilisation and any hope of help. To rescue his crew Shackleton decided to take a journey on his own to South Georgia an island further south. The rough long journey through the glaciers and mountains had to be made on foot. It paid off, he found long needed help. As soon as possible he sailed back in search of his crew. After three months of sailing and four different attempts to reach the shore, he finally got reunited with his men.

Endurance Book Display by Aleksandra Walkowska, 2014

I kept this set quite simple in my Christmas bestseller book display as I wanted to create the feeling of extreme cold and isolation. Before reading the book, one could imagine the feeling of … what would it be like to be trapped in this place?

The props were built mainly with cardboard and paper, except the floor, which is a bubble wrap foil, turned upside down made an impression of a frozen water. I used similar technique making the iceberg and the ship. Designing my own version of the book cover (with the male figures) helped me to create an impression, that part of the Shackleton crew just left the sinking ship. Nothing is kept in proportion to each other, the props have more of a symbolic meaning. I was lucky to partly recreate the display in MRCB Paints & Papers store in Dublin 8.

Author: Walkowska Aleksndra

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2016-11-182018-03-14

GALERIES LAFAYETTE PAPER CHRISTMAS DISPLAY

Les Galeries Lafayette sustainable arctic window display

Author: Walkowska Aleksndra

Galeries Lafayette store in Paris was opened to the public in 1912. Long tradition, long history, Art Nouveau decorations made the store the second tourist attraction after Eiffel Tower. It is a family business for the last five generations. The business survived through some very troubled times over the last century, from wars to financial crises.

French actress Audrey Tautou opened the Christmas window display in the flagship store Galeries Lafayette on Nov 9th, 2016. The theme was directed by Luc Jacquet is best known for March of the Penguins, Oscar-winning nature documentary in 2006.

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Galeries Lafayette paper Christmas display tells a story of a polar bear family. The entire display including bears is made out of paper the most sustainable material on the planet, created by multidisciplinary artist Lorenzo Papace.

Due to climate change and melting icebergs, a family of polar bears has to leave their native homeland in search of a new place. They are forced to migrate. After travelling for miles across the world, leaving behind the North Pole, they finally find a new place covered in ice and snow, a place they are very safe and comfortable in. The snow land is made especially for them by Galeries Lafayette where the family of vulnerable bears finds a shelter. The magical adventure begins! The bears and the public viewers can enjoy the breathtaking paper display through the Christmas season. The bears are playing, dancing, jumping into the ice inside the store and in the arctic windows. Before they head back to the Arctica.
What kind of environmental damage awaits them there?

A child would ask an infantile question:
– Could they not stay longer or maybe even forever?
– Unfortunately, it is not their natural environment. They can only survive in the Arctic if we take care of the climate if we stop polluting the world if we stop the emission of carbon dioxide if we stop using plastic and other toxic materials.

All generations of humans are responsible for the family of polar bears, as well as any other species, including ourselves. This is the hidden message of the remarkable Christmas display, created in co-operation with Wild-Touch NGO organization which aims to bring more attention to the world on the environment in order to protect our planet.

Unfortunately, our new world leaders are trying to ignore the climate change issue, calling it Chinese hoax. Hopefully, those negative words will only have the very opposite reaction to the public view. More stores and brands should follow the path of Galeries Lafayette in Paris and their involvement in environmental changes where the aim is to raise an awareness on the final consumer.