Barneys Axes Violent Window Display
Barneys New York is a little red in the face after a bloody window display offended customers.
The concept for the E. 61st Street treatment, whch featured long black dresses by Helmut Lang and A.L.C., was "Dressed To Kill." With red paint splattered all over the windows, the mannequins were posed as though they were (unsuccessfully) fending off attackers.
Creepy!
One Barneys custome told The NY Daily News that she found it "distasteful," when she was shopping with her daughter. Another said she found it "a little crazy."
The mannequins were quickly removed once it became clear that customers found the display more disturbing than enticing.
Barneys' creative director, Simon Doonan, said, "We encourage our display people to be creative. We give them a lot of latitude, but this clearly crossed the line. It's as if someone saw a bad Hitchcock movie."
What do U think, bbs?? Are you offended by the graphic display??
J. Lo, Not So Much A Bitch Anymore!
Eh. It's pretty cool, but idk.
ART CAN'T HURT YOU.
ART CAN'T HURT YOU.
ART CAN'T HURT YOU.
ART CAN'T HURT YOU.
ART CAN'T HURT YOU.
It's in poor taste. I don't think a window display is the place to make violence against women an artistic thing.
shut up you up tight ass people! its art, beautiful art. and another reason for losers like you to complain. i love it!
It's gross, whats to like? Nothing about violence is art.
eewww It sure doesn't make me want to buy these clothes.
I am offended by that fact it is in a shopping window. It belongs in a art musem or an art galleria where you can expect to see something like this.
not offended but kinda disturbed yeah!
It's VERY offensive.
oh come on! why those conservative people are being such a pain in the ass?? its nice to see creations and creativities! selfridges in london once had a vegas theme display and had this window displaying huge tube for cocaine sniffing and i didnt hear anyone saying thing.
I work in display and I think it's great - would love to have seen them all.
[/re] Re: minka – Re: abyssopelagic – TRUTH!
I think it's kinda cool and different, yet tacky. When i think of a piece of clothing i wanna wear, i don't imagine myself being killed in the process in a hot dress, sorry. LOL but the display is pretty cool.
It's marketing.. nothing else.. You are talking about their clothes arent you? Then they are geniuses cuz it worked..
I love it. I think it is different and creative. People obviously don't have anything better to do than complain. It's art.
I thought PETA through paint on a couple of windows…then I realized, there's no fur in the display!!
i think it's very creative, and cool! but for little children passing by…it could be frightening.
..i dont see whats so "offending" of this window display at all…people get too offended easy, its rediculous.
because we don't see enough violence on the news? sad.
People are FAR too sensitive. There's nothing wrong with it. I think it's fine.
I think it's actually pretty creative. It's surprising that people get angry over this, yet so many movies and television shows have much more extreme graphic content.
Re: DM0801 –
exactly.. at our mall here in Canada, the local lululemon store actually had naked people in the display (real people) with only computers covering their personal bits. It was for some online promotion or something….
I like it, it looks artfully done, but I guess it could be taken in a different way. If you were a relative of a murder victim or something it could be offensive maybe.
It's sick. I LOVE IT.
yeaa ….CREEPY!
Uhm, gee, I wonder why it struck a wrong chord…kind of like the 'menstruation through the ages' museum display a few years ago, but this is more gratuitous.
Window displays are art as well. Some people are just so fucking sensitive.
I think people just need something to complain about. and i saw this in the daily news 3 days ago, your a little slow perez.
It's not about being offended. It's once again feeling the gut wrenching pain that there are people who apparently do not give a damn about human beings! Whoever did this display needs to go down to the police station, look at all the reports and see exactly who it is that is attacked, beaten and raped every seven minutes in America. I don't think this makes you edgy! I think it makes you heartless! Ever watch Madonna's video, "Do You Know What It Feels Like for a Girl?" THAT IS HOW IT FEELS FOR A GIRL AND A WOMAN— PICTURES, THEMES, "ART" SLAMMING OUR HUMANITY, DEFACING OUR GENDER OVER AND OVER AGAIN–BILLBOARDS, TV ADS, MOVIES—VIOLENCE AGAINST US WITH EVERY EXCUSE USED IN THE BOOK TO JUSTIFY IT!!! YOU CAN THROW WHATEVER ADJECTIVES OR HIP WORDS TO TRY TO SMOOTH IT OVER! IF ACTS OF VIOLENCE DIDN'T HAPPEN TO WOMEN (OR MEN) MAYBE IT WOULDN'T BE SUCH A BIG DEAL, BUT THEN AGAIN, IF THOSE ACTS OF VIOLENCE DIDN'T HAPPEN TO WOMEN, YOU PROBABLY WOULD NEVER HAVE CHOSEN TO CREATE THIS DISPLAY.
It doesn't offend me, and it doesn't surprise me. It's in very poor taste; there's a difference. Haven't they reached the bottom of the slippery slope YET? Guess not.
Re: Spiritflow12 – @129 - Nice rant.
Re: Spiritflow12 – Preach sister!
LOVE it! How fun to think that mannequins have blood. People need to chop their heads off and be lighter.
like it!!!
Why is it wrong that a modern and strong woman protects herself against an assailant, yet a scantily clad strumpet arching her back to look like a sleek feline creature is OK? Shouldn't the the act of taking down the display be more disturbing than the display itself?
Taken as a work of art, it is important to note the mannequin's shape and form. The head to toe black connotes power, although the raised foot and haggard arms and back indicate some form of struggle, which gives the black a new meaning: mourning. The display itself is brilliant, then, for it is the manifestation of a modern woman's struggle finding power and defending herself (albeit unsuccessfully) against the many neasayers who try to usurp said power from her. And only to perpetuate this dark and woven social commentary, fashion bigwigs decided to remove this display from the eyes of the general public in fear of lower net sales.
Today is July 23, 2009, and currently Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State, is engaged in a South Asian tour, and Nancy Pelosi is the first female Speaker of the House. Women are in the workforce now more than ever, and, like Helmut Lang suggests, we wear pants. Why is it, then, that a plastic woman in a window is still not allowed to play the role of "fighter?"
it's creepy
I think it is fabulous. It's called art, you drama queens.
I love it. I can't help but thinks its cool.
Oh, come on!!! Simon is there to make sure people stop to look. He and his people did that. Movie trailers could be worse so get over it and find a REAL issue to talk about.
Here's what I find funny with all these people BITCHING Barneys sales while shoot up from the PUBLICITY they're giving them. It was out there and pretty cool, but naturally some uptight hags are going to complain about violence in america. Hmm lets think about this one…the kid that slapped a girl last year at my school got the idea from a. movie b. window display or c. home. IDK which one to pick, you decide?
It is misogynistic and very inappropriate. It is clear that many so-called fashion designers really hate women. I know, I worked in the business in the past for a well known designer and it is VERY TRUE.
Whoever did this did not do it in the middle of the night and alone. Everyone should be held accountable…and be made to get psychiatric help.
that's just disturbing… but still,,creativity needs to be disturbing in order people to notice..
LOVE IT.
This type of media is a huge contributer to violence against women, it helps people justify abuse against women, since it is made to seem acceptable to regular society.
I LOVE IT! (And Simon Doonan loves it, too, I bet. But, he has to back pedal a little when the squemish stupid bridge and tunnel crowd raise their voices)
its a little creepy.
I like it.
Its hot! Keep it up! I LOVE it!
Screw all those who found it offensive. They're still gonna shop there anyway!
don't like it…i wouldn't be offended..i'd just think it's stupid
Re: SnowAngel1224 – who are you to say if a person feels the "right" emotion?
ughhhh…. i'm sick of people being so sensitive and such bitches!!
it's a window display… it can't actually affect you!!!
FUCK off already.
DoctorPS wrote:
Anyone who has suffered violence would find this distasteful! Glorifying and promoting violence and bloodshed as somehow desirable or attractive?!?!
I reply:
Notice that the victims in this display are women, not men. Violence against women, literally, culturally, and artistically, is somehow viewed by Americans as OK or worse (worse as in, "Broads need a good knocking around every once in a while, keeps 'em focused"). The women on the list should be angry and offended by these kind of violent, anti-female depictions.
If this scene had consisted of black male mannequins, black male customers would have likely cried, "Racism!" But women — who remain the last minority group in American — were expected to respond favorably to the display and buy the clothing and other items
in the display.
Yeah, right.
Now playing: The Hollies, "Don't Run And Hide"
Purely artistic…. What we see on TV is far worse. I'm disappointed to see the display was changed because some whiny bitch from middle Amercia found it offensive…. but probably went home to her husband and his other three wives!
awsome!! lovelovelove this!!! =)))))))))))))))))
pretty awesome display. very moving… yeah, Americans arent ready for it
@ Texas mom, stay in Texas. There is a reason this was done in Manhattan. I can understand how this might offend mothers but at the same time, these people should know where they are living. The City is no place for saints and conservatives who are closed minded. I've seen crazier things in New York than window displays. If there is a place where an artist, musician, designer, ANYONE can be themselves truly…it is New York! Also, for the idiots that keep talking about keeping the art in an art gallery…yea, it doesn't work that way and that's not how artists work.
Re: beasee – It was probably tourists from Texas…LOL! Americans are so conservative and New York is one of the VERY few places people are themselves but even then as you can see… this would never be a problem in Europe.
Oh My God, everyone is offended by everything. Lighten up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Hey, great idea! Wonder why these are all women? While we're at it, why don't we have a "rape themed" window display? Maybe a dogfighting theme? Hm? Maybe that would sell some dresses? Wise up, bastardi!
It's a little much.
there are not bad hitchcock movies,you doonan idiot
haha i was thinking barney murder those kid but i luv the art wat they did