The holiday season in New York is a time when the city is filled with a sense of exhilaration, as if enchanted. The window displays that adorn the city are a golden opportunity for creators to unleash their creativity. The next trends and movements are born from ideas that are somehow nostalgic, yet new, and never feel old or boring.

■Saks Fifth Avenue & Lord & Taylor

Walking down Fifth Avenue in Midtown, the heart of Manhattan in New York, towards Downtown, you'll come across not only high-end department stores and luxury brands, but also high-end casual brand stores. Your eyes will be captivated by the intriguing window displays that tell a story, from those that express a grand narrative to those that gently embrace your heart with a warmth.

Saks Fifth Avenue is a long-established luxury department store on 50th Avenue and 50th Street. Known for its lavish seasonal displays, this holiday season the building will be transformed into "The Winter Place." The building's facade is adorned with three-dimensional, palace-inspired illuminations, including ice towers, sparkling crystals on spires, and snow-covered magnolia arches. A dramatic light show, accompanied by sound, begins at certain times. Furthermore, the window displays at the front of the building offer a fashionable, exotic portrayal of architectural wonders of the world and winter fantasies. For example, "The Frosty Taj Mahal" is inspired by India's Taj Mahal. It reinterprets the story of an emperor who built it for his beloved wife after her death as a beautiful example of love. "The Great Winter Wall of China" evokes the image of the Great Wall of China in winter. "The Sub-Zero Sphinx" is mythical, evoking the image of a goddess shielding the frozen sphinx inside an ancient Egyptian pyramid with thick winter clouds to protect it from slumber.

Across the street, in the towering Rockefeller Center shopping complex, you'll find the popular local shop ANTHROPOLOGIE. Offering high-end casual clothing and interior goods, the store exudes a relaxed atmosphere. Its sophisticated product lineup, with just the right amount of trendiness, is popular with a wide range of women. The store was bustling, especially with its large selection of candles perfect for Christmas decorations.

Further down, on 39th Street and Fifth Avenue, you'll find Lord & Taylor, a long-established department store. "A Few of Our Favorite Thing" features dreamily sweet window displays. The window, modeled after a classic Parisian bakery, is filled with sweet treats like cupcakes and macarons. Beneath a tray holding a three-tiered cake are two conveyor belts, rotating several types of whole cakes around the base. Next door, a gingerbread Victorian house is being held up by a group of gingerbread soldiers. The building, made of layers of icing, is well worth a look with its elaborate details, such as the openwork around the windows and the floral design on the exterior. We also recommend peering into the charming world of the small windows.