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This site – and my email list – are dedicated to art that’s inspiring, thought-provoking, skillfully executed, and/or breathtakingly beautiful. Once a year, I stretch that to include fabulous decorations, clothing, and jewelry on display during the holiday season. This year: New York, Tokyo, and Key West. Enjoy!

New York

Many, many thanks to Dylan Agan, local street cryptid and soon-to-be New Yorker, who took photos for me this year in New York City. First up: what to wear?

Wait, don’t tell me the Little Black Dress is no longer a thing? Oh, thank goodness, there’s one!

Even better, this jacket. Oh, yes, I want that one!

And now some accessories.

Not really the right bags for the glitzy black jacket, but who could not adore tiny striped elephants?

I’m never sure if Bergdorf Goodman’s windows should count as fancy dress options or decoration. They’re always eye-catching (eye-boggling!), but it’s difficult to tell what’s for sale. Here are four of them.

And now we move on to decorations. The Time Warner Center’s stars still thrill, even though I’ve seen their color-changing wonder for several years now. (Nice composition, Dylan!)

I don’t know where this one is! New Nordstrom? Hudson Piers?

Tokyo

Thanks to supporter Jeri Egan for sending these photos from a display called “A Celebration of Life” by Klaus Haapaniemi, created for the Ginza Six mall. More pics here. I have no idea what’s going on here, but the design is lovely and memorable.

Key West: Christmas in the Tropics

In early December, I spent five days in Key West. Duval, the main tourist street, has some high-end shops. I ignored the Coach window full of tasteful winter white clothing (who would buy a toasty wool sweater in a place where the temperature never goes below 40 degrees?), but their window for accessories is charming.

A few galleries on Duval have beautiful representational art, but of course taking photos is not allowed. So, diving to the opposite end of the spectrum, here’s some Christmas kitsch with a uniquely Key West flavor.

And on to decorations. Christmas trees aren’t native to Key West. They make do with palms.

Or you can build an Xmas tree out of lobster boxes.

Flamingoes with balls.

Pelican with Santa hat.

Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, has nothing on these this house on Duval.

Santa hits the tropics … If you were dressed in a full-length red suit in Key West, you’d need to rest, too.

That’s better! But isn’t it Rudolph who has the red nose?

This is just wrong! There are no hula skirts in Key West, although there are plenty of hibiscus and frangipani trees.

Putting some muscle into “naughty and nice”: he’s gonna find out, AND he’s got an anti-aircraft gun. Which has dolphins on it.

My personal favorite among the tropical Santas: Santa wearing a tropical shirt, in a sleigh pulled by dolphins. And, because this was taken in front of the Island Cow Restaurant on Sanibel Island, a cow instead of a Rudolph.

More

• Last year’s Capitalist Christmas post is here. The 2017 Capitalist Christmas post is here; 2016 is here. The albums for earlier years are on Facebook: 2015, 2014, 2013 (part 1 and part 2),  2011, and 2010. I seem to have skipped 2012.
• Want wonderful art delivered weekly to your inbox? Check out my free Sunday Recommendations list and rewards for recurring support: details here.