FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK, NY, OCTOBER 24, 2013 – This Christmas season, Galeries Lafayette will transform into a fairy-tale entitled, Once Upon A Christmas… Before the Clock Strikes Twelve, featuring an 'enchanted forest', window displays illuminated by the character Lili and her doll Martin along with their menagerie, a dazzling Christmas tree illuminated every hour by Swatch, a Christmas present village and an exclusive preview of the new film Beauty and the Beast. The seasonal festivities continue with Lafayette Gourmet, with a Jean-Paul Hévin hot chocolate bar, a Pannettone Bar and a chocolate tasting on November 20.
CHISTMAS TREE ILLUMINATIONS
Every hour, the impressive 65 foot Christmas tree, floating thirteen feet above the floor under the dome of Galeries Lafayette is transformed into a veritable theater, illuminated by Swatch. A miniature village comes to life underneath the tree with each strike of the clock every hour, with mechanical mice starting the mechanisms that wake the villagers from their slumber and cause owls to come out of their hiding places. And finally, windows open and a whole Christmas scene is revealed with Lili, Martin and decorated houses effusing Christmas merriment.
SWATCH
Swatch's first twelve models were launched on March 1, 1983 and the company ties up its year-long 30th anniversary celebrations as part of Galeries Lafayette's Christmas fairy-tale. On the giant Christmas tree under the dome, Swatch keeps track of the time with over-sized clock dials and huge gears in the center of the and chimes every hour. On the fourth floor, in the midst of the enchanted forest, a Christmas log cabin brings together the cult creations of the enfant terrible of Swiss watchmaking and its thirty-year celebration collection in a popup store.
EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW OF THE NEW FILM BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
To celebrate the upcoming release of the new film, Beauty and the Beast directed by Christophe Gans and starring Vincent Cassel and Léa Seydoux, Galeries Lafayette will screen a five-minute preview of the film on the fourth floor. Five displays will showcase the film sets: the Beast’s mysterious estate will be revealed as well as the majestic hallway leading to the main staircase and grandiose dining room in the Beast's castle, as well as Beauty’s bed chamber. The window display of Lafayette Maison will also feature the Beast’s dining room. The film will be released on February 12, 2014 in France.
CHRISTMAS WINDOW DISPLAYS
Lili the doll and Martin the teddy bear have been sent a mysterious invitation… from display to display, the two intrepid friends set out on a journey lined with surprising discoveries and unexpected encounters. They need to reach Mr and Mrs Wolf’s cabin in the woods before the clock strikes twelve to enjoy the Christmas meal and open the presents under the tree. Along their way, Lili and Martin meet a whole host of weird and wonderful characters in the snow desert with giant hourglasses, forest of black cats, magic garden with jeweled animals, moving clocks owned by wise monkeys in top hats that are the guardians of time, the lounge of Mr and Mrs Wolf, who are making merry and smoking cigars, and their sparkling Christmas tree, which is revealed when the clock finally strikes twelve. Using fabrics from the 2013 autumn/winter collections, Little Marc Jacobs has created exclusive bespoke outfits for Lili, Martin and their friends in the window displays.
ENCHANTED FOREST
Under an incredible natural canopy, shoppers will enter into an enchanted forest with silver birch trunks that fall from the sky. Frosted flowers line the path, leading to tweleve cabins that seem to have been turned upside down, reminding customers that gifts need to be chosen before the clock strikes twelve. The fourth floor of Galeries Lafayette presents gift ideas for all budgets in an area covering over 10,000 square feet. The cabins are the holiday homes of Acer, Atelier de Famille, Guy Degrenne, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Oops Home, Swatch and more.
CHRISTMAS GOURMET
Jean-Paul Hévin's Hot Chocolate Bar on the terrace
Jean-Paul Hévin is one of those people who have made chocolate synonymous with French luxury and design. For over 25 years, from Paris to Tokyo, Beijing to Taipei, the award-winning artisan has been surprising and impressing the public with his new creations every year. The creator of original hot chocolate recipes, using flavors such as mango, raspberry, spices, yuzu, Roquefort, almond milk and even caviar, Galeries Lafayette will offer a "greatest hits" selection of his chocolate-based creations.
Panettone Bar
Galeries Lafayette is opening a panettone bar, a traditional Italian brioche packed with raisins, candied fruits and citrus peel and shared by families when they come together at Christmas time, in Lafayette Maison’s Archi Café with products that are exclusive to France. The menu features various artisanal recipes chosen from the finest pastry chefs in Italy: panettone with Mauro Morandin sweet wine or Salvatore de Riso limoncello. As an accompaniment, guests can choose between hot sabayon and the famous Baladin Christmas beer, which are also à la carte.
Chocolate Tasting, November 20, 2013
Galeries Lafayette is organizing a chocolate evening throughout the three stores on Boulevard Haussmann. From 4:30pm to 7:30pm, and up to 8:30 pm at Lafayette Gourmet, delicious themed areas will lead chocoholics from Lafayette Gourmet, which houses the main dome building and Lafayette Maison. Anisetiers du Roy, Patrice Chapon, Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse, Pierre Hermé Paris, Jean-Paul Hévin, Mazet, Daniel Mercier, Valrhona and many other chocolatiers await connoisseurs. The event will also travel to Lafayette Gourmet (at Marseille Bourse 4pm to 8pm on November 30 ) and Nice Cap 3000 (2pm to 7pm on December 7).
PRESS CONTACT
Virginie David, International Press
+33 0 1 42 82 30 18, virginiedavid@galerieslafayette.com
