The Most Beautiful Gift at Galeries Lafayette

This year, the department store embraces the theme "The Most Beautiful Gift" and entrusts its Christmas magic to illustrator Jeanne Detallante. The artist drew inspiration from the history of Galeries Lafayette, particularly its decorative arts and the centenary of the 1925 International Exposition, to create a vibrant and colorful world. The windows on Boulevard Haussmann tell the story of a magical factory where elves are busy helping Santa Claus prepare thousands of presents. The displays feature the aesthete Santa, the giant gift-wrapping printer, and whimsical creatures like the baby elephant and the booted duck. Two key windows are highlighted: "The Banquet" and "Santa's Office." Inside, the iconic Christmas tree, installed beneath the Art Nouveau dome, radiates the festive spirit with its 16-meter height. This year, it is adorned with illustrations by Jeanne Detallante and wrapped in sumptuous ribbons, like a gift. The tree sparkles brilliantly thanks to 8 kilometers of LED lights. For the occasion, Galeries Lafayette is bringing back its enchanting ice rink on its rooftop terrace, offering a magical view of Paris.

 

Printemps Haussmann: A New York Christmas

This year, Printemps Haussmann offers a magical transatlantic journey with the theme "A New York Christmas." This theme celebrates the opening of the brand's very first American store, inaugurated in March 2025 in the heart of Manhattan, at One Wall Street. The windows on Boulevard Haussmann tell the story of a joyful band of exploring dogs as they roam the iconic neighborhoods of the Big Apple, from the steps of the Met to the Rockefeller Center ice rink. The vibrant and humorous scenes are designed like panels of a living comic strip, in a black and white graphic style inspired by The New Yorker. The 125 animated characters are, as every year, handcrafted by seamstress Valérie Cuter. With a focus on eco-responsibility, the decorations and characters are made from natural and recyclable materials (cardboard, fabric). Inside, the traditional 8-meter Christmas tree is installed under the Wybo Dome on the 6th floor. Printemps is also bringing back its signature rooftop attraction: the New York Ice Rink by Ferrero Rocher, located on the 7th-floor rooftop, offering a magical view of Paris, Rockefeller Center style.

 

La Samaritaine: Paris Enchants Me, Ribbon at the Heart of the Art of Gift-Giving

For the 2025 holiday season, La Samaritaine celebrates the art of gift-giving with the theme "Paris Enchants Me," placing ribbon at the heart of the wonder. Unpredictable, flowing, and luminous, ribbon becomes the central element of the décor: it wraps the façade, slips from the windows to the grand staircase, and winds around every corner of the store, transforming it into a dazzling gift-wrapped haven. La Samaritaine's iconic peacock dons its finest plumage and leaves its legendary 5th-floor mural to follow the ribbon's movement and watch over the wrapping of Christmas gifts. Visual artist Elsa Tomkowiak is the guest of honor and transforms key spaces in the store with immersive and joyful installations. She reinterprets ribbon through works in saturated colors, notably using flexible PVC ribbons painted on the Baillet footbridge and a large XXL weaving of plastic ribbons on the wall facing the New Building. To perfect the art of gift-giving, La Samaritaine is opening a Wrapping Studio on the ground floor, in collaboration with Impression Originale. The service offers exquisite papers and bespoke ribbons, and organizes workshops to introduce visitors to the art of wrapping and calligraphy. The Giant Advent Calendar also returns to help visitors count down to Christmas.

 

Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche: An Enchanting Christmas

Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche launches its end-of-year festivities on November 7, 2025, at 5 p.m. For this season, the store presents a Christmas with the theme: A Tenderly Enchanting Christmas. The animated window displays feature plush rabbits experiencing various adventures. The decorations have been redesigned, including a newspaper-style pattern for gift wrapping. Inside the store, the display includes: a Christmas market at 24 rue de Sèvres, four themed Christmas trees on the second floor—each exploring a different theme (mountain, supermarket, Santa's workshop, Christmas Eve)—and a collection of glass ornaments in the colors of Le Bon Marché and La Grande Épicerie. A ground-floor area is dedicated to a hardware store offering a selection of souvenirs and vintage crafts. La Grande Épicerie de Paris (38 rue de Sèvres) is also decorated in the style of a Christmas market.