I'm Bergdorf's Fashion Director—These Are the Only Holiday Trends That Matter
When it comes to the holidays, there's no one I trust more than Linda Fargo, Bergdorf Goodman's SVP and fashion director, not to mention the master of all things festive. Simply put, everything that goes in and out of the iconic New York City mainstay goes through her, especially during the holidays, when the 200,000+ square-foot building transforms into a winter wonderland of luxury, excess, and glamour. Because of that, you can safely bet that she's well-versed in the year's most-wanted items and trends for the season of presents and parties, from dresses and jewelry to shoes and handbags.
With December fully underway, I called on Fargo following the store's 2023 holiday-window unveiling (which she fabulously hosted alongside Martha Stewart wearing the sparkliest gown I've ever seen and a matching silver Moncler puffer) to find out which holiday-dressing trends she's backing for the joyous time ahead. As always, she didn't disappoint. Scroll down to get the inside scoop from the "eyes of Bergdorf Goodman" herself.
Chrome
Given Bergdorf Goodman's holiday-window theme this year, "Isn't It Brilliant?", it should come as no huge surprise that Fargo is backing the growing chrome trend this season. "[The theme] reflects our belief that the joy of one little reflective gem or the light off burnished metal can set things aglow," she says.
Shop Linda's pick:
"I'm already wearing my new Moncler silver metallic puffer! I wore it over a full-length diamanté net evening gown to the festive opening of our holiday windows," Fargo says. "The sport/glam mix is what made it playful and fun—two qualities that are important to me when I want to feel gleeful and fashionable."
Shop more chrome pieces:
Opulent LBDs
According to Fargo, you can't beat a touch of opulence in the dressing department during the holidays, but at the same time, it is possible to go too far in that direction. That's where this "opulent LBD" trend comes in. Given that black dresses are inherently pared back and timeless, they are a perfect blank slate for some added touches of grandeur, like, perhaps, a feather or two.
Shop Linda's pick:
"There's nothing like a [few] feathers and gems to dress up the little black dress," she says.
Shop more opulent LBDs:
Sparkle
"Don't underestimate how much you can light up a room and lift your own spirits by embracing sparkle and shine," Fargo says as a way of explaining one of her favorite holiday dressing trends of 2023: sparkles. "Don't be afraid of glitterati. Enjoy it and spread the love!"
Shop Linda's pick:
"Clicking your glittering kitten heels is as close as you'll get to feeling like Dorothy in an Oz of your own making."
Shop more sparkly pieces:
Crimson
Everyone who's anyone in fashion is talking about the color red right now, mostly because of its prevalence on the F/W 23 and S/S 24 runways, but also because of the holidays, a time when shades of it reign supreme over all other hues. And Fargo is hardly an exception.
Shop Linda's pick:
"Here to the holiday rescue," says Fargo of this red, belted jumpsuit.
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Exquisite Craft
This one's not so much a trend as it is a mindset that Fargo shops with during the holiday season. "I consider many of the things I've bought over the years for the holiday months investment pieces," she says. During this time, she'll splurge on something a bit more special, but only pieces that are long-lasting and exquisitely made so that she can bring them back year after year. "They help to build up your arsenal of special-moment fashion solutions."
Shop Linda's picks:
According to Fargo, these will be just as precious to her as her "other stored seasonal keepsakes."
Shop more exquisitely crafted items:
Gold
Per Fargo, gold is one of those holiday trends that don't have to be packed away on January 1 for the rest of the year. "It's forever," she says. "This [color] outlasts and outshines the holidays.”
Shop Linda's pick:
It really would be sinful to store these in a box somewhere from January until December.
Shop more gold items:
Eliza Huber is a New York City–based fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and celebrity style. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 after almost four years on the fashion editorial team at Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a marketing degree from the University of Iowa. She has since launched two monthly columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled the likes of Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, and Sabrina Carpenter for WWW's monthly cover features; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top trends from fashion month, season after season. Eliza now lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, running in Central Park, and scouring eBay for '90s Prada and '80s Yves Saint Laurent.
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