This project for Macy’s Chicago is especially close to our hearts. Designed and built entirely from paper, the installation celebrates the city’s rich holiday heritage and the timeless beauty of the historic Marshall Field’s building — a place where generations have gathered beneath the Great Tree and the grand State Street clock. Our creative scope spanned concept to completion, with 2224 hours of production, 925 hours of graphic design, and 275 hours of packaging, shaping a world where handcrafted layers tell the story of Chicago’s most iconic holiday traditions.
The narrative begins with a nostalgic homage to the early days of Marshall Field’s, unfolding like an illuminated pop-up book. Within it, the Tiffany dome, golden trumpets, and graceful reindeer evoke the grandeur of the turn-of-the-century store. From here, the story gently transitions into the warm glow of The Walnut Room, where the legendary Great Tree rises through multiple levels, its branches alive with elves — and the familiar silhouette of Uncle Mistletoe playfully hidden among ornaments inspired by Macy’s own heritage.
A shift in atmosphere leads us into the whimsical world of the Frango chocolate factory, where tiny conveyor belts and miniature delivery cars transform the making of Frango chocolates into a joyful dance of motion and mischief. This energy carries into a celebration of the golden age of holiday windows of the 1940s and ’50s: a stylized State Street façade where miniature showcases recall beloved classics such as The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol, honoring the era when festive windows became a cultural ritual.
From this exterior view, the story moves inward — into the heart of the great clock itself. Here, within a world of gears and hidden mechanisms, Uncle Mistletoe and Aunt Holly preside over playful elves sorting letters, lists, and gifts, revealing a secret universe behind the beloved landmark.
The journey concludes with a festive composition that bridges past and present. Iconic Marshall Field’s reindeer leap across a landscape where the historic emblem stands proudly above, while below, the Macy’s star is carried forward by cheerful elves — a symbolic passing of the torch, affirming that Macy’s continues the legacy with care and reverence.
Every window, every detail, and every sheet of paper contributes to a single shared message: the heritage of Marshall Field’s lives on, lovingly reimagined through craftsmanship, storytelling, and holiday magic.
