Bloomingdale’s Fall Campaign Is Wacky, Colorful & So New York

Fashion loves to talk about wanderlust, employing tales spun from nothing to get customers dreaming about far-flung destinations (not to mention their penchant for flying glitterati around the globe and back a few times for Cruise collections). But what if you didn’t have to travel far to continue to dream? Well, the Bloomingdale’s 59th Street flagship might not be easily accessible to everyone, but it’s definitely cheaper to get on the subway than to book a first-class trip. Their Fall campaign aims to make them not just a place to stock up on fresh tights and new perfumes — although they’re the best in both categories — but a global destination for dreaming and realizing said dreams.

They kicked off a whirlwind fall with the campaign “Just Imagine,” and the main event was designed with British multimedia artist Yinka Ilori, with “Cherish Your Magic.” Ilori’s penchant for ultrasaturated colors and whimsical designs is right at home across the signature 59th Street flagship façade, which got a blue-and-green update, along with the windows showing off the season’s hottest collections on playground-meets-dreamland backdrops.

If the florals and shocking colors set against the Art Deco building don’t draw you in, perhaps the bespoke line of products Ilori brought his wildflowers and quirky shapes to will? (I certainly don’t need more convincing.) His eye for the kinetic, frenetic New York lifestyle splashes across Byredo fragrance sets, Augustinus Bader face creams, custom Joya Studio candles, and yes, a sickening Baccarat vase, allowing the work-from-home and 60-hour-workweek folks to dream, even when we’re trudging through our inboxes. Finding time to express such joy, even in the smallest and forgotten-about moments, is the name of the game here.

And just to be sure all the bases of whimsy and wonder are covered, Bloomingdale’s didn’t stop there. They also extended carte blanche to Angelica Hicks, Instagram’s favorite fashion satirist, to create a collection of cozy pajamas and wondrously loud ready-to-wear inspired by her home-cooked couture. If the laugh-out-loud faux-spaghetti-strap dress doesn’t do the trick for you, the pattern-clashing skirts certainly will.

It’s great to look at all this goodness from your preferred scrolling screen, but Bloomingdale’s is doing more than enough to get us off our couches and find a new excuse to go uptown. The flagship store is playing host to a smattering of IRL activations to further allow your inner spark to shine, including (but most certainly not limited to) weekly Miu Miu fragrance activations (Miutine, anyone?), custom denim at the Rag & Bone Design Studio, an Augustinus Bader-themed takeover at froyo mainstay Forty Carrots, and sneaker customization at Veja’s Studio 59 lounge outpost. Playing dress-up and activating joy doesn’t mean you need to wear a rainbow on your back: It can be as simple as enjoying a froyo swirl in a custom cup. It also doesn’t require much thought when Bloomingdale’s has done all the work (and then some) to tap into reserves of happiness you didn’t know you had in you.

Bloomingdale’s “Just Imagine” campaign will run through Oct. 2025, with Ilori’s “Cherish Your Magic” collection sold at various Bloomingdale’s locations. Select pieces are available on bloomingdales.com.