Around Halloween, we can pretty much expect to be spooked at any given time and in any given place. But, when we're shopping? That's usually our safe zone! Not since Alexis Bittar debuted new window displays featuring papier mâché heads fashioned to look just like Donald Trump.
Since last week, the crafty, wispy-haired noggin has sat atop a mannequin wearing a suit made of Franklins and draped with Alexis Bittar jewels — and the faux blinged-out Trump is staring at himself in a full-length mirror. A speech bubble above the figure reads, "I mean, part of the beauty of me is that I'm very rich," an actual Trump quote from a 2011 interview with Good Morning America (no, not some unaired clip from the Late Show segment "Trump or Colbert").
"Like most things I do, I try to have an irreverent tone. I'm sometimes interested in melding a political message with the mission of the business, like the transgender movement or ageism," Bittar told Refinery29. "I was continually disturbed by Trump’s ascent...and figured I would use our display windows as a satire for Halloween, depicting Trump dressing up with jewelry, wearing a money suit, and admiring his beauty."
Bittar also shared his inspiration for the absurdist Halloween windows on Instagram. He worked with his director of global visual merchandising, Pete Trentacoste, to whip up the window design, and artist Launa Eddy is responsible for those papier mâché heads.
The windows are currently up (and scaring passersby) at six Alexis Bittar locations in New York, Boston, D.C., and California. You can check out a faux Trump basking in his decked-out reflection until November 16. "I’m looking forward to seeing how people react to this," Bittar told Refinery29. "My hope is that in a small way, this creates a more open dialogue about where we are in politics."