The window displays at Coach featured wrapped gifts and red flooring around the mannequins. While it was certainly festive, it lacked creativity — as if the merchandising crew added holiday lights, pine garlands, and wrapping paper as an afterthought rather than developing an original concept for the visuals. Rotating purses that hang from pulleys added some dimension to the otherwise generic decor, though they are permanent fixtures of the store’s windows.

While Dolce and Gabbana’s windows were quite bedazzled, they lacked vision and originality. The displays featured geometric silver panels behind blindingly shiny clothing. In fact, everything was so shiny that I wasn’t quite sure where to look, and the sparkly fashions — which would normally stand out — faded together with the panels.

If Dolce & Gabbana showed us how not to do all-over silver, Gucci showed us how it’s done better. The store’s windows displayed giant packages in a variety of sizes, adorned in shiny silver, matte silver, and white. Each package featured the signature Gucci horsebit, while clothing and accessories were sprinkled in pockets between them.

It’s difficult to make an extravagant window display that won’t outshine delicate jewelry. These displays oriented the pieces in delightful miniature winter wonderlands, yet the scenery was minimal enough to keep the jewels the focus. Tiny balls seemed to represent people skiing down ridges and playing in the snow.

Mango’s windows looked a bit like a modern art gallery exhibit, with red chrome sculptures in the shape of trees and ribbons. This unexpected approach was an exciting departure from more traditional windows. Yet, the simple black fashions chosen for the mannequins were lackluster in comparison.

Window displays at Cartier featured its famous red airship, along with paper-thin gold sculptures of the architectural features of its store, like windows and a staircase. But the most dazzling parts of its decor were the lit-up clouds along the building and a giant red Cartier airship hovering among them.

At Louis Vuitton, windows were kept simple but still had elements that were playful and festive. Lights meant to represent stars twinkled through deep blue, snowy backdrops and peculiar characters with flower faces carried towers of asymmetrically stacked gifts that doubled as shelves for handbags. Bonus points for a giant, branded holiday decal that stretched across one side of the building.

To coincide with its Butterfly Around The World motif by Pietro Ruffo, Dior chose the butterfly as the centerpiece for its windows, which was pleasantly unexpected among the trees, presents, and ribbons that punctuated Fifth Avenue. A giant butterfly hung above the entrance, surrounded by many smaller butterflies, and beneath in French read “the flight of butterflies reveals our desires to the stars.”

While a minimal approach to holiday windows wouldn’t normally be captivating, Tiffany blue is perhaps the only color as festive as a holiday red. The company seemed to acknowledge this when it chose the turquoise shade as the backdrop for all of its windows. One to three pieces of jewelry are the focal points, encapsulated by snowflake designs that seem to vibrate in an optical illusion as viewers shift positions.

Burberry constructed a striking model of an apartment that reached several feet tall. Instead of brick, the entire structure was covered in red plaid. Boots stood on the doorstep while handbags, scarves, and matching stockings hung from the edge of the gate.

Bergdorf’s intricate windows never disappoint. This year’s theme was “Isn’t It Brilliant” and featured shiny animals, objects, and fashion collaged together. It reminded me of the wonder of staring at an “I Spy” book and noticing a new object with every gaze.

It’s hard to beat Saks Fifth Avenue’s holiday displays, as they can be among the most extravagant of them all. A giant installation bedazzles the front of the 10-story building, which turns into a 300,000 LED light show at night accompanied by music. But light show aside, the most impressive elements this year were the intricate sets behind the windows telling the story of designer Christian Dior as he journeys from Paris to New York City. Saks partnered with the fashion house to create the installations.