How Designing Macy's Windows Shaped My Career in Fashion

In a newly published first-person column for Vogue, legendary window designer Linda Fargo recounts her unconventional entry into the high-fashion industry, detailing how an art school background and a missed subway connection shaped her four-decade career.

Wisconsin Roots and the Pull of New York

Growing up in Wisconsin, Fargo writes that she was an “art girl” whose primary dream was simply moving to New York City. Without formal training in fine arts, her creative outlet centered on found objects, assemblage, and repurposing materials. That early tactile instinct eventually led her to apply for a position at Macy’s display department.

The 1940s Skirt Suit and a Wrong-Way Train

Preparing for the interview required a specific aesthetic approach. Fargo purchased a vintage 1940s skirt suit from an 8th Street shop, styled her hair in a French twist, and paired the outfit with vintage heels. Carrying a massive art school portfolio, she accidentally boarded a subway train heading the wrong direction across the river into Brooklyn.

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Arriving with only twenty minutes to spare before her interview and lacking the funds for a taxi, she managed to make it to the appointment on time. The scramble paid off. She secured a role as the production manager for the window director, launching a trajectory that positioned her as Macy’s window director by 1984.

Masterclass on Broadway: The Macy’s Windows

During that era, Macy’s department store windows featured high-end designer labels, including Matsuda, Kansai Yamamoto, Claude Montana, and Armani. Fargo notes that the Broadway windows were strictly reserved for top-tier designer collections, turning her daily work into an intensive masterclass in fashion history and visual display.

Miniature Worlds and Large-Scale Commercial Displays

Translating her early art school experience—where she built miniature worlds inside boxes under glass—into large-scale commercial displays defined her creative philosophy. She reflects on the physical barrier of the glass separating the everyday sidewalk from an elaborate fantasy world, estimating she designed thousands of windows over her lifetime.

Falconers, Dusty Tutus, and Warehouse Discoveries

The essay highlights specific logistical feats behind the displays, such as a Perry Ellis window featuring mannequins styled as falconers with birds perched on their arms. Another project for the American Ballet Theater required a trip to a Brooklyn warehouse, where opening a heavy metal door revealed stacks of dusty tutus labeled for productions like The Nutcracker and La Bayadère.