Simon Doonan, who has twisted the Christmas concept into hilarity

Simon Doonan, who has twisted the Christmas concept into hilarity and history for the Christmas window watching scene in New York for Barney’s Madison Avenue, got a new gig this season.  The satirical creative director for Barney’s went down to the White House to put his creative touch on decorations for the Obama’s first Christmas in their D.C. digs.  The First Family’s White House Christmas decorations are elegant and conservative, which have left people wondering Doonan’s hand was in the entire process.

The White House has kept mum about Doonans specific contributions, but to see the true hue of his man’s mind just take a stroll over to Barney’s New York on Madison Avenue and look in the windows. Known for taking chances, Doonan delivers with this year’s Barney’s Christmas window display celebrating the 35th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, complete with the Coneheads, immortalized by Dan Akroyd and Jane Curtin.  And a big, wonderful black and yellow bumblebee pays tribute to the beloved Jim Belushi.

In Christmas’ past Doonan has donned the windows with unlikely Christmas themes. One year  "Hippie Holidays" commemorated the 50th anniversary of the peace sign. Another year, the Christmas theme celebrated the 20th anniversary of the death of Artist Andy Warhol. Rather than elves and reindeer and the like Doonan’s displays have featured pop icons like Madonna, political figures like Margaret Thatcher, and historic figures like Sigmund Freud.  

Doonan’s creative flair and humorous view of the world never allowed him to simply be a ‘window dresser’ -- he was always entertaining characters in his mind.  His eccentric family obviously played a role.  Just read his memoir Beautiful People: My Family and Other Glorious Varmints, which was released in the US as Nasty: My Family and Other Glorious Varmints. His adventures growing up proved to be so entertaining that they have been turned into the hit comedy series, Beautiful People, starting its second season on the BBC. Samuel Barnett stars as an older Simon Doonan, with Luke Ward-Wilkinson acting as the young Simon Doonan.

Doonan, who has claimed to be both a slow reader and to have failed his ‘11-plus’ years in school, writes with a sardonic eloquence that makes the reader laugh out loud. His twice-monthly column, ‘Simon Says’ runs in the New York Observer, cataloging his motor mind and many life adventures. From discussions about his dog’s dingle-berries to wearing his new Adidas to Ivanka Trump’s wedding, no topic is too uncomfortable for Doonan.

From his December 15th ‘Dawn of the Dorks’ column, closing out the decade, Simon writes:
“The signs of a similar cool-to-naff transition are currently gurgling. Marc Jacobs has already ditched his fashion-insider indie-grunge image for a more mainstream handsome Italian soccer player chic. Last week Lady Gaga, who always looks a bit like someone dressed as Lady Gaga for Halloween, did something truly unshocking: She surrendered her blood-soaked costumes and light-up butt-plugs for a conventional sit-down with Barbara Walters. But Lady Gaga, shmaga, let’s get to the question du jour: What does all this mean for you, the ordinary woman in the street? Girlfriend, it bodes well. Relax! Roll down your Alexander Wang knee-highs and prepare to welcome in the DORKY TENS.”

In addition to his column, Simon Doonan has four books to his name. Aside from the aforementioned Beautiful People, his books include Eccentric Glamour, Wacky Chicks, and Confessions of a Window Dresser. Both Eccentric Glamour and Wacky Chicks promote Doonan’s desire for women to be themselves, regardless of how far outside the norm they may fall. Meanwhile, Confessions of a Window Dresser showcases his designs complete
with his own sassy commentary.

Now that Doonan has designed for Barney’s for over 20 years, has written four books, appeared on countless television shows to critique fashion, and has a bi-monthly column, decorating the White House for Christmas is about all that this man hadn’t done. Guess he can check that one off his list too.