Modern to contemporary "Christmas x Fashion": Luxury has created a "form of celebration"
The reason why Christmas has become so deeply linked to fashion since the modern era is that the seasonal event has expanded beyond the boundaries of a simple religious or family occasion to become an urban "gift culture" and "visual production." Luxury brands have supported this expansion not only through "products," but also through multiple media such as boxes, windows, advertisements, films, and events, establishing Christmas as a "season of dressing up and giving."
Tiffany & Co.: Blue boxes and windows turn urban Christmas into a museum
The core of Tiffany's connection to Christmas memories is that it has made the act of gift-giving itself a brand experience. The brand's official explanation goes on to say that the adoption of Tiffany Blue dates back to the 1845 catalog (Blue Book), and that in 1886, it introduced rings in the first Tiffany Blue Box (rather than the Tiffany Black Box), explaining that the box has functioned as a symbol of the "promise of love."
Another reason is that the show windows have been used as public galleries. The official Tiffany website, "Windows of Tiffany," explains that fantastical windows have been a tradition since the company's early days, and that the windows are "devices for dreaming."
Additionally, in the context of its holiday windows, the CFDA notes that Tiffany has continued the influence of window designer Gene Moore, including his iconic chrome figures from the 1960s, to update the visual culture of the holidays.
This structure remains strong even in modern times, with Tiffany & Co. announcing its 2025 holiday campaign in an official press release, clearly emphasizing that "giving is the language of love" with the message "Love Is a Gift."
The reason why Christmas has become a season that includes not only "what to give" but also "how to give" is because of the Maison's skill, like Tiffany's, in creating a unified story out of boxes, windows, and cityscapes.
Cartier: Red Box, "Jewelry with Meaning" Universalizes the Celebration
Cartier has a strong connection with Christmas because they have designed jewelry not as "expensive items" but as "symbols" that represent relationships and vows.
- Trinity (1924, three-ring by Louis Cartier)
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LOVE (officially stated to have been produced by Aldo Cipullo in New York in 1969)
It is a classic that embodies these two meanings.
On its official website, Trinity states that it was invented in 1924 and that simplicity and symbolism are at the core of its design.
It is officially stated that LOVE was produced by Cartier New York in 1969, and it can be seen that the elliptical proportions and details were fixed as a "visual language."
And for today's Christmas, Cartier is strongly moving in the direction of producing a short story every year about the end-of-year "gift season." For example, Luxury Daily reported on Cartier's holiday short campaign (2024), highlighting the cinematic presentation of the "season of giving" through the use of a film director.
Cartier's red box was not just packaging, but functioned as a frame that completed the form of gift-giving itself, modernizing Christmas into a "season of transferring meaning."
CHANEL: Dominating the Holidays with Scents and Gestures – No. 5 and Gift Presentation
Chanel's connection with Christmas lies not so much in the clothes themselves, but in the fact that its products (especially fragrances and beauty products) that symbolize the "gift of luxury" have repeatedly evoked festive memories.
In recent years, Chanel has transformed the holidays into a stage for a global view, rather than simply a promotional campaign. Vogue introduced an experiential event ("In the Snow") held in New York in conjunction with the No. 5 holiday campaign, documenting it as an example of connecting snowy scenery with urban festivals.
Vogue also explains the 2025 Holiday gift collection, including limited edition designs, set composition, and symbolic motifs, revealing Chanel's approach to "editing the holidays as a story."
What makes Chanel so strong is that it treats Christmas not as a season of "red and decorations," but as a "ritual" that brings quiet uplift. Fragrances, limited edition containers, short films, and spatial presentations. The accumulation of such repetitions has created a "solid presence" for Chanel during the holidays.
A Spoonful of MOOD
I think the reason why Christmas and luxury go well together is because the season calls for "meaningful things" rather than "new things." Tiffany has honed its "meaningful model" with boxes and cities, Cartier with jewelry as symbols, and Chanel with fragrances and presentations.
At MOOD, we believe that the more clearly defined the style, the stronger the outfit is without needing to be flashy. A quiet luxury that exists alongside festivities, rather than relying on them - that's the mood of the moment.
