Join Team USA with Ralph Lauren at the Olympic Games in Paris? Embark on a yacht for a high-end jewelry treasure hunt through Indonesia? Be transformed into an animated character by Walt Disney?
They’re among Neiman Marcus’ lineup of fantasy gifts this holiday season, unveiled at a cocktail party on Tuesday night in Los Angeles. The retailer aims to make wondrous dreams a reality with extraordinary experiences, a tradition that began in 1959.
“It started with Stanley and his brother Edward,” Nabil Aliffi, chief brand officer at Neiman Marcus Group, said of Stanley Marcus — the former president and chairman. “There has always been a history at Neiman’s of surprising and delighting the customer. And the fantasy gift is the pinnacle of what we do, making people dream.”
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“He was so passionate about the customers,” added Ryan Ross, president of Neiman Marcus and head of Neiman Marcus Group customer insights. “We’re so relationship-based. It’s all about the customer. And he wanted to deliver something extraordinary.”
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Neiman Marcus’ annual event has been the unofficial kickoff of the holiday season in L.A., where it’s been held in recent years. The gifts have come to life in displays with props and models in the past. Things were more intimate this year, with the gifts showcased in illustrations. The location, at the Sunset Tower, offered a cozier atmosphere than the two-story Hollywood Athletic Club, last year’s venue, and sprawling Paramount Pictures lot, where it was hosted in 2021. It was homey and warm, and Neiman Marcus brought a holiday spirit through and through. Santa was the man of the hour, greeting guests — the likes of Quinta Brunson, Zooey Deschanel, Simu Liu, and Rainey Qualley — amid Christmas trees, sparkling lights and a performance by Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Leon Bridges, much to everyone’s delight.
“How y’all doin tonight,” he purred before playing his familiar hits.
The 2023 holiday campaign, called Neiman’s Express, was inspired by an archival find, explained Aliffi: “We found that in 1994 Stanley Marcus had a concept called the Neiman’s Holiday Express, and he had an actual train travel from coast to coast with the finest fashions, finest jewels, and we wanted to pay homage to that.”
Moving forward, “it’s carrying that torch and making sure that whatever we do is respectful of our history, but also modernizing it and keeping it culturally relevant,” he added.
There’s also a charitable component, with a portion of the sales of fantasy gifts benefiting select charities around the country.
“That’s really important to us, and it’s important to the brand partners,” said Ross.
The executives revealed Neiman Marcus will be hosting more events in L.A. next year, with the Beverly Hills flagship getting a remodel.
“You can expect us to show up a lot more in Los Angeles,” said Aliffi. “We’ve got a very loyal customer base here.”