As part of his job as a decorator, Adam W. Rankin goes to various parts of the state to create displays in homes, offices, and windows.
His latest creative effort was dedicated to fashioning window displays in downtown Maysville.
This winter, Rankin has been busy decorating windows at Courika Solutions on the corner of Market Street and Third Street.
Here, Rankin has spent his free time making the windows look like a set of mannequins put out for viewing at Macy’s Department Store. In these displays, there are mannequins, trees, presents, and other details which have been carefully placed by Rankin throughout this holiday season.
Rankin has done many pieces before finishing this window display.
Every year, Rankin and his coworkers get together and come up with new ideas for these displays and how they are going to execute their ideas. This year, their idea was to bring Macy’s to Maysville but to feature these presentations as if it were the 1940s. In wanting to achieve this, Rankin called in a few favors to borrow decorations from different people around Maysville.
Mannequins in these windows, courtesy of Bradley’s Boutique in Maysville, were displayed with different articles of clothing from familiar people in Rankin’s life. A shawl draped around a mannequin belongs to Rankin’s grandmother and a fur coat belonging to Debbie Lewis can be seen. Apart from these items, the remainder of these displays came from Rankin’s collection. Some ornaments are from Rankin’s jewelry collection, while others were just decorations that he had on hand.
As Rankin collected these items, he prepared to make an arrangement that he hoped would be loved by everybody who saw it.
In the windows, some mannequins are dressed in clothing from the 1940s and 1950s. The female mannequin was modeled after a Barbie Doll that was sold by Macy’s during the 1950s. Both mannequins are featured in all-black clothing because of a deliberate effort to make them appear as if they were top-floor workers. In past decades, workers had a dress code consisting of all-black attire for those who worked on the top floor of Macy’s.
With some help from Christy George, Rankin was able to complete these displays in a week. Every day, after his shift with UPS, Rankin would go to Courika Solutions and work on the displays until 5 or 6 p.m.
Once these wintry windows were completed, Rankin said that he received many compliments from different people around Maysville. He has heard comments on the beauty of his displays from people who believe the windows are part of a Macy’s Department Store.
In Rankin’s words, “Everybody has seen it. There have been so many pictures taken.”
In addition to Courika Solutions, Rankin has decorated other spots in Maysville. If you find yourself in the Crowe Bar on 220 Market Street in Maysville, you will likely see more of Rankin’s work.
Not only have these arrangements been appreciated by the public, but On Dec. 3, Courika Solutions’ window display won first place in a contest that was held by Maysville Younger Woman’s Club.
The Macy’s window displays are featured at Courika Solutions at 235 Market St in Maysville. These displays will be up until Jan. 2, 2023.
Leave a Reply