Inside the Magic: The Wicked & Liberty Windows
Step behind the scenes of the Wicked & Liberty Christmas windows
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Inside the Magic: The Wicked & Liberty Windows
Step behind the scenes of the Wicked & Liberty Christmas windows
As our sparkling, thrillifying collaboration with this year's cinematic event Wicked makes it's debut in our London store, we're sharing an exclusive peek behind the curtain in celebration of this, most magical, partnership.
Back in early October, a month before the Wicked & Liberty Christmas installation arrived in store, a vast workshop in East London is a hive of activity.
A soon-to-be-magical assemblage of tulips, foliage, and yellow bricks are dotted around the room, placed alongside intricately detailed sets in shades of pink and green. In just days, these will have transformed into the displays that can now be seen in the Liberty windows and atrium.
The most dramatic element in the workshop is the collection of enormous white blocks, each roughly the size of a sofa, surrounded by a team of overall-clad artists, sanding and varnishing with intense focus. Once painted to imitate burl wood, these blocks will, like a giant jigsaw, become the magnificent Wizard’s face that dominates Liberty’s Atrium.
These installations were masterminded by Liberty’s in-house visual concepts team who worked alongside retail experience experts, Studio Xag, to bring the Wicked & Liberty world to life.
To find out more about how the Wicked & Liberty windows were brought to life, Liberty caught up with Lisa Clemenger, Liberty’s visual concepts manager, Danielle Wilson, Studio Xag’s associate product director and Xavier Sheriff, the studio’s co-founder.
Find our more about the entrancing collaboration: Wicked & Liberty: Find Magic Within
Talk us through the process of bringing the windows to life.
Lisa: We began by meeting to discuss the film's story and characters, especially the themes of empowerment in the lives of the two main characters. We wanted to create an immersive experience that resonates with these themes. From there, we started brainstorming ways to convey the story within the windows and throughout the store, aiming to craft a storyline that customers could understand and engage with. We shared our initial ideas, and then Danielle and Xavier helped shape them into designs.
Danielle: Exactly. We leaned on our long-term relationship with Liberty, merging the heritage of their brand with the vibrancy of Wicked. A big part of our focus was choosing the right materials, finishes, and physical builds to capture the spirit of both Wicked and Liberty, ensuring that people are truly captivated when they walk in.
Xavier: For us, it’s always about storytelling. This project was unique because it’s based on an entire world and narrative, rather than a single product. We drew from both the story and Liberty’s heritage, using materials and artistry that would feel true to both. The final goal was to make people stop in their tracks, immerse themselves in the magic, and connect with the story on a personal level.
What inspired the aesthetics of the displays? Were there particular elements from the film that you wanted to highlight?
Lisa: Definitely. The film’s Art Deco influence, especially in the Emerald City scenes, is stunning. There’s intricate tile work, large brass gateways, and iconic scenes like the Yellow Brick Road. We wanted these elements to play a central role in the displays, adding organic touches like foliage to evoke the lush, mystical forests. The film’s architecture even mirrors Liberty’s, making it an immediate and natural link.
Danielle: Yes, the Emerald City’s green and vibrant hues, especially the tulips from the train scene, inspired us. We took cues from a Vanity Fair shoot of the film to understand how to make our spaces feel as timeless as Liberty itself, as though they’ve always been there. This meant carefully selecting finishes and techniques to convey that feeling.
Xavier: Bringing the world of Wicked to life through both handcrafted and digital elements was key. Our team combined hand-finished details, like 3D-printed tiles and the Yellow Brick Road, with high-tech processes to make each piece feel authentic yet surreal, like something magical was rooted in reality.
Were there any other sources of inspiration beyond Wicked that influenced the design?
Lisa: We mainly focused on staying true to the film, but the organic textures and forests in the movie connected with my personal fascination with natural elements. We emphasised this in the store’s interior as well, using rich textures that match Liberty’s own artistry. These forest-inspired designs will also feature in the store’s internal decorations.
Could you tell us about the creative techniques used to bring these displays to life?
Danielle: We used a variety of techniques, ranging from handcrafting to 3D printing. For instance, the Yellow Brick Road was meticulously crafted by hand, with each finish treated scenically. Our team of sculptors carved pieces, like the massive Wizard’s head, from scratch. Watching them transform that from blocks into detailed sculptures was incredible.
Xavier: People often assume this can all be done digitally, but our team hand-sculpted and carved to capture a more organic, authentic feel. We wanted the displays to reflect the idea of the Wizard as a craftsman, so it felt fitting to use traditional methods. It’s a mix of old and new, combining high-tech with hand-finished elements.
Lisa: We were careful to replicate the film’s aesthetic while also aligning with Liberty’s standards. For instance, the intricate wood finishes had to capture both the artistry of the film and Liberty’s own craftsmanship.
What were the biggest challenges in creating these displays, and which parts took the longest to complete?
Lisa: The logistics of fitting and installing the Wizard’s head, for instance, were intricate. It had to be assembled in a single night, which required precision timing, and it all had to fit through the Liberty doors. We also needed artists dedicated to every aspect, ensuring quality at every step.
Danielle: The wood finishes took considerable time since we needed it to resemble aged wood while fitting Liberty’s atmosphere. It had to look like it belonged to the space yet still aligned with the film’s aesthetic. Each window went through hand-finishing stages, and we even built a replica of Liberty’s doors to ensure everything would fit perfectly through the them .
Danielle: About 10 artists were directly involved in the workshop, handling everything from carpentry to sculpting. Many on our team took on multiple roles, so one day they might be sculpting and the next they’re painting. Despite the small team, their talent made it all possible.
What are your personal favourite elements within the displays?
Lisa: The atrium is a highlight for me. The burl wood oak we used has this rare, beautiful grain that ties into the Art Deco and Arts and Crafts movements. It’s something people who love Liberty will recognize as an extra touch, showing the lengths we went to for authenticity.
Danielle: In our end window, we have an overview of Oz surrounded by a tile frame inspired by the scene with the Wizard’s head. Each tile was glazed by hand, and the effect is incredibly magical, adding a theatrical quality to the display.
Xavier: My favourite is the Yellow Brick Road window. We used scenic trickery to create a spiral effect in a small space, and the texture feels as though it’s been lived on, making it an iconic touch that captures the essence of the story.
Wicked arrives into UK cinemas on 22nd November.
Head to our London flagship to see the Wicked & Liberty windows and atrium installation in store.
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