It’s the middle of December, and although many are already setting their vacation auto-responses, fashion designers are getting into the holiday spirit in the brief downtime between pre-fall collections, and the beginning of fall 2026 show preparations. A Christmas tree is a must whether it’s kept in their home or their studio (their second home).
If you’ve always wanted to take a look at how fashion’s chicest designers decorate their trees, you’re in for a treat. For some, their approach to holiday decorations is the same as their creative approach in the studio: Kate Barton’s faux snow-covered tree is decorated with the same chrome gear as her ready-to-wear; while designers Tanner Richie and Fletcher Kassel, who put together a holiday market with vintage holiday goods every season, have a tree full of antiques. Other designers, like Anna Sui and Brandon Maxwell go for traditional—see Maxwell’s red tartan theme, and Sui’s retro glass ornaments.
See more of how the fashion elite decorates their Christmas trees below.
Fausto Puglisi
“This year I’m going to spend my Christmas holidays in Sicily, so I will wait to be there with my little nephews to create my magic tree. At my nana’s home in Milan, we have just started to create our ideal Christmas in a room where we spend the most beautiful evenings, talking about our projects and dreams and watching our favorite movies. I just returned from Hong Kong where I bought beautiful good luck charms at the temples to mix with the traditional ornaments. I believe in Christmas as a message of hope and dialogue between cultures, and I like to see these beautiful Chinese icons in dialogue with my favorite decorations we have bought in Murano and New York. Happy Christmas everyone!”
Brandon Maxwell
“This year has been so busy, and for me the ritual of decorating is a moment to ground myself and create something joyful. It’s my way of welcoming the season with gratitude. I wanted the tree to feel like the holidays I grew up with, full of texture and a little bit of theater. The tartan ribbons, the red ornaments, and the glow of the lights all remind me of the comfort of family gatherings and the magic that comes from slowing down.”
Stella Ishii, 6397
“I saw it—it was funny. Reusable and no clean up. And everybody smiles and laughs, especially kids!”
Tanner Fletcher
“When decorating the tree we always reach for things around the house like silver trays and candlesticks, vintage and antique ornaments that we have collected, and of course a little lace to finish it off!”
Kate Barton
“I wanted the Kate Barton Christmas tree to be filled with powdery snow and a clean, crisp aesthetic to really align with our chrome leather hand-sculpted ornaments, almost frozen in shape. And of course, we had to include our Goldfish giggles under the tree!”
Ulla Johnson
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“My family and I drive upstate each year in search of the perfect tree. We like her to be spindly and a bit wild and at least 12 ft. tall. Once home, we bedeck her in sparkling lights, swags of antique glass and straw garland, and all manner of magical ornaments and baubles that I’ve collected along the years the world over and that were passed down to me by my mother who was also an avid collector. A symbol of life and light for brighter days to come. I live for Christmas.”
Tanya Taylor
“Every year we get our tree from the same Vermont family at the corner of Hudson and West 12th St in the West Village. As a tradition, my mom buys us a new ornament from Bergdorfs and we decorate with crystal donuts, hotdogs, fluffy ice skates and NYC yellow cabs. I believe a tree should be built over time and I love the mishmash of ornaments that tell our family story.”
Rebecca Hessel Cohen, LoveShackFancy
“Anyone who knows me knows that celebration is truly my love language, and for me, the holidays aren’t just about decor; they’re about a feeling of togetherness. This year, I wanted everything to feel like a vintage pink Parisian jewel box, a romantic winter dreamscape that’s warm, nostalgic, a little decadent, and full of sparkle. Everywhere you look, there are tiny treasures we’ve collected over time: bows and ornaments mixed with garden roses, blush peonies, and pepper berries. It all feels intimate and magical.
Our twinkling tree might be my favorite moment of all. It’s completely covered in vintage bows made from antique 1940s French silks, satins, and taffetas in soft pinks, layered with pearl garlands and hand-beaded gold ribbons. Even the gifts underneath are wrapped in pink and gold. The banister is draped in garlands of spruce, cedar, pine, and eucalyptus, as are the mantels which hold a crystal-and-gold menorah and our LoveShackFancy stockings beneath.”
Anna Sui
“All of my ornaments have been collected through the years. Most of them are handcrafted from the 60s.”
Duckie Brown
“Our hunky handsome Irish lumberjack friend Paul helped cut down our tree up in Rhinebeck, New York. We love to start with big oval lights. Some years its color and some years its white. Then we get all our old decorations from my grandmother and mother. And we always add a new one each. Here is our tree dressed and ready for Christmas.”
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