Though his artistic efforts sometimes go unappreciated, Benskin still says he sees the window as an outlet for his creativity.
"I'm a freelance photographer, so there's this creative side," he says. "It's a good way to satisfy that need at my day job."
"When I've got a window to do, I come in early. I'm out here in the alley spray-painting, and I'll run back in to help a customer," he says.
His theory of window decoration?
"It's an odd way of showing what we carry," he explains. One idea he had was to paint three pillars-"what a nice boutique would have"-but instead of topping them with chunk-heeled shoes, topping them with a hammer and nails.
Theories of design-if they exist at all-vary from store to store.
At Cardullo's, the window display is an informal collaboration of employees'