2 Cities. 4 Dimensions. 1 Global Style Event.

Last night the eyes, ears and noses of a few lucky guests were treated to a truly revolutionary and amazing concept! The Ralph Lauren 4D light installation, which was projected on the same day in New York, at the brand’s flagship store at 888 Madison Avenue and the revered 1 New Bond Street store. Following a private cocktail reception, guests were told to brace their senses for an open-to-the-public, outdoor "collision of fashion, art, and technology" on the corner of East 72nd Street and Madison Avenue. The ten-minute presentation also incorporated Smell-o-Vision-style scent misting of their Big Pony Collection.

"Through the magic of cutting-edge, architectural light-mapping technology, Ralph Lauren has created a virtual feast for the five senses. Watch as our iconic flagships at No. 1 New Bond Street in London and 888 Madison Avenue in New York City are rendered in full-scale, three-dimensional space that can be experienced without the aid of 3D glasses. Watch as the buildings disappear, transform and animate before your eyes into light-filled visual spectacles that leave the live audience in awe and celebrate ten years of barrier-breaking digital innovation at RalphLauren.com"

Viewers were invited to experience a montage of flashing scenes of larger-than-life sized images including models and Polo players four stories tall and iconic Ralph Lauren fashion accessories such as the Ricky Bag, ties and belts that wrap the length of the building. The projection gave the illusion that images were extending beyond the building and floating out into space toward the audience. The façade became a mosaic of realistic illustrations complemented with transient sounds of music, illusions of blowing breezes, and even light mists of the new Big Pony Collection Fragrances were infused into the night’s air – creating a natural moment of excitement and intrigue.

Watch the video below!!

What do you think? Innovative or over the top? You decide!

Let Your Feet Guide Your Tweet

If you have not heard of Twitter, you must have been hiding under a rock for the past few years. With the boom of Twitter, social media marketing has changed drastically. So much so that Twitter fanatics are turning to their footwear to show off their micro-blogging pride.

British designer Daniel Reese, has created the Nike vs Twitter dunk by customizing a pair of classic Nike Dunk Highs, using the twitter design as his inspiration. Twitter seems to be taking over, and so it is no surprise that we finally see him use it as inspiration for a shoe on his website, brass monki. The bird and tree branches are easily recognizable, and the shoe design by itself would have been great to wear. They are available now for $240 via dunk-shop.com. 


But the craze doesn't end there. Sites like zazzle.com are selling their own Tweeting Shoes using Keds and Converse All-Stars. One things for sure, these twitter inspired kicks aren't going anywhere!

What do you think? Geek factor too high or fashionably forward? Would you wear a pair of tweets on your feet? 

Think Before You Pink

Every October, as the leaves begin to change, everything from our drug stores to our football teams go pink. Of course, this is an astounding effort by the community—local and national—to end breast cancer.

Unfortunately, there are organizations’ that claim to care about breast cancer by promoting a pink product, but continues to manufacture products that are linked to the disease. This is known as Pinkwashing. Breast Cancer Action (BCA) encourages consumers to ask questions before purchasing pink products that allegedly donate money to breast cancer research or prevention.

BCA suggests some questions to think about before purchasing a pink product:

1. How much money from your purchase actually goes toward breast cancer? Is the amount clearly stated on the package?

            If you can’t tell how much money is being donated, or if you don’t think it’s enough, give directly to the organization instead.

2. What is the maximum amount that will be donated?

            Many companies place a cap on the amount of money that will be donated. In some cases, that cap is a generous amount. In some cases it’s not. But you should know that, whenever there is a cap, your individual purchase may not contribute anything to the cause, depending on when you shop and whether the cap has already been met.

3. How are the funds being raised?

            Does making the purchase ensure a contribution to the cause? Or do you, the shopper, have to jump through hoops to make sure the money gets where it’s supposed to go?

4. To what breast cancer organization does the money go, and what types of programs does it support?

            Does the product’s package tell you where the money goes and what will be done with it? Will the money go to fund the same studies that have been ongoing for decades (which already get enormous financial support)? Or will it go to under-funded, innovative research into the causes of breast cancer?

5. What is the company doing to assure that its products are not actually contributing to the breast cancer epidemic?

           

            Many companies that raise funds for breast cancer also make products that are linked to the disease. Many cosmetics companies whose products contain chemicals linked to breast cancer also sell their items for the cause.

Next time you see a pink ribbon on a product, make sure you ask yourself the 5 BCA questions before purchasing. Otherwise, your efforts could be disregarded. For more information on Pinkwashing and Breast Cancer Action click here.. 

Bing and Jay-Z Launch Multifaceted International Interactive Campaign

It appears that Bing hopes to benefit significantly in the interactive campaign area with the launch of a multifaceted international, interactive marketing campaign for Jay-Z’s new book, Decoded.

Jay-Z is hiding 300 pages of his new book around the world, and fans get to find them. Jay-Z fans will be able to access pages from his upcoming book — Decoded, an exploration of his life and lyrics — until November 16th, 2010.

How to play: Pages from the book will be physically positioned around the world with the most pages in the New York area, in locations related to specific content featured on Bing — specifically Bing Maps and Bing Entertainment. Five to 10 new pages from the book will be revealed each day; fans can find them in person or online.

Once players find a page, they will receive credit for it online. If they find it in a physical location, they can text a unique game code from the page. Players will be entered into drawings to win a signed copy of the page they’ve located, and each person who locates a page will be entered into a contest for the grand prize — two tickets to see Jay-Z and Coldplay in concert at Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve.

“Pages will be placed in locations related to the content, so that’s everything from high profile advertising like billboards to very very unique placements such as swimming pools and pool tables, and even high-fashion designer clothing racks,” says Lisa Gurry, a Bing spokeswoman and communications director.

The campaign, created by creative agency Droga5, is the first of its kind for Bing. Gurry says it was developed as a way to raise awareness about Jay-Z’s book, while also introducing Bing to a new audience. Gurry says Bing has previously worked with various artists in many aspects of the entertainment industry, and that it will probably continue focusing on that area in the future. For more information about the campaign, go to Mashable. 

We Are Living In A Digital World, But I'm Still A Material Girl

We can no longer deny that technology rules the world we live in. From twitter, to apps, to the blogosphere, our daily lives are full of this new "digital style". Tammy Trujillo summarizes the latest technological innovations and their affect and place in the fashion industry.

The 6 New Rules of Fashion PR:

1) Whether you are a brand or a blogger, provide tips on your site and actionable recommendations to engage with users and generate buzz.

2) Bloggers are an essential piece to fashion PR these days, but don’t treat them like they are old school with boring pitches and uneventful press releases. Bloggers need to be given a unique experience that can help them create unique and valuable content about your brand. Don’t just ask them to do a review or write up. Give them something to write about that is worthy and interesting, different and unique and fits that blogger’s network of readers and fans.

3) Retailers are becoming publishers and publishers are becoming retailers.

The relationship with your retailer and publications will become more valuable to nurture as both are integrating blogger spotlights and offering ecommerce directly through their own channels. Both H&M and Forever 21 are good examples of how retailers have branched out into publishing and feature bloggers to sell products.  Publications have incorporated popular bloggers in its magazine pages, and Nylon Magazine is working on enhancing its iPad app to include ecommerce purchasing options for items in the magazine.

To view the other three top tips from Tammy Trujillo click here.

Have Your Clothes Been Tested?

When you buy a new top, do you ever wonder if its going to shrink as soon as you wash it? Well, many apparel companies are teaming up with ContractLaboratory.com to find out that answer and many more! ContractLaboratory.com assists  companies, manufacturers, retailers, designers, and distributors in finding textiles, footwear garment and apparel contract laboratories and contract research organizations to perform experimentation, analysis, testing, and research on all products. 

Some of the experiments include: 

• Flammability Testing and R&D
• Wearability Testing and R&D
• Allergenous Substances and Allergans Testing
• Shrinkage Testing
• Formaldehyde Determination Testing
• Heavy Metals Content Testing
• Heel Attachment Testing
• Zipper Strength Testing
• Burst Strength Testing
• Tear Strength Testing
• Seam Strength Testing
• Fabric Performance Testing
• Stain Resistance Testing
• Weathering Testing
• Care Label Determination and Verification Testing

What does this mean for you as a consumer? For one thing, clothes that have been tested are known to keep their shape longer. And have you ever bought a shirt and as soon as you got home you realized their is a small holes or snag? Those shirts will not make it to store shelves any longer! 

If The Shoe Fits...

When it comes to wearing fashionable, chic shoes, many women are hesitant to strap on a pair of three-inch heels because of the POTENTIAL foot pain and discomfort stylish shoes can produce. A new survey released by KIWI® Shoe Care, part of Sara Lee Food & Beverage, has found that almost half of American women (48%) would categorize themselves as "prudent chic" – trying hard to find a balance between style and comfort.

But it’s not as easy as it sounds. There are time when you find a pair of comfortable shoes that also look great, but the fit is't quite right. Most of us usually purchase the pair of shoes, and figure that the size doesn't really matter. Buying any shoes, no matter how comfortable and fashionable they are, that don't fit properly is a big mistake!

KIWI gives some great tips for women who can't help but buy that super trendy shoe that's just a little too tight:

Break 'em in. Women should wear their heels around the house for an afternoon - especially if they are brand new. This allows women to notice problems, like blister areas, before they become painful – and helps women take the necessary steps to correct any issues before wearing the shoes in public.

Don't feel the burn. Women don't have to experience that horrible burning sensation in the balls of their feet and heels. KIWI recommends women pick up some insoles for their shoes to provide extra cushioning and enhanced comfort to those sensitive pain points in the feet.

For more of KIWI’s tips on pain-free feet, click here.

PR's Secret Weapon: Celebrity Gifting Suites?

PR professionals know that introducing celebrities to client products can be a critical part of the overall strategy and, when it works, makes their job a lot easier. Backstage at the 2010 Teen Choice Awards, the MoroccanOil “Celebrity Retreat” produced by Backstage Creations, was filled with celebrities grabbing up free products left and right and brands hoping to gain coverage.

From the award show's perspective, outreach at the event is intended to maximize marketing efforts. It used to be enough to tweet about your celebrity successes, now the goal is for the celebrity to tweet about it themselves. The companies participating in these gifting suites are each integrating social media and celebrity outreach into their public relations strategy to gain coverage and hopefully increase sales.

To read more about which brands were stationed in the backstage celebrity retreat click here.. 

Fashion GPS: Changing the Future of Fashion Week

As Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2010 comes to a close, I thought it was important to address the amazing updates that developed this year. None of the changes compare, however, to Credit Fashion GPS created by IMG Fashion. Fashion GPS is a web-based (created essentially for iPad users), event-planning and inventory-tracking system that aims to eliminate the hectic list-checking and general confusion that inevitably happens each season. 

This idea generated from the need for an inventory control system that would help KCD Public Relations track designer samples sent to magazines, stylists, models and celebrities. Now 80% of the designers, including Chanel, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Dior, who showed at this years fashion week are managing their shows with a  customized version called "Fashion GPS for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week."

To read more about the GPS and its founder, Eddie Mullon's interview click here.

Fashion Defined

Hi Fashionistas ,

I am starting Fashion Relations for a Public Relations class I am taking this semester. I hope you enjoy the connections I find between Earl Babbie's The Basics of Social Research and the Fashion Public Relations world. 

After reading this weeks chapters, I thought it might be interesting to give a couple fashion operational definitions. An operational definition is the "concrete and specific definition of something in terms of the operations by which observations are to be categorized" (Earl Babbie). 

Fashion: expressing oneself by utilizing apparel, accessories, and hair to help project an image of oneself to the world. 

Fashion Publicist: One who handles all operations regarding exposure for the the brand image of the company. 

Since I'm going to be writing a research paper on something fashion related to public relations, I thought Fashion and Fashion Publicist would be good to define first. What definitions would you define?