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Wednesday, 13 August 2008 | Levent OZLER
Sears to Bring a Taste of Fashion Week to the Masses
Sears announced it will unveil a lifestyle exhibit in the heart of Bryant Park on September 10, designed to showcase a new portfolio of brands and bring a taste of Fashion Week to the masses. In recent seasons, Sears Holdings had held private appointments for the nation's top editors in nearby style suites, creating a bridge between runway couture and affordable, on-trend fashions for a mainstream audience. The fall installation takes Sears' philosophy of approachable design one step further - introducing what executives call the attainable good life.
"Style and forward thinking design should be accessible," said Richard Gerstein, Chief Marketing Officer at Sears. "By showcasing our extensive range of whole house brands in a disruptive setting, we believe we can pay a respectful tribute to fashion where it comes to life each season, and still offer an aspirational lifestyle that is inclusive. The installation will play off our autumn campaign, FallForward, providing context for the ideal of designing for the future but living in the moment."
Focusing on eight distinctive lifestyle spaces, Sears will combine both hardline and softline categories in a launch platform that features notable personalities and their trademarks. One of the newest collections to make its debut at Sears is the LL Cool J line, rolling into stores the same week as runway shows at the Spring 2009 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
"I entrusted Sears with my name and my clothing line because I wanted to keep it real," said LL Cool J. "The world didn't need another $5,000 pair of jeans. I wanted to create an inspirational, authentic line that was also affordable."
LL Cool J's RockForward space will reflect that desire and another pillar of his design philosophy: "Fashion is for the whole family," he said, noting that his wife and children will play a key role in the installation.
A second exhibit space, LoveForward, will feature Dr. Robert Rey, the renowned 90210 plastic surgeon who offered Sears exclusive brick-and-mortar rights to the Dr. Rey Shapewear line in 2007. Designed in conjunction with notable Italian designer Bruno Schiavi, the shapewear offers nip, tuck, and lift benefits without the cost or pain of cosmetic surgery, also adhering to the notion that fashion and beauty should be accessible.
Tributes to Ty Pennington, star of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," and Vanessa Hudgens will round out the progressive installation, speaking to both Ty's contributions to improving lives and homes in BuildForward, while giving a nod to Sears' recent back-to-school campaign featuring Vanessa. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" has been considered one of the most successful brand integration programs in television history, sponsored in large part by Sears. The back-to-school campaign was also a departure for the nationwide retailer in bringing several viral initiatives - and even a music video - to a younger target audience, deemed FastForward in the exhibit.
Sears executives will keep at least one lifestyle vignette under wraps, pending the announcement of a new apparel line with what they termed "unparalleled authenticity."
The exhibit will be open to the public for one day: September 10, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Bryant Park Grill and Cafe's outdoor garden (entrance at 40th Street). Dr. Robert Rey and Bruno Schiavi will be available at the space to sign autographs from 12 noon to 1 p.m. LL Cool J will make his public appearance between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
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