| EVENT REPORT 02.23.09 2:10 PM |
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Oscar Night Parties: Mercedes-Benz Grows, A.P.L.A. Shrinks, and Leeza Gibbons Joins the Fray
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 | The Night to Make a Difference fund-raiser at Mr. Chow
Photo: Dale Wilcox for BizBash |
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On Oscar night—after the academy doled out its awards at the Kodak and many guests scattered to the Governors Ball and Vanity Fair's and Elton John's bashes—a host of other parties was taking over town. Included in that group last night was at least one substantial newcomer, one annual party that grew, and one that shrank: Leeza Gibbons’ new fund-raiser with Olivia Newton-John and David Foster, Mercedes-Benz’s bash, and AIDS Project Los Angeles’s viewing party respectively.
Leeza Gibbons
The first Night to Make a Difference benefiting the Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation and Olivia Newton-John’s Cancer and Wellness Centre took to Mr. Chow, where about 250 guests dined on a 10-course meal during the broadcast that showed on 16 plasma screens in the space. Ken Paves hosted a red carpet arrivals program, volunteer correspondents interviewed celebrities about nonprofit causes, and musical guests including R&B and pop singer Thelma Houston and DJ Steve Aoki performed at the event, which streamed live online for six hours on Sunday, beginning at 4 p.m. The new event—for which tickets sold out the week before show time—has a three-year contract with Mr. Chow for future Oscar night galas.
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RELATED TOPICS
Oscars, Award Season, Mercedes-Benz, AIDS Project Los Angeles, Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation, Olivia Newton-John’s Cancer and Wellness Centre, Metrosource |
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| NEWS 02.18.09 11:17 AM |
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Oscar Week: Vanity Fair's Back, Mercedes Moves to Montage, Governors Ball Tones Down, Suites Abound
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 | The 2008 Governors Ball
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography |
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The catastrophic state of the economy hardly bears repeating here—except to say that it hasn't done much to diminish the sheer number of Academy Awards-related event offerings on this week's calendar, even if it has affected those events' budgets. From an array of suites to Vanity Fair's apparently triumphant return, many guests' dance cards—even in this recession—are completely full.
The plethora of gift and hospitality suites around town include GBK’s “Circus of the Senses” at the SLS Hotel on Friday and Saturday. The event will give 20 percent of its proceeds to four charitable organizations. Melanie Segal’s “Be the Change” Oscar lounge, presented by Sensé Beautiful Science, will take to the Pali House on Thursday and Friday. Silver Spoon’s suite today and tomorrow benefiting the Chrysalis organization offers spa treatments, caviar tasting, and gifts. Stuart Weitzman's Oscar styling suite kicked off yesterday at the London West Hollywood hotel, and runs through Saturday with beauty treatments and a chance to peek at the shoe designer's 2009 red-carpet collection.
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RELATED TOPICS
Oscars, Award Season, Vanity Fair, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Gift Suites, Chrysalis, 95.3 the Beat, Brandaid, Sense Beautiful Science, Tag the World, Essence Magazine, Stuart Weitzman, Governors Ball, W.W.E., Global Green, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, U.S.-Ireland Alliance, Montblanc, Unicef, The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Children Uniting Nations, Dior, BMW, Chopard, VH1, AIDS Project Los Angeles |
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| NEWS 02.09.09 2:39 PM |
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McDonald's to Hit Fashion Week, National Blitz Planned for May
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On Friday, editors, retailers, and other attendees might be surprised by an unlikely sponsor inside the New York Fashion Week tents. Joining companies such as Mercedes-Benz and M.A.C. Cosmetics will be fast food chain McDonald's, which plans to preview its new selection of specialty coffees with a café-inspired lounge in the lobby of the Bryant Park structure. Moreover, McDonald's is also sponsoring the Duckie Brown show, which is scheduled for this Friday at 1 p.m.
But that's not the end for McDonald's upcoming marketing efforts. In May, the corporation will kick off a national ad campaign for McCafé, the fancy new array of coffee drinks. According to Crain's, the bold blitz represents a $1 billion investment and the chain's most significant menu expansion in 30 years. Although business analysts are apprehensive about launching pricey products in this economic climate, the promotion could lead to an additional $1 billion in sales revenue. —Jenny Berg & Anna Sekula
RELATED TOPICS
McDonald's, Fashion Week, Mercedes-Benz, Duckie Brown |
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| EVENT REPORT 10.27.08 7:08 PM |
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No Sign of Economic Woes at $4 Million Carousel Ball
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 | The ball's pink palette
Photo: Berliner Studios/BEImages |
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Arguably the most prestigious local event outside of award season, the Carousel Ball operates on a well-established principle—if it ain't broke, don't fix it. On Saturday evening, social lion Barbara Davis' biannual benefit for the Children's Diabetes Foundation welcomed the return of her longtime collaborators—music director David Foster, show producer George Schlatter, and M.C. Jay Leno—as well as an unusually diverse Hollywood guest list with stars and execs from three branches of entertainment: film, TV, and music. A sold-out crowd of 1,150 flocked to the "Mercedes-Benz 30th Anniversary Carousel of Hope Ball," as it was billed, at the Beverly Hilton, where vast auction rooms and the International Ballroom were outfitted in Davis' signature candy pink.
At first blush, one might have thought that the recent months of economic turmoil, which have hurt many nonprofits, hadn't happened. For that, the hands-on Davis credits her tendency to fret. “I can't relax until I get something done, so I sold this [out] 10 months ago,” she says. “As it turned out, I was very lucky, because I really had it done right before the economy turned.”
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RELATED TOPICS
Carousel of Hope, Budgets, Davis Family, Children's Diabetes Foundation, Mercedes-Benz |
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| NEWS 10.21.08 5:33 PM |
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L.A. Fashion Week Postmortem: What Went Wrong?
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 | L.A. Fashion Week's October 2008 run
Photo: BizBash |
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Now that L.A. Fashion Week is a wrap in its former capacity, everyone involved is trying to isolate exactly why the shows here never took off as a major industry event, and what might be done to improve matters for potential future incarnations.
A lengthy story in Monday's Women's Wear Daily mused on some of the reasons for the ultimate failure of the five-year partnership between IMG and Smashbox Studios. It cited lack of profitability compared to other cities, inability to draw A-list stars and an infestation of B-list ones, sub-par designs, and a generally chaotic and crowded environment in Culver City, among myriad other causes. The story specifically called out the debacle surrounding the show for the collection by The Hills' Lauren Conrad—and the long, unwieldy line of wannabe showgoers eventually turned away before seeing it. One retailer quoted in the WWD report called the whole event "a joke." A designer called it "peripheral."
Still, the IMG-Smashbox partnership brought in $50 million for the city, according to the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, and organizers are hopeful about renewed, rejiggered efforts in the future—especially while the state struggles under major money woes. —Alesandra Dubin
RELATED TOPICS
Fashion Week, Mercedes-Benz, IMG, Lauren Conrad, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation |
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| NEWS 10.17.08 1:23 PM |
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Fashion Week Pics: Organic Touches Dress L.A. Runways
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 | Falling rose petals at the Lana Fuchs presentation
Photo: Volker Corell |
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Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week wrapped last night at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, after a five-day run that included 23 official shows. Apropos of the event's green initiatives and bright, springlike signage (not to mention L.A. residents' reputation as outdoorsy nature lovers), several of the designers dressed their runways in leafy, flowery looks—from falling rose petals at Lana Fuchs to climbing ivy at Samora and scattered foliage at the Green Initative Humanitarian Fashion Show.
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RELATED TOPICS
Fashion Week, Mercedes-Benz, IMG, Going Green, Samora, Green Initiative, Lana Fuchs |
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| EVENT REPORT 10.16.08 12:32 PM |
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Fashion Week Sponsors Hawk Wares With Focus on Causes, Style
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 | The scene at Smashbox
Photo: BizBash |
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The five-day swirl of shows and parties that is Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Los Angeles kicked off on Sunday at Smashbox Studios in Culver City. And although L.A. Fashion Week is in danger of phasing out in its current capacity if Smashbox co-owner Davis Factor cannot continue to generate the sponsorship dollars necessary to keep it going during the economic downturn, this season's sponsors are still working hard to impress showgoers at the tents. This time around, the bounty of product and service offerings is largely focused on environmental or philanthropic messages, plus—bien sur—stylish presentation.
Title sponsor Mercedes-Benz brought three of its cars to the tent lobby, including a new clean-diesel BlueTEC SUV, next to which a techy touchscreen display allowed guests to visualize their dream cars by personalizing the available options. A hedgerow backed the vehicle. The brand also brought the GLK, which appeared in Sex and the City: The Movie and will be available for sale in January. A film loop showing behind the car showed it traveling through photogenic Southern California locations. Key to the Cure logos and signage surrounded a third car, an example of the vehicle one woman drove across the country to promote breast cancer awareness. "The cars represent talking points, which speak to causes and show our philanthropic side," said Mercedes' western regional PR manager, Larkin Hill. "Stylish people who set the trends [are] our target audience, and we want to show them we have a conscience."
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RELATED TOPICS
Fashion Week, Mercedes-Benz, Key to the Cure, American Express, Rose's, Ultra HD, Flor de Caña, Domino Magazine, BlackBerry, T-Mobile, Sponsorships |
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| EVENT REPORT 10.15.08 12:05 PM |
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Fashion Week Lounge Employs Sustainable Materials
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 | The Mercedez-Benz lounge at Smashbox
Photo: Silvia Mautner |
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Although its scale pales in comparison to major global fashion weeks in other cities like New York and Milan, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Los Angeles is still bringing an uncomfortable crush of people to its tents at Smashbox Stuidios in Culver City this week. Some respite from the throng comes—for certain V.I.P.s, press folks, celebrities, and Mercedes dealers and customers, at least—in the form of the automaker's petite but appointed lounge tucked within the venue.
Wendy Creed designed the lounge again this year, with a springy look to match IMG's official logos and signage for this season. Big blooms of yellow roses from Floral Art topped a center decor piece, and clean white seating and cocktail tables kept the look bright. Bamboo mats covered the floors, and grass cloth served as wall panels. Bontempi USA's bubble chandeliers hung from above.
"The design inspiration is fresh and springy, just like the official theme," said Mercedes' western regional PR manager, Larkin Hill. "The personality [from last season's dark hues and mirrored tabletops] is so different, but we still have areas where people can group, relax, share a bench. It's cheery, clean, open."
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RELATED TOPICS
Fashion Week, Mercedes-Benz, IMG, Going Green |
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| NEWS 10.15.08 11:59 AM |
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Lauren Conrad Show Draws—and Turns Away—Huge Crowd at L.A. Fashion Week
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The crush at the Lauren Conrad show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week last night would seem to lend truth to the chatter that the local version of IMG's event is largely driven by tabloid celebrity culture rather than serious fashion presentations.
The show, which came with a nominal 8 p.m. start time, drew a massive crowd well in advance, and the line of hundreds eventually snaked clear around Smashbox Studios. Staff assured clamoring guests that the single line contained ordinary folks, press, and talent alike. At about 8:30, security announced that the show had begun and that publicists had cut off ticket distribution. The remaining group reluctantly and slowly dispersed without seeing the line from the star of MTV's pseudo-reality show The Hills.
Conrad's presentation—like the Pussycat Dolls' last season—pulled a considerably larger group than than did the other designers at L.A. Fashion Week, who may be lesser known in the entertainment industry, if not in the local fashion world. —Alesandra Dubin
RELATED TOPICS
Fashion Week, Mercedes-Benz, IMG, Lauren Conrad |
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| NEWS 10.14.08 12:19 PM |
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L.A. Fashion Week Hits Smashbox This Week—But Future Is Uncertain
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Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week kicked off at Smashbox Studios on Sunday with a five-day run planned for this season. But the future of the event is uncertain.
In a story headlined "Los Angeles Fashion Week: Is the Party Over?," The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Smashbox Studio Cosmetics has announced the dissolution of its five-year partnership with IMG World to produce the local version of fashion week. And although the brand hopes to continue putting on the shows in 2009, Smashbox co-owner Davis Factor has said that he can’t be sure that he’ll be able to retain the sponsors necessary to produce the $1 million event with the economy in trouble, according to the report.
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RELATED TOPICS
Fashion Week, Mercedes-Benz, IMG |
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