Shaffer turned to artists in order to create those unconventional branding opportunities. At Thursday night’s Fashionably Natural event, attendees could watch as artist Roman Klonek worked on a painting reminiscent of the artwork he created for presenting sponsor Soyjoy’s print and television advertising campaign. An eight-foot replica of a colorful tree that appears in Klonek’s animated television advertisement for Soyjoy was also on site. Guests could post messages about things that made them optimistic, a nod to the soy snack company’s “fortified with optimism” tagline. Additional artwork by Klonek, as well as Simon Peplow and Gary Taxali—two other artists who have contributed to the company’s advertising campaign—were also on display.

At Friday night’s Fresh Faces show, graffiti artists created a Los Angeles-centric mural against a 24-foot white canvas decorated with T-Mobile and BlackBerry logos, as well as vinyl images of BlackBerry’s latest mobile phones. Models circulated the venue with trays of the phones, giving guests the opportunity to examine the devices.

This year marked Gen Art’s 11th annual Fresh Faces fashion show, and the first go-round for the Fashionably Natural show, which presents the work of local fashion designers who use all-natural material to create their collections. “Traditionally, Gen Art has focused on the cutting-edge talent emerging in fashion, so it made sense that we launch an eco-fashion show,” Shaffer says. “Eco-fashion is a huge hot button right now, especially in the L.A. market.”