Andy Warhol would have been proud. Retailer Target put together a reception and fashion show based on its current ad campaign, which pairs photos of the typical commodities sold by the retailer--Cheer, Puffs, etc.--with youngsters wearing the chain's clothes. To bring the same feel to the large Pier 59 Studio at Chelsea Piers, Target's vice president of special events, John Remington, hired Lynne Manheim, an event producer who does work with numerous high-end fashion companies.
For the d?cor, Target and Manheim worked with Eyesore to commission artists to create pieces based around commodity products. The results included a cat spaceship made of Meow Mix boxes, and a portrait of a woman with a Secret deodorant stick. At the event, the odd, fun pieces, along with food and drink bars designed to look like the Target logo, transformed the white-walled industrial space into a kitschy wonderland.
After sampling the South American and Caribbean food from Taste, guests headed to the fashion show in the black box studio, where models circled around a giant Target logo stage built by KadaN Productions Inc.
After the show, when guests lined up for their gift bags, each person had to trade the seat assignment card for a bag. No double bagging at this party--too bad, too, because the Pop Art-inspired bags and their treasures (an aqua vest, some Bounce, a Target-logoed pad, a pen that lights up) were as fun as the rest of the evening.
--Chad Kaydo
