"We wanted to sexify Bermuda a bit," said David Stark, who, along with partner Avi Adler, brought a little slice of the island to the Dia Center for the Arts' Annex with some inventive decor, beautiful people and fabulous music. No one sexes things up like fashion industry folk, so the Bermuda Department of Tourism teamed up with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to add some cache to what would otherwise be just another tourism party. (It brought to mind a similar pairing at Ford's flashy Thunderbird launch during last February's Fashion Week.)
The CFDA asked 12 fashion designers, including Cynthia Steffe, Nicole Miller and Nanette Lepore, to redesign the island's iconic Bermuda shorts, which figure in the new ad campaign designed by ad agency Arnold Worldwide. Stark and Adler showed off the creations by dressing models in the new designs and setting them loose on the party, where they mingled in bikinis and beachwear on custom-made lounge furniture set alongside the image of a sparkling blue swimming pool created by video projections by Scharff Weisberg. An opaque projection screen displayed images from Bermuda's new commercials interspersed with shots of sandy beaches and underwater footage of tropical fish.
Creative Edge's Caribbean-themed buffet included a clam, shrimp and oyster raw bar, curried chicken and grilled mahi-mahi. Ad campaign posters depicting well-bred, fun-loving twenty- and thirtysomethings on vacation decorated the walls behind the buffets and bars. The posters reminded the audience that Bermuda is a British colony, and therefore offers the refinement of the British, "without the stiff upper lip."
"Maybe you can get them to shutup," CFDA executive director Peter Arnold said to Bermuda minister of tourism Renee Webb after making a few short remarks that the chatty crowd apparently didn't hear. However, Beninese pop star Angelique Kidjo, who recently performed at the Bermuda Jazz Festival, did get the crowd to quiet down for a few rousing, energetic songs.
The gift bag was a not-so-subtle bit of encouragement to hop the next plane. The big canvas beach bag contained a beach towel and beach reading: a copy of A Matter of Time, a mystery novel by David Manuel that takes place in Bermuda.
—Suzanne Ito
The CFDA asked 12 fashion designers, including Cynthia Steffe, Nicole Miller and Nanette Lepore, to redesign the island's iconic Bermuda shorts, which figure in the new ad campaign designed by ad agency Arnold Worldwide. Stark and Adler showed off the creations by dressing models in the new designs and setting them loose on the party, where they mingled in bikinis and beachwear on custom-made lounge furniture set alongside the image of a sparkling blue swimming pool created by video projections by Scharff Weisberg. An opaque projection screen displayed images from Bermuda's new commercials interspersed with shots of sandy beaches and underwater footage of tropical fish.
Creative Edge's Caribbean-themed buffet included a clam, shrimp and oyster raw bar, curried chicken and grilled mahi-mahi. Ad campaign posters depicting well-bred, fun-loving twenty- and thirtysomethings on vacation decorated the walls behind the buffets and bars. The posters reminded the audience that Bermuda is a British colony, and therefore offers the refinement of the British, "without the stiff upper lip."
"Maybe you can get them to shutup," CFDA executive director Peter Arnold said to Bermuda minister of tourism Renee Webb after making a few short remarks that the chatty crowd apparently didn't hear. However, Beninese pop star Angelique Kidjo, who recently performed at the Bermuda Jazz Festival, did get the crowd to quiet down for a few rousing, energetic songs.
The gift bag was a not-so-subtle bit of encouragement to hop the next plane. The big canvas beach bag contained a beach towel and beach reading: a copy of A Matter of Time, a mystery novel by David Manuel that takes place in Bermuda.
—Suzanne Ito
At the promotional party for Bermuda tourism, Avi Adler and Scharff Weisberg projected an image of a sparkling blue swimming pool between two rows of pool loungers at the Dia Center for the Arts' Annex.
Models dressed in designer beachwear mingled with each other.
Creative Edge set out a buffet of Caribbean-inspired food with posters from Bermuda's new ad campaign displayed behind it.
Renee Webb, Bermuda minister of tourism (left), and Beninese pop singer Angelique Kidjo welcomed guests to the event.
