NEW YORK CITY W Hotels Worldwide is taking on a prominent role at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, hosting a center-stage presentation of emerging designers who will then collaborate with the brand going forward.
The hotel brand’s Fashion Next initiative also includes the debut of a “Global Glam Collection” of fashion and accessories, to be presented at a special Lincoln Center event.
“W Hotels’ alignment with fashion—the ultimate extension of design—enables us to constantly evolve our programming and appeal to our guests who eagerly anticipate what’s new and next,” says Global Brand Leader Eva Ziegler. “As Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week has transformed this season with its move from Bryant Park to Lincoln Center, we too have transformed to become a more active participant in fashion week, supported by our recently appointed global fashion director, Amanda Ross.”
Ross has selected four rising stars whom W will support during Fashion Week and beyond. Chosen for their sense of style and design aesthetic, W’s Fashion Next will give the designers a platform that will help them grow their businesses. Starting with Fashion Week, W will host the official presentations of designers Monique Pean, Bibhu Mohapatra, Sophie Theallet and Rebecca Moses in the Box presentation space at Lincoln Center.
After Fashion Week, the designers will travel to W Hotels around the globe for trunk shows in important fashion markets and have the opportunity to design exclusive pieces for W’s next Global Glam Collection. W will provide the designers with additional exposure through Fashion Next segments on W Vision, the hotel group’s in-room TV channel viewed by W’s more than 1.8 million guests globally, and through other marketing and retail programming all year long.
In another industry first, W Hotels will formally launch its Winter 2010/Resort 2011 Global Glam collection with a presentation at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. A fashionable interpretation of W’s continued global growth, Global Glam is a seasonal line of fashion and accessories inspired by the design of new or upcoming W Hotels. Curated by Ross, this season’s collection includes exclusive pieces from 16 renowned designers, including Porcelain, Behnaz Sarafpour, Fallon, Kara Ross, Minnie Mortimer, Olivia Harris by Joy Gryson, Duro Olowu, Christys of London, Roberta Freymann, Jennifer Creel, Simone, Melissa Obadash, Lulu Frost, Saga Furs, Glamourpuss and Leigh & Luca. For W’s latest collection, each designer was inspired by the design narrative for W Retreat & Spa – Vieques Island, W London – Leicester Square (opening early 2011), and W St. Petersburg (opening early 2011).
The presentation for W Hotels’ Global Glam collection will be held in the Box at Lincoln Center on Sunday, September 12, with Ross and many of the Global Glam designers in attendance. The presentation will feature three dramatic vignettes representative of each destination. Oversized screens hung from the ceiling will surround the collection, displaying artfully produced videos of the Global Glam look book shoot, shot on location at W South Beach by noted fashion and celebrity photographer Guy Aroch.
W Global Music Director Michaelangelo L’Acqua has produced the music soundtrack for the event, inspired by this season’s Global Glam, while Charlotte Voisey, the celebrated mixologist of W New York-Downtown, will create signature cocktails inspired by each destination. Following the presentation, W Hotels will hold a VIP celebration headlined by avant-garde musician, video artist and DJ Roisin Murphy. Global Glam is sold exclusively at W Hotels The Store locations and online at www.whotelsthestore.com.
In honor of fashion’s biggest night, W Hotels has enlisted renowned fashion artist Danny Roberts to create two exclusive tote bags inspired by his favorite sketches. On September 10, Fashion’s Night Out, the totes will be offered as limited edition gift with purchase for the first 100 shoppers at W The Store on the seventh floor of W New York-Times Square. Consumers can also enter to win an exclusive portrait sketched by Roberts, who will be on hand at the hotel signing his tote bags during an exhibit of his favorite works. Bliss Spa technicians will also be on site at W New York and W New York-Times Square to give tired fashionistas complimentary Credit Card Relief hand massages.