New York: The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and
Vogue magazine have teamed up on a PR and marketing campaign aimed at
encouraging Americans to shop during the holiday season.
Dubbed "Fashion for America: Shop to Show Your Support," the initiative
features celebrity designers making in-store appearances beginning
around Thanksgiving at major retailers such as Macy's and Neiman
Marcus.
CFDA communications director Donna Faircloth said the 241-member trade
group has elicited support from celebrity couturiers such as Calvin
Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Donna Karan.
The campaign will also seek to raise money for the Twin Towers Fund
through the sale of a designer-inspired T-shirt, manufactured with the
help of Hilfiger and Karan.
Faircloth said she hopes the T-shirt will resonate with consumers as a
way to be patriotic and contribute to the national good.
"This is not a couture dress; this is not a $4,000 handbag. This
is a T-shirt - a staple of American fashion," she said.
PR for the campaign is being handled pro bono by New York-based LaForce
& Stevens, which currently has 15 staffers committed to the initiative
for the next two months, according to account executive Patrick
McGregor.
In addition to pitching the media, LaForce & Stevens will work on
celebrity placement of the T-shirts at events such as last week's VH-1
Vogue Fashion Awards, and possible upcoming spots on shows such as
Saturday Night Live and The Late Show with David Letterman.
Faircloth added that Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour has been a
"driving force" behind the effort, and is actively trying to enlist
celebrity sponsors.
The campaign officially kicked off last week with press releases and a
VNR picked up by major outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and
Extra.
