Many people outside of the New York fashion scene may not know that the fashion industry cares about much more than just giving consumers something to wear. The Council of Fashion Designers of America, (CFDA) New York, recognizes this, and annually presents 14 design awards to thank individuals for their efforts.
The most prestigious of the 15-year-old awards, the Humanitarian Award, was given this year to shoe designer Kenneth Cole, for his support for AIDS awareness and the shoe trade-in program he set up in many of his stores nationwide.
To promote the strong link between the fashion industry and social responsibility, CFDA launched a 17-city satellite media tour about five days before the awards ceremony, which was held on Feb. 3, 1997, and has been sponsored by champagne maker Dom Perignon for the past two years.
The tour was put together by television station J-Nex, Los Angeles, NTV Studio Productions and Ogan Dallal (OD) PR firm, both in New York.
"The fashion industry is big on humanitarian efforts," said Michelle Gabbert, account executive at OD, who cited such recent fashion promotions as the "7th on Sale," to raise money for various charities, "Target Breast Cancer" T-shirts, worn by fashion designers, and money given to the New York Public Library.
OD compiled the press materials, the biography on Cole and the background on the awards ceremony, and sent the information to J-Nex, which issued a media alert, then contacted and set up interviews for the tour with the target markets, which included major cities where Cole had retail stores. Cities included New York, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami and Portland. Cole and NTV shot the actual SMT out of New York.
Cole, as a representative of the CFDA, publicized the awards ceremony, the Dom Perignon brand name, the fashion industry, and himself as both a designer and a socially concerned individual. The cost of the SMT was not disclosed, but Dom Peignon was the one who sponsored it.
Four days after the event, NTV produced and sent to J-Nex a b-roll package containing footage of the actual event, four days after the event. Celebrities who attended the event included Mick Jagger, Barbara Bush and Sharon Stone.
Gabbert said that "the SMT was an excellent vehicle to show that it's all about showing how important the industry is, since it's so big on humanitarian efforts. It's very important to both music and Hollywood, they're all connected. And it's nice to recognize fashion designers for something other than just their designs."
The SMT was effective, said Dietrich Nelson, account executive at J-Nex, because, "outside of New York, CFDA hasn't been known very well. But the awards are the Oscars of the fashion industry. And Dom Perignon sponsoring the whole thing was a good match...they care about and do a lot for the industry."
"Most SMTs sell something by pitching a product this was more of an association plugging a gap in the industry," said Chris Tessier, a sales and marketing rep at NTV. "Cole was an excellent spokesperson because he talked about both current and upcoming trends and the CFDA, but he was personable, got across the point of the organization, and kept the interviews focused, stressing how important it is to be socially responsible."
(J-Nex, 213/934-4356; NTV Studio Productions, 212/489-8390; Ogan Dallal Public Relations, 212-840-0888)