April 15, 2014
Gieves & Hawkes autumn/winter campaign
British tailor Gieves & Hawkes and The Queensberry Hotel in London are teaming up to drive traffic to Bath in Fashion 2014, a week-long conference celebrating British fashion.
The creative director of Gieves & Hawkes, Jason Basmajian, will speak with the style editor of Esquire about the state of modern men's fashion. The week-long conference features a variety of events ranging from lunches to movies to exhibitions.
"Prize packages serve dual purposes for properties," said Taylor Rains, account executive at Rawle Murdy Associates, Charleston, SC. "They drive interested guests on property and also serve as an interesting publicity tool that can help increase overall brand awareness.
"While the number of guests directly driven on property as a result of a prize package may be minimal, the publicity generated may serve to increase traffic indirectly.
"The benefits to public awareness are only compounded when the package includes a partnership, as is the case here."
Mr. Rains is not affiliated with Gieves & Hawkes, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.
Gieves & Hawkes, headquartered at No. 1 Savile Row in London, did not respond by press deadline.
The tailor holds the royal warrants of British Queen Elizabeth II and her consort, the Duke of Edinburgh, as well her heir, the Prince of Wales. The tailor's specialty is military uniform although it does a decent business in contemporary apparel.
Modern lines
Mr. Basmajian's joined the bespoke Savile Row tailor in 2013, coming off of a six-year run at Italian fashion label Brioni. The discussion will shed light on how to build a versatile modern man's wardrobe.
Bath in Fashion will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The event is an extension of Bath Spa University, which specializes in fashion design. The full schedule can be found here.
Bath in Fashion Facebook post for Gieves & Hawkes talk
Gieves & Hawkes paired up with The Queensberry Hotel to stoke interest in the event.
Consumers interested in the prize are asked to send their full name, address and telephone number to RSVP@gievesandhawkes.com and, presumably, a proper subject.
The prize consists of overnight accommodations May 7-8 at The Queensberry Hotel, including breakfast and dinner. The winner will also receive a privately tailored suit worth about $3,350.
Finally, two tickets to the talk on May 8 will be provided. Gieves & Hawkes will announce the winner April 25.
Talking with brands
Luxury fashion brands frequently host casual talks to convey creative sensibilities.
For instance, Italian fashion label Giorgio Armani held its fourth live Tweet Talks event in Milan during home furnishing show Salone del Mobile.
The Tweet Talk centered on the topic “Fashion versus Design,” and included expert panelists in fashion, architecture and home décor. This Twitter conversation was timed to coincide with the brand’s new Armani Casa Web site, and the traffic to the Tweet Talks microsite may have helped drive views for the home site (see story).
Also, Apple held a series of conversations with fashion players at its SoHo store in New York to show its place and connections in the industry.
The talks included conversations with Vogue editor Anna Wintour, luxury shoe designer Manolo Blahnik and Natalie Massenet, the founder of Net-A-Porter. They ran during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, giving the mobile and PC giant and the fashion brands the leverage of fashion being top-of-mind with New York consumers (see story).
"In this case, word reaches those who follow British fashion as well as individuals interested in hospitality," Mr. Rains said.
Final take
Joe McCarthy, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York
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