Fashion and "4-D" technology?

Did you ever imagine to relate high fashion with savy techs from the production of the "Harry Potter" films? 

Yeah, I did not think so either.

Well it seems like fashion is taking the extra step to be totally innovative and designer Ralph Lauren is taking the lead. Despite the designer's inclination for classic and traditional, he is not afraid to mix technology, art, innovation and fashion. 

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the brand's online shop and the introduction of e-commerce operations in Britain,  Ralph Lauren will project what they call a  "4-D" experience. A 10-minute spectacular presentation will be projected onto the facade of the brand-new ultrafancy Ralph Lauren store on Madison Avenue tonight. 

The presentation will include a series of images of both stores being constructed brick-by-brick. Once completed, the doors open,  four-story-high models stride powerfully through, then give way to such iconic visuals as polo players and the accessory that started it all – the necktie.

Preview of the presentation
Courtesy of Ralph Lauren 

The innovative presentation was possible with "architectural mapping" technology and a team of 100 techs who worked on the "Harry Potter" flicks. 

The presentation will be a complete sensory experience as sound effects will be included along with a mist of Lauren's signature fragrance. 

As vice president of advertising, marketing and corporate communications for the brand, David Lauren, son of the designer, was highly involved in the planning and creation of this new innovative development which the company calls "merchan-tainment"-concept of commerce and entertainment. 

“We put our hearts and souls into this,” said Mr. Lauren in the Nov. 9 New York Times issue, when referring to the eye-popping show. “We were the first brand to blend ‘merchan-tainment’ so seamlessly.”

When you think of Ralph Lauren, you may have an image of classy and vintage not so much of digital innovation, but this is not really the case. The brand has had a stream of innovative developments throughout the last decade and the changes keep coming. 

Mr. Lauren is passionate about pushing ahead in cyberspace and is the instigator of most of the brand’s new developments. 

David Lauren
Courtesy of the New York Times 

The latest innovation along with the groundbreaking visual feast that will take place tonight, is the iPhone application, offering instant viewing of the runway shows; and the embrace of social networking and customer involvement.

It is exciting to see fashion designers embracing the new technological advancements the world is going through. With technology advancing so fast and changing every day, industries, including fashion need to come up with methods to retain and attract customers through interactive and innovative means. 


Ralph Lauren now takes the lead among designers coming up with innovative developments, but we will have to be closely watching to see who is next in line to come up with such innovative tactics. 

Classic or Outrageous?

I am sure most of you took part in this year’s Halloween festivities. With Austin being such a big enthusiast about this holiday, it is impossible not to participate in the craziness. And dressing up for any type of event concerning the spooky holiday is an absolute must.

The different and outrageous costumes is what makes Halloween fun and enjoyable. Every year at Sixth Street a wide variety of costumes can be seen, from a classic pirate costume to an original and creative creature.

This year it was no different, the popular street was taken over by pirates, fairies, Cleopatras, skimpy policewomen and firewomen, scary masks, among other classics. Like every year, new characters or public figures that were popular during the year are seen as somebody’s costume. This Halloween there were plenty of Lady Gagas as well as “Snookies” from the popular show “The Jersey Shore”.  Characters from movies were also popular such as “Avatar” and “Alan” from “The Hangover”.   

I did notice that this year, people opted for more creative, original and funny costumes. Girls usually wear either something “cute” or they take the special day as an opportunity to dress in skimpy and tight outfits, but this year, many took a different route.

I saw girls dressed as men, some wore a big animal outfit, and others including me decided to be a funny character. I dressed up as Marge Simpson from the well-known animated show “The Simpson”. I love funny costumes, so I thought this was the perfect fit for me with the outrageous big blue wig.

Not only our locals in Austin wanted to be funnier and more creative in their outfit choices, but it also seems to be the trend in the celebrity and fashion world.

“Making the Most of a Pagan Holiday”, a recent article in The New York Times, gave a rundown of Visionaire Magazine’s Halloween party at MoMA P.S.1 in Long Island City, Queens. Unlike Austin’s Sixth Street, the event was filled with original costumes that were anything but pop culture. Which makes sense because when it comes to Halloween dress-up, nobody over thinks their costumes as much as fashion designers and artists do.

As you would expect from an artist, guests who attended the event wore very creative pieces.

The designer Richard Chai opted for a dramatic look, sporting a spray-painted muscle T-shirt and motorbike gloves, with a black raven lodged in his shattered visor. He described it as “a motocross rider who got too ambitious.”

Designer Richard Chai
Courtesy of The New York Times 

Cecilia Dean, a founder of Visionaire, was not a big supporter of outrageous costumes. She opted for a ballerina-esque outfit that was assembled largely from her own wardrobe, including a Gigi Burris feather headpiece and vintage Giorgio di Sant’Angelo black feather bodice. “There’s already a lot of dressing up in the fashion world,” said Ms. Dean in the article. “People act weird and dress really slutty.”

The article stated that the most clever art reference might have been made by Faris Al-Shathir, an architect who wore Keith Haring-like eyeglasses and whose entire body was painted black and white like one of the artist’s drawings. 

Whether you decide to wear an original outrageous costume or a classic one, make sure you dress up as something every year, if you don’t want to feel like an oddball. Now that the festivities are over and that we have seen an array of different costumes, we can start getting costume ideas for next year’s Halloween. It is never too early to start planning the perfect costume for the crazy celebration.