For Fashion

By Giselle Tsirulnik

September 10, 2009

Make your own Rugby
NEW YORK – Mobile Marketer attended an exclusive event hosted by Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. where the preppy retailer announced its latest mobile initiative, the Rugby Make Your Own application.

The unique application is a first of its kind within the Ralph Lauren family of innovative lifestyle marketing. Consumers can make their own Rugby directly from their iPhone or iPod touch and share the style and buy it.

“RalphLauren.com was the first extension of our lifestyle brand into the digital space,” said David Lauren, senior vice president of advertising, marketing and corporate communications at Ralph Lauren, New York.

“Rugby.com was the next extension and we are now launching this application as part of our next evolution for Rugby,” he said. “The application is a seamless integration between retail and the dot-com.”

Consumers can customize their own Rugby with patches, share and order their Rugby styles within the application.

The event was held in New York's Rugby store
Rugby Ralph Lauren is a brand that is targeted to consumers ages 18-25. Casual campus style meets downtown/urban prep at Rugby.

The Rugby shirt is the brand’s signature of its classic sporting heritage.
The application follows the successful launches of http://www.rugby.com/ and m.rugby.com. The application is meant to serve as a 360-degree retail innovation platform that engages with consumers through mobile, in-store kiosks and outdoor display content in store windows, and online.

Anthony Romana is vice presient of interactive media at Ralph Lauren
Per Mr. Lauren, the application aligns with the way that consumers express themselves.
Users can create a Rugby shirt and share their design by posting it to their Facebook walls or emailing the design to a friend.

Letting customers create, customize and define how they are using the application is a differentiation point for this application launch.

Once consumers go through all the steps - dragging and dropping designs and patches onto their Rugby - they can upload and share it with other application users through a user-generated gallery.

Other application users are able to browse the style gallery and can even buy Rugbys that others have created.

Consumers can choose a standard experience or they can be more creative and customize their shirt, wherever and however they like.

Users can create the perfect look that complements their personal style.
Also, Rugby stores in New York and San Francisco will now have an interactive store window where pedestrians walking the streets are encouraged to stop and create their own Rugby or browse the gallery of Rugbys created by users of the iPhone application.
Much like the iPhone experience, users just drag and drop by swiping their hands over the store window and can buy Rugbys by swiping their credit cards.

Ralph Lauren is no rookie when it comes to mobile.
In April, the preppy retailer launched an iPhone-optimized site for Rugby.com, the site for its sporty line of Rugby apparel.

Like the existing WAP site that is optimized for all other mobile devices, the iPhone site lets consumers browse and buy all products that are available on Rugby.com (see story).
Last October, Ralph Lauren made mobile fashionable with the launch of an iPhone application that lets users experience the glamour of the Ralph Lauren Collection on the Apple device.
The application invites Apple iPhone users to view collection styles that are currently in stores via video highlights from its runway show. It also offers a look behind the scenes with its Backstage Pass photo gallery in addition to full run-of-show video and Lookbook feature (see story).

In August 2008, Ralph Lauren launched a mobile commerce service to let consumers buy products through their handsets.

The company claims to be one of the first luxury retailers nationwide to launch a mobile commerce site and incorporate Quick Response codes in advertisements (see story).
The Rugby application just announced is another example of how Ralph Lauren’s Rugby understands the times we live in and understands the wants and needs of its customer, per a senior executive running online and mobile efforts.

“The mobile landscape has changed drastically over the last couple of months and standing out has become very difficult,” said Anthony Romana, vice president of interactive media at Ralph Lauren. “This app really takes customization to the next level by letting consumers make purchases right from the application.

“This is a first,” he said.
Senior Editor Giselle Tsirulnik covers advertising, video, messaging, search, commerce ad video. Reach her at giselle@mobilemarketer.com.

Ralph Lauren to design first of limited-edition exclusive items

The initiative marks the first global retail partnership for FTBC, in which a series of limited-edition FTBC-branded items will be available for sale exclusively at www.net-a-porter.com/ftbc. Exclusive designs will be introduced on the site over a period of one year. Ralph Lauren will launch the initiative with an iconic Fashion Targets Breast Cancer WORLDWIDE shirt of his own design, followed by special merchandise from other American and international designers. 100% of net profits from the sale of these items will benefit FTBC. The partnership was celebrated on June 19th at a luncheon hosted by designer and CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg, and will be launched worldwide in the fall, beginning at New York Fashion Week on September 5. As the first global retail partner, NET-A-PORTER.COM will establish a dedicated FTBC store within the site featuring a collection of exclusive limited edition merchandise from American and International designers. Additionally, NET-A-PORTER.COM will host an educational micro-site providing woman with health and resource information. "We communicate daily to an audience of over one million women around the world. This initiative allows us to take what we do well and focus that into an invaluable vehicle to raise funds and provide essential breast cancer information to women worldwide," said Natalie Massenet, Founder, NET-A-PORTER.COM.

"NET-A-PORTER.COM has made a long term commitment in launching Fashion Targets Breast Cancer Worldwide so we can work with woman globally each day to make a difference. I couldn�t think of a smarter way to launch this CFDA partnership than with Ralph Lauren at the helm." Ralph Lauren was asked to inaugurate this momentous project in recognition of his pioneering commitment to Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, which he founded in 1994 in response to a plea from the late Washington Post fashion critic Nina Hyde, who fought the disease. "In 1994, I challenged the fashion community to support Fashion Targets Breast Cancer when it was first getting started," he said. "What began as the answer to one woman�s request has become a global initiative that has raised millions of dollars for breast cancer charities." The Ralph Lauren Fashion Targets Breast Cancer WORLDWIDE shirt will be available on the site beginning in September. CFDA Executive Director Steven Kolb remarks, "Fashion Targets Breast Cancer has been one of the most significant and productive initiatives the CFDA has ever launched. We are particularly proud that after over a decade, the commitment of our members to this crucially important program is just as strong, and that we can boast more participation, more ideas, more products, and such a prestigious online retail partner to continue Fashion's fight against this disease."

About Fashion Targets Breast Cancer Fashion Targets Breast Cancer (FTBC) is a worldwide charitable initiative of the Council of Fashion Designers of America/CFDA Foundation. The CFDA Foundation, through FTBC, is committed to providing meaningful assistance to women with breast cancer and their families, friends and other supporters by rallying designers, models, retailers, and other creative energies within the fashion industry.

The Foundation commits proceeds raised from FTBC campaigns to helping women concerned about or diagnosed with breast cancer gain access to reliable health information and quality health care, and to supporting education and outreach programs. Since its launch in 1994, Fashion Targets Breast Cancer has raised over $40 million for distribution to breast cancer charities in 13 countries. FTBC currently conducts campaigns in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Japan, Portugal, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. For more information, visit http://www.fashiontargetsbreastcancer.org/

About NET-A-PORTER.COM NET-A-PORTER.COM launched in June 2000 and has since successfully established itself as the world�s leading global online luxury retailer. Presented in the style of an online fashion magazine, NET-A-PORTER features each season�s key trends, helpful editors� tips and expert style advice. With luxury packaging, free returns, same day delivery in London, New York City and express delivery to the rest of the world, NET-A-PORTER provides an unparalleled level of service and designer offerings to online shopping.

http://www.fashiontargetsbreastcancer.org/index.php?cmd=campaign&campaign_id=31#Scene_1

NEW YORK, NY (November 1, 2009)

A gorgeous, color-saturated tanzanite of 6.65 carats is the center of a spectacular ring design in platinum. Introduced to the world by Tiffany in 1969, tanzanite blends the blue of the ocean with shades of the midnight sky and flashes of violet. Tiffany’s skilled artisans individually cut and set 38 round and 36 marquise diamonds in a brilliant formation of leaves that swirls around the stone, as if drawn by the magnetism of its rich hue. Together, the vibrant tanzanite and its crown of leaves create a dazzling beauty that reflects Tiffany’s reputation for jewels of legendary style.

http://press.tiffany.com/News/NewsItem.aspx?ID=66

Funding Saves Historic Courtyard Buildings Dating
Back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Palo Alto, CA (July 9, 2009) – In support of its mission to preserve cultural heritage sites in developing countries, Global Heritage Fund (GHF) today announced The Tiffany & Co. Foundation donated $100,000 to support the GHF Pingyao Cultural Heritage Development Program. The grant enables GHF’s ongoing work in Pingyao Ancient City to provide conservation and management plans, survey of cultural resources, preservation and rehabilitation of architecture and historic streetscapes, and the revitalization of traditional arts and crafts from the region.

“We are honored to have the critical support of The Tiffany & Co. Foundation for the GHF Pingyao Cultural Heritage Development Program,” said Jeff Morgan, executive director of Global Heritage Fund. “It is a privilege to partner with such a renowned and respected institution to preserve Pingyao Ancient City, a heritage jewel facing development and preservation challenges. The recognition by such a well-respected organization of our work in China and around the world is significant to growing our mission to save heritage sites from unprecedented threats in the developing world.”

Pingyao Ancient City in central Shanxi province is considered the banking capital
of the country during the late Qing dynasty, and the best example of an intact walled city in China. Pingyao was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1997 for its exceptional preservation of an intact, classic Han Chinese city from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). Pingyao’s almost 4,000 courtyards illustrate the evolution of architectural styles and town planning over five centuries, and provide an overview of cultural, social, economic and religious development.

With the recent development and economic pressure brought about by the rapid growth of mass tourism to the region, the Pingyao Government and GHF reached a cooperative agreement in 2006 for the conservation and protection of Pingyao Ancient City. GHF worked with the Pingyao Government in jointly appointing The Urban Planning Institute of Shanghai Tongji University to design the Pingyao Ancient City Master Conservation and Management Plans to resolve the difficulties in balancing development and protection of Pingyao.

“We embrace Global Heritage Fund’s vision to protect cultural treasures in developing countries, and we are pleased to partner in the effort to preserve Pingyao for future generations,” said Fernanda Kellogg, President of The Tiffany & Co. Foundation. “Pingyao has a unique cultural heritage that will endure, thanks to Global Heritage Fund’s collaborative and comprehensive approach to the restoration and revitalization of living ancient cities.”

The Pingyao Cultural Heritage Development Program is an innovative program that combines authentic conservation, community engagement and heritage preservation. The program will restore and reuse exemplary Qing and Ming era courtyards, forming a historic area of model courtyards and artisan workshops within the ancient city. The goal is to preserve Pingyao’s historic courtyard buildings, help revive the traditional arts and crafts traditions, and expand the city’s attractions to further economic benefits to Pingyao’s residents.

About Global Heritage Fund

Global Heritage Fund is an international conservancy dedicated to preserving endangered world heritage sites in developing countries to improve lives of local people. GHF enables successful, long-term preservation of the developing world's most important archaeological sites and ancient townscapes in developing countries, creating new opportunities for economic growth. To achieve this, Global Heritage Fund deploys a well-proven Preservation by Design methodology: 1) comprehensive master conservation planning, 2) sustained preservation through local community involvement, 3) excellence in scientific conservation, and 4) partnerships and complementary funding. Global Heritage Fund is a registered non-profit international conservancy based in Palo Alto, California. Web site: http://www.globalheritagefund.org/.

The Huffington Post Lila Shapiro First Posted: 10- 9-09 05:00 PM Updated: 10-14-09 06:40 PM

UPDATE 10/14:The Photo-shopped model, Filippa Hamilton, is alleging that Ralph Lauren fired her for being too fat.

UPDATE 10/9:
Ralph Lauren has issued an apology, the Daily Mail reports:
A spokesman for Ralph Lauren said last night: 'For over 42 years, we have built a brand based on quality and integrity.

'After further investigation, we have learned that we are responsible for the poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman's body.
'We have addressed the problem and going forward will take every precaution to ensure that the calibre of our artwork represents our brand appropriately.'

10/6:
There's a great blogosphere-battle brewing between website Boing Boing and clothier Ralph Lauren over an advertisement featuring a Ralph Lauren-clad woman photoshopped to impossible thinness.

The gauntlet was thrown when a Boing Boing blogger reproduced the ad with this succinct critique: "Dude, her head's bigger than her pelvis."

Instead of addressing this disturbing, and accurate criticism, Ralph Lauren responded by accusing Boing Boing of copyright infringement for reprinting the ad. Even though, As Boing Boing points out, this is "classic fair use: a reproduction 'for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting.'"

Happily, Boing Boing will not be cowed by Ralph Lauren's threat, as co-editor Cory Doctorow makes clear:

So, instead of responding to their legal threat by suppressing our criticism of their marketing images, we're gonna mock them. Hence this post.
Other strategies for battling Ralph Lauren Doctorow plans to employ include: reproducing the ad with the original criticism, publishing Ralph Lauren's legal threats and offering "nourishing soup and sandwiches to [their] models."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/09/emboing-boingem-and-ralph_n_311593.html

Ralph Lauren's clothing company fired the model whose body looked emaciated in a touched-up ad because she weighed too much, the woman told the Daily News Tuesday.

Filippa Hamilton - whose hips appeared slimmer than her head in the recent altered ad - said her contract was terminated in April because she was too heavy.

"They fired me because they said I was overweight and I couldn't fit in their clothes anymore," she said.

The 5-foot-10, 120-pound stunner was amazed to see her body digitally distorted for Ralph Lauren Blue Label.

"I was shocked to see that super skinny girl with my face," she told the Daily News. "It's very sad, I think, that Ralph Lauren could do something like that."

Hamilton, 23, worked for Ralph Lauren since about 2002 and considered the company like a second family - until she was bounced.

Then out of nowhere last week, the altered ad - which appeared only in Japan - caused a sensation and drew the ire of critics who thought it appeared sickly and unrealistic.
Polo Ralph Lauren said in a statement Tuesday night that Filippa is a "beautiful and healthy" woman but their relationship ended "as a result of her inability to meet the obligations under her contract with us."

"The image in question was mistakenly released and used in a department store in Japan and was not the approved image which ran in the U.S. We take full responsibility," the statement said. "This error has absolutely no connection to our relationship with Filippa Hamilton."
Hamilton's lawyer, Geoffrey Menin, said the image is "gross distortion of how she really looks and which we fear will be extremely damaging to her."

Hamilton is concerned about its impact on the public.

"I think they owe American women an apology, a big apology," she said. "I'm very proud of what I look like, and I think a role model should look healthy."
cmelago@nydailynews.com

Tiffany & Co. today launched a commemorative collection of jewelry and accessories that, along with the awards Tiffany creates for runners in each category, celebrates the 40th running of the ING New York City Marathon. Runners can personalize the collection with name, time and the year to mark their marathon experience.

The collection is crafted with renowned Tiffany quality and includes a sterling silver bracelet and tag pendants, key ring, money clip, pen and pewter picture frame, along with crystal mugs, tumblers and an apple paperweight. Each item is etched with the official ING New York City Marathon logo.

“Tiffany has been privileged to partner with New York Road Runners for the ING New York City Marathon for more than 20 years,” said Tom O’Rourke, vice president of business sales. “During that time we have increased our participation with the creation of awards for additional categories of runners, and now we have the pleasure to design jewelry and accessories that will serve as mementos of a great personal achievement.”

The collection’s 11 items may be purchased through January 1, 2010 at www.tiffany.com/ingnycmarathon or via a link on New York Road Runners’ website (www.nyrr.org); at Tiffany’s Fifth Avenue and Wall Street stores, October 26 -- November 8; and at the Tiffany & Co. booth at the Marathon Expo at the Javitz Center, October 29 -- October 31.

Scheduled for Sunday, November 1, the ING New York City Marathon is the premier event of New York Road Runners and one of the world’s great road races, with over 42,000 participants representing all 50 states and over 100 countries, as well as two million spectators and more than 300 million television viewers worldwide.

Male and female runners who finish in first, second and third place in the open division and first place male and female finishers in the wheelchair division will receive the Samuel Rudin Trophy, which the Rudin family commissioned Tiffany to design and create in 1984. The trophy, a sterling silver tray featuring the course of the race highlighted in blue enamel on an etched map of the five boroughs, is handcrafted and hand engraved by master silversmiths in the company’s hollowware workshop in New Jersey.

In addition to the Rudin trophy, the first, second and third place finishers in the open division and first place male and female finishers in the wheelchair division will receive medals commissioned by the NYRR. The 18 karat gold vermeil, sterling silver and bronze medals, measuring ¼-inch thick and 3½ inches high, feature a raised motif of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the marathon’s starting point, encircled by the five boroughs that host the event: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx. On the reverse, the date and NYRR logo are framed by the well-known lyric, “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere, New York, New York.”

Runners who finish in the top 10 and competitors in all categories will receive awards from Tiffany’s exclusive collection of crystal designs. The awards are etched with the inscription “40th Running” and the date, as well as NYRR and ING New York City Marathon logos. Categories include overall finishers, top age group finishers, top team finishers, top finishers from each of New York’s five boroughs, top wheelchair finishers and top handcycle finishers. There is also a crystal award for top NYRR volunteers, as well as top company foundation awards, the Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge award, the Gwendolyn Clark and the Abel R. Kiviat Memorial awards, and the Alberto Salazar honor for the first American male and female to finish the marathon.

Tiffany & Co. operates jewelry and specialty retail stores and manufactures products through its subsidiary corporations. Its principal subsidiary is Tiffany and Company. The Company operates TIFFANY & CO. retail stores and boutiques in the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe and engages in direct selling through Internet, catalog and business gift operations. For additional information, please visit tiffany.com or call the shareholder information line at 800-TIF-0110.

New York Road Runners

New York Road Runners, founded in 1958, is dedicated to promoting the sport of distance running, enhancing health and fitness for all, and responding to community needs. Our road races and other fitness programs draw upwards of 300,000 runners annually, and together with our magazine and website support and promote professional and recreational running. A staff of more than 100, assisted by thousands of volunteers, stages the ING New York City Marathon, as well as a road race nearly every weekend plus many track and cross country events. NYRR’s home base in New York, and its lifelong identification with Central Park, have given many of its events iconic status, attracting the world’s top professional runners. Our youth programs provide running to nearly 100,000 schoolchildren in New York City, around the country, and in South Africa who would otherwise have few or no fitness opportunities. For more information visit http://www.nyrr.org/.

The ING New York City Marathon

The premier event of New York Road Runners, the ING New York City Marathon is one of the world’s great road races, drawing nearly 105,000 applicants. The race attracts many world-class professional athletes, not only for the more than $600,000 in prize money, but also for the chance to excel in the media capital of the world before two million cheering spectators and a worldwide broadcast reach of 330 million. As any one of the nearly 788,000 past participants will attest, crossing the finish line in Central Park is one of the great thrills of a lifetime. For more information visit http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/.

World Marathon Majors

The ING New York City Marathon is one of five events in the World Marathon Majors series that showcases the sport’s top athletes and awards an unprecedented $1 million champion’s prize. The WMM series also includes the Boston Marathon, the Virgin London Marathon, the real,- Berlin Marathon, and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. For more information visit www.worldmarathonmajors.com.

JCK Staff -- JCK Online, 9/29/2009 12:36:57 PM

This week, Tiffany & Co. announced design details of another soon-to-be-opened store at CityCenter, an urban resort destination under development in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. According to Tiffany & Co., the two-level store will be located on Las Vegas Boulevard in Crystals, CityCenter's 500,000-square-foot retail and entertainment district designed by Studio Daniel Libeskind and Rockwell Group. When completed, CityCenter will exist as a sustainable urban community encompassing 18 million square feet over 67 acres, with luxury residences and hotels, meeting and convention facilities, boutiques, clubs, and restaurants.

Slated for a December opening, the approximately 10,000-square-foot Tiffany & Co. store will feature an 85-foot-high glass facade that is canted slightly over the street and shaped like a diamond. The store's entrance will have polished black granite framing Art Deco-inspired stainless steel doors that will serve as a window to the store's interior, complete with a spiral steel-and-glass staircase and a curved, multi-layered ceiling. A mirrored wall etched with a vertical pattern of pinstripes and another wall covered with an iridescent purple fabric extend the full 85 feet to the store's ceiling. Each step on the crystalline stone-and-glass staircase is lit from beneath, emphasizing the curve of the stairs that shine through the glass facade. Midway on the staircase, a landing offers comfortable seating and a panoramic view of Las Vegas Boulevard.

The store's second level features crystal-covered walls, with bronze-frosted mirrors and designated areas for eyewear, leather accessories, and charms. Other touches include a contemporary chandelier of candlestick shapes in steel and an engagement-ring salon with polished Makore wood and shimmering wall coverings. Additionally, a private sales salon is accessible via a glass bridge that is 10 feet long and hovers 25 feet over the floor below. Bonus: a concierge staff is fluent in Mandarin and other languages.

Featured collections include a Tiffany & Co. charm bar, as well as a limited-edition jewelry collection available exclusively at the new store.

The new CityCenter store will be the jeweler's third in Las Vegas. Tiffany also operates stores in the Shops at Via Bellagio and The Forum Shops at Caesars.