OTB invests in women; Macy’s Partner for Flower Show – WWD

WOMEN LEADERS: The OTB Foundation’s ongoing effort to support young women entrepreneurs and fight the gender gap among executives is widening.

The non-profit organization founded in 2008 by the founder of OTB Renzo Rosso allocates its second investment, 550.00 euros, for the Brave Women Awards project, which covers the tuition fees of young female students who close their academic training with two-courses annuals.

The investment follows the first made in 2022 of 280,000 euros for the first edition of the initiative in partnership with the Bocconi University of Milan.

The second iteration for the a.y. 2023-2024 involves other universities, including the LUISS Guido Carli University of Rome; the Alma Mater University of Bologna, defined as the oldest academic institution in the world; the University of Padua and the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.

Through the donation, the OTB Foundation will offer 55 scholarships to female students to attend the last two years of a master’s degree in economics and public administration.

“By enabling more girls to enter higher education, we are building the foundation for them to enter sectors and industries where female representation is currently low. The ultimate goal is to value gender diversity and [obtain] equal pay”, said Arianna Alessi, vice president of the OTB Foundation.

“We also encourage all female students participating in the project to lead similar initiatives whenever they have the power, thus building a virtuous circle oriented towards female empowerment”, she added.

According to the foundation, the program’s goal is to help address the lack of female representation in C-suite roles across industries and institutions, helping shape the next generation of female leaders.

The data provided by ISTAT for 2021 show that the female employment rate stands at 55.7 per cent, below the male counterpart and below the European average of 68.5 per cent, even if there are more women than men to graduate.

Since its founding in 2008, the charitable arm of the OTB Group, parent company of brands including Diesel, Maison Margiela, Marni, Jil Sander and Viktor & Rolf, has supported around 300 international projects focused on social development impacting the lives of 300,000 people . – MARTINO CARRERA

Beautiful blooms: Macy’s collaborates with Dior Beauty as the first beauty sponsor for the 48th edition of the Macy’s Flower Show.

Thousands of plants, flowers and trees will be displayed on the main floor, balcony and windows of the Macy’s Herald Square flagship in New York City from March 26 to April 10.

Focusing on its fragrance offering, Dior’s exhibition will be located on the balcony level, guiding guests through the brand’s rejuvenating flower fields in the south of France, with content opportunities and personalization stations including engraving on bottles, of hand-painted fragrances and MyABCDior charms. Guests will also have the opportunity to participate in a number of special events throughout the two weeks, such as master classes with Dior fragrance experts.

Will Coss, executive producer of Macy’s Flower Show, said, “Escaping reality, this year’s show harnesses gravity-defying and oversized elements to highlight the importance of dreams and embrace childlike wonder. In collaboration with Dior, a special showcase within this dreamlike floral landscape will further ignite the senses with the scents of their iconic fragrances, welcoming viewers throughout the magical two-week exhibition.”

Dior participated with a mix of other fragrance brands last year, and Macy’s executives saw an opportunity to expand this partnership.

“This is the first time we’ve had an exclusive partnership,” said Julie Walsh, senior vice president of beauty at Macy’s. “For our flower show, we really see the direct correlation to fragrances, and fragrances, for example, have been our customers’ favorite category.”

As for Macy’s beauty offering in general, Walsh told WWD that beauty and fragrance continue to be strong categories. “We are always strengthening our product assortment, finding new brands that are relevant and trendy and that our customers are looking for. We are also always looking to continue to add to the selection that we have for our customers with more evolved products in the units. —KATHRYN HOPKINS

SURF’S UP: It’s time to dive into summer for Puma, who have teamed up with Palomo Spain for a surf-inspired capsule collection that launches on Saturday.

Encompassing ready-to-wear, footwear and accessories, the line speaks to “the idea of ​​a dream summer,” said Alejandro Gómez Palomo, founder and creative director of the Spanish brand.

The figure of “sexy, slightly older surfer and skater boys” that the designer remembers from his young days on the beach in Tarifa, a well-known wind sports destination in southern Spain, inspired him to “identify and create a fresh idea of ​​a surfer or street skater, looking from the prism of [his] own little universe.”

Gómez Palomo named Bruce Brown’s documentary “The Endless Summer” and Stacy Peralta’s “Dogtown and Z-Boys” as visual references for a genre-fluid lineup that includes airy mesh T-shirts reminiscent of rash guards, decorated with dreamy prints and baggy pants that can unzip into board shorts.

A palette of soft pinks, blues and greens further evokes the surf culture of the 60s and 70s, as well as the laid-back vibe that crystallized in the 2000s.

“Surf culture was something Puma had never addressed before. Filtered through the gentle, couture-inspired lens of Palomo Spain, he immediately took on an exciting and innovative perspective. It really made a lot of sense,” said Nils Moersch, global creative director of apparel at Puma, in a statement.

This is the second collaboration for the Spanish designer and Puma, following a soccer-inspired capsule collection that took cues from 1970s soccer stars and their glamorous lives off the pitch for a retro take on team sportswear.

The capsule will be available from Saturday on the Puma and Palomo Spain e-commerce platforms, as well as in selected Puma stores and retailers around the world. It will retail between 45 euros for a reversible printed bucket hat and 225 euros for a lightweight vest. The “Slipstream Lo” sneaker and the corresponding slip-on version will be priced at €150 and €140, respectively. — LILY TEMPLETON

Playful Pants: It’s been more than 50 years since British singer-songwriter David Bowie introduced his flamboyant and flamboyant alter-ego Ziggy Stardust to the world in an album released during the glam rock era of music.

Bowie died seven years ago, but Ziggy lives on in a capsule collection created by Mother, the Los Angeles-based denim and ready-to-wear label founded in 2010 by Lela Becker and Tim Kaeding.

Mother is known for her playful and nonconformist spirit. You’re also recognized for your well-fitting jeans with soft fabrics that got a nod six years ago from Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, when she dated Prince Harry and wore a pair of Mother jeans to the Invictus Games in Toronto.

But the brand does much more than denim. He is also known for his capsule collections and this year, for the capsule launch on Tuesday, Mother pays homage to Bowie’s otherworldly character, Ziggy Stardust, with reinterpreted 70s styles.

“Mother is rooted in growing up in the ’70s, and we’ve long been inspired by Bowie’s ever-evolving characters. The opportunity to design with the imagery and iconography of the Ziggy Stardust era felt like a full-circle moment,” Kaeding said in an email. “Bowie’s legacy spans generations and the world as he we know today wouldn’t be as colorful or unique without his input. He was the ultimate rebel, and our collection leans into his and his mother’s maverick spirit.”

The Mother team designed the eight-piece capsule collection using Bowie’s archive. “We approached the collaboration the same way we do our main line, leaning into a whimsical feel while using interesting design techniques,” Kaeding explained.

The Bowie x Mother collection, ranging in price from $28 to $475, is made in Los Angeles, with the exception of the cardigan and socks. It includes a 70s-inspired flared jean, a cardigan using Bowie’s iconic red and blue palette, concert tees, a sweatshirt and Let’s Dance socks.

For the fall, Mother will release a second Bowie x Mother capsule collection. — DEBORAH BELGIUM

Event Expansion: Kathleen Ruiz has enjoyed a successful consulting career since leaving Hudson’s Bay Co. and its Saks Fifth Avenue division.

Ruiz, a former senior vice president of partnerships and media for Hudson’s Bay and vice president of marketing for Saks, formed KRW Consulting in 2017, shortly after exiting the retailer.

And now it is forming KRW Productions, a new events division to provide clients with global event production, strategy, marketing and management.

While the consultancy has always produced events, by creating a separate division, the company can undertake large-scale productions in the United States and internationally, Ruiz said. The plan is to manage all aspects of the event, from concept and logistics to marketing and execution. “Whether that means helping you build your guest list, invite influencers, garner media buzz, or develop your event advertising strategy, we’re with you every step of the way,” said Ruiz. “We don’t start and we don’t stop when the event does.”

Ruiz said KRW Consulting has “produced dozens of events across multiple industries since its inception in 2017, most recently, a large-scale fashion show in Tampa featuring Sachin & Babi’s Spring 2023 collection to celebrate the new Ritz Carlton Residences by The Related Group. Other events have included a series of beauty launch activations across the country, press preview events in New York, London and a global fashion production in Riyadh to celebrate Saudi designers. There were also smaller-scale and intimate events, such as dinners for top clients and exclusive trunk shows.

“After the pandemic, as things started to open up and people wanted to do more in-person events, we started to see an increase in demand for event services,” Ruiz said. “That’s when we decided to expand our capabilities and offer a new division hyper-focused on this growth area,” noted Ruiz.

“By assigning additional resources and expertise to event marketing and production, we will have the ability to not only tackle more types of events, but also larger-scale events on a global stage.”

The new division will also add some new faces, he said. “We are engaging experts in event production and logistics with the aim of providing an exceptional experience for our clients and their guests.” He said he’s now finalizing some hires.

KRW currently employs a team that includes former Saks executives Gretchen Manolakis, Cara Fratto and Steven Salton, as well as Emily Crinage, former MM Luxe Consulting and Chief of Staff at Fernbrook Capital Management. — JEAN E. PALMIERI