Supermodels Unlimited Magazine Hosts: Billboards Over Broadway

NYFW CELEBRITY RUNWAY EVENT

New York Fashion Week (NYFW) made its glamorous return this week, and Supermodels Unlimited Magazine (SU) hosted one of the hottest runway events of the season, “Billboards Over Broadway.” On Saturday February 10th, 2024, SU used the catwalk to send a powerful statement in support of women’s rights, inclusivity, and in support of Best Buddies International. Best Buddies International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates employment opportunities, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). SU presented Best Buddies Int’l with a check for $4,000.00 live during the showcase.

The entire event was even more heightened by the incredible venue, Nebula, which is NYC’s most futuristic nightspot. Hosting the event was reality TV star and philanthropist Jordan Kimball, famed for his engaging personality on TV shows such as “The Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise.” In a dazzling showcase of beauty and purpose, the runway was headlined by the current Miss USA, Noelia Voigt, and Miss Teen USA, UmaSofia Srivastava, along with Miss USA representatives from each state symbolizing the blend of elegance and social consciousness that defined the evening. During the NYFW show, the runway models were illuminated above by Nebula’s amazing overhead digital screens with their respective Magazine Covers, while simultaneously appearing on digital billboards across Times Square.

“Our team is excited to experience the life-changing work of Best Buddies. As their organization bridges gaps and transforms lives, we are honored to be a part of this mission!” says Laylah Rose, President/CEO of Miss USA.

Other confirmed guests included Laylah Rose, President/CEO of Miss USA, Alexandria Everett of America’s Next Top Model, Christian “King” Combs, and the dynamic American rap rock band Emblem3, who ended the runway event with an exhilarating concert that kept the crowd rocking for another hour after the show.

“We wanted our magazine to speak to current and future generations of women,” says Kimberly Clark, publisher and editor-in-chief of Supermodels Unlimited Magazine. “Tonight we accomplished that goal! We wish to thank all who came out to support the Magazine, Miss USA and Best Buddies International!” Clark has operated Supermodels Unlimited Magazine for 24 years and oversees National Marketing, Publishing & Events for Miss USA.

About Supermodels Unlimited Magazine:

Supermodels Unlimited Magazine (SU) has been at the forefront of empowering women in the fashion industry for over two decades. SU is all about aligning fashion with philanthropy and social causes. Now in its 24th year, SU continues to inspire and lead with a commitment to inclusivity and positive change around the country.

For all NYFW Media Inquiries for Supermodels Unlimited Magazine, please contact Richard Lowe of Richard Lowe Fashion Group at rlowe@richardlowefashion.com or via cell at 931.581.4132.

All Media Inquiries: rlowe@richardlowefashion.com


WWD: Supermodels Unlimited Magazine Show and Trevor Project Benefit

Designers Michael Costello, Edmond Newton and Kelly Dempsey of Lifetime’s “Project Runway” are pitching in with designs for the show.

By Rosemary Feitelberg on January 31, 2019

IN REALITY: With suicide rates and bullying on the rise, Supermodels Unlimited Magazine is trying to help offset that trend with #YOLO: You Only Live Once runway show and benefit for The Trevor Project.

Knowing scores of teenagers across America face discrimination and bullying on a daily basis, Supermodels Unlimited has pulled together some TV-friendly faces for the Feb. 9 show at Union Park in Manhattan. Their aim is to motivate teenagers to stand up for themselves and get support if they need it. LGBTQ youth are nearly five times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers, according to the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth.

“No child or teen should ever feel their dreams are out of reach. They need our help now more than ever,” said Kimberly Clark, publisher and editor in chief of Supermodels Unlimited magazine.”

ABC “The Bachelorette” star Jordan Kimball will be on hand, as will DJ James Kennedy, who is better known for appearing on Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules.” “America’s Next Top Model” Laura Kirkpatrick and Jeana Turner, and Kasey Cohen of Bravo’s “Below Deck” will be among the models. Other influencers will walk the runway in honor of family members, friends and such designers as Kate Spade and L’Wren Scott.

Designers Michael Costello, Edmond Newton and Kelly Dempsey of Lifetime’s “Project Runway” are pitching in with designs for the show. Ariana Grande’s tattoo artist Mira Mariah will hit the runway for the first time. And military and fashion photographer Erika Barker, who has appeared on MTV’s “True Life” and Oxygen’s “Strut,” will hit the catwalk in support of trans military personnel facing political persecution in America. The show will wind down with a music tribute by Effie Passero from ABC’s “American Idol,” and then the formal presentation of a donation to The Trevor Project. The postshow Champagne reception is meant to be more informative than celebratory to spread the word that help is always within reach.

   


REUTERS: Models walk the New York runway to fight LGBT+ suicide

NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Models will strut the runway during New York’s semi-annual Fashion Week to help prevent suicide among LGBT+ teens, taking advantage of the crowds and attention to raise awareness of the risk to more than 1 million young people.

Dubbed #YOLO: You Only Live Once, the show on Saturday is aimed at raising money for the anti-suicide cause, organizers said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly a third of LGBT+ high school students seriously considered suicide in 2015 compared to 6 percent of heterosexual youth.

On Saturday, the show by Supermodels Unlimited Magazine, a beauty industry publication for women, hopes to reach the upscale and trendsetting crowd to talk about stopping suicide.

“As a society, we don’t talk about it,” Kimberly Clark, Supermodel Unlimited’ s editor in chief told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“It’s OK to be sad. It’s OK to not be OK. Let’s break the stigma.”

Clark described suicide as an epidemic that has touched everyone in the industry in some way.

Even industry leaders like Kate Spade, who took her life in June, feel they cannot talk about their pain, Clark said.

“If somebody like Kate Spade can’t talk about what she’s going through, how can we teach these kids to talk about it?”

All the proceeds of the show go to The Trevor Project, a suicide-prevention group for LGBT+ people under age 25.

The funds raised will contribute to the organization’s daily operations, which include multiple emergency phone banks and chat systems that youth considering suicide can call for help, Trevor Project leader Amit Paley said.

“I think it’s really important and will help save lives,” Paley said.

Paley started working at the Trevor Project as a volunteer on the phone lines, the organization’s first line of defense, and said he was surprised by the effectiveness a conversation can have in preventing suicide.

“In many cases, it is the first time that they are hearing someone say, ‘I see you for who you are. I am proud of you for being who you are,” said Paley.

This weekend’s event has already garnered support from models, musicians and reality TV stars personally affected by suicide and allies of the LGBT+ community.

Fashion photographer and reality star Erika Barker will walk the runway to honor transgender military members.

America’s Next Top Model contestant Jeana Turner will also walk, and singer and American Idol contestant Effie Passero will close the show.

Reporting by Kate Ryan; Editing by xxxxx. Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women’s and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate chenge. Visit www.trust.org


THE LBD MOVEMENT: Fearless Females Changing the Face of Fashion

Supermodels Unlimited Magazine Presents A NYFW Celebrity Runway Show Celebrating Diversity and Disability Awareness, #Metoo and #Timesup

“The #metoo and #timesup movements have opened a dialog that crosses borders, genders and redefines the boundaries of fashion itself,” says Kim Clark, editor of Supermodels Unlimited Magazine. “This is a defining moment in American history, with women all over the country speaking up about their experiences, using their voices and giving power to each other in brave new ways.”

This Saturday, her magazine will honor these women with a celebrity fashion show during their annual New York Fashion Week runway presentation.

Dubbed The Little Black Dress Movement, the show will spotlight women who are inspiring the next generation of women to be true to themselves. Among the models walking the runway will be transgender model Isis King, and America’s Next Top Model Laura Kirkpatrick and Jeana Turner. Kirkpatrick has been vocal about her battle with Dyslexia and Turner opened up her fight with Alopecia on the show.

America’s Next Top Model contestant Jeana lost her hair at ten years old when she was diagnosed with alopecia.

The evening’s special guest will be Izzy Proctor, a toddler model with Down Syndrome and one of the youngest to ever walk New York Fashion Week.

Supermodels Unlimited Magazine will conclude The LBD Movement runway show with a check presentation to the Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network, a charity that supports parents who have recently received a Down Syndrome diagnosis for their child or unborn baby. They will then host a cocktail hour from 8-9PM, where the #fearlessfemales will speak about their lives, the communities they represent and their contributions, along with Izzy Proctor, a toddler model with Down Syndrome and one of the youngest to ever walk New York Fashion Week.

Supermodels Unlimited Magazine Presents The Little Black Dress Movement; A Celebrity Fashion Show Celebrating Diversity and Disability Awareness, #Metoo and #Timesup takes place Saturday, September 8th at 6pm at The Mezzanine NYC (55 Broadway, NYC).

    

A Straight Shot: E-Commerce Gives Designers Direct Line to Shoppers

These days, direct-to-consumer e-commerce is a growing practice among designers.

By Cotton Incorporated 

Whether someone’s a small designer trying to make a name for themselves or a legacy retailer in the apparel business for nearly a century and a half, reaching the consumer is the name of the game. And these days, direct-to-consumer e-commerce is a growing practice among designers.

“Our catalogs don’t generate the same amount of response they used to, so we had to invest more in online media,” says Richard Lowe, international creative director for the 148-year-old Spiegel, whose catalog business allowed it to become the grandfather of direct-to-consumer retailing.

UsTrendy’s Sam Sisakhti founded the company of 15,000 indie designers back in 2008 after four days in a corporate finance job. “I had close friends that were so talented, but there are only so many small spots out there to sell to — and not everyone has the capital to open a brick and mortar store.”ADVERTISING

inRead invented by Teads

Meanwhile, Tallulah’s Designs, based in Birmingham, AL, was in business for a year-and-a-half before it offered online shopping last October from its own website.

“We started out selling to a store in Birmingham and another in New Orleans,” says designer and founder Heather Williams. “We developed our line and our contacts there, and they gave us excellent feedback and the encouragement to expand with an online presence.”

While the design/retail business model might be intimidating, that direct line to consumers is enticing. After all, (71%) of shoppers browse the Internet for clothes, up from 66% in 2011, according to the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™ Survey. Consumers still shop in-store more often — about two times per month versus once a month buying online. But they spend about 109 minutes shopping for apparel online, compared to 96 minutes in-store.

“Our site today is really 90% of our core identity,” Lowe says. “We went live on the Internet in 1994 and were the first large retailer to do so. But online, it’s always about being the most technologically advanced. We’ve gone through quite a change in the last six months.”

These days, the 28-year-old Lowe says Spiegel is “fully loaded” on social media. “We’re on Facebook, Twitter and we have a huge Pinterest page. I’ve taken 360-degree videos of the outfits so people can see the true fit. And these videos are all available on Pinterest, Facebook and our website.”

Spiegel is also going after the 2-to-5 million followers of 40 of fashion’s most elite bloggers. “We’re doing a hard push with them to get to their demographics. We’re going to send them product and challenge them to put my quality against any other label out there — and then let them talk about it.”

Social media and blogs that have a major following can be very influential — especially in an age when the notion of online “friendship” and “followers” is very fluid, and strong relationships can be formed without the parties ever formally meeting.

Among consumers, more than half (53% — up significantly from 46% in 2010) say friends are “most likely” to influence them to buy new apparel, followed by relatives (21%) and magazines (20%), the Monitor finds. Consumers ages 13-to-24 (74%) are significantly more likely than older shoppers (47%) to say friends are most likely to influence them.

“I don’t believe in pop up ads anymore,” Lowe says. “Today, people don’t care that there’s an ad telling them what to buy. They care that their friend wore it and posted what they like about it. They trust someone they know.”

For the novice designer, handling social media, courting traditional press and actually designing new apparel could seem daunting. That is where UsTrendy steps in to help the indie newcomer.

“We can reach the consumer directly online through the one million unique visitors we get on our site each month,” Sisakhti says. “For the consumer, we’re offering the rarity and exclusivity of so many designers, many of whom are only selling through us. Often, items can be personalized — so the bust can be this, the waist can be that, or they can change out the color or fabric options.”

UsTrendy also may provide capital, as well as offer advice and connections, and help with product description lines and photo shoots.

This type of support is important toward driving sales, especially as 30% of consumers cite the Internet as a source of apparel ideas, according to the Monitor.

Tallulah’s Designs’ Williams worked in retail before starting her line. Still, the new business has her wearing many different hats.

“When I sell wholesale, I sell to the stores and I’m done,” Williams says. “They market to the customer and worry about returns, exchanges and store credits. Online, you become the retailer. I have to dedicate time to be there for my customer. I spend three hours a day on emails, filling orders, helping with sizing and things like that.

“But I also have complete control of my brand,” Williams continues. “I also won’t run out of selling space like I would with a brick and mortar storefront. The possibilities for growth are endless. Online, you get to cultivate and curate your own space, and that’s wonderful.”

This article is one in a series that appears weekly on WWD.com. The data contained are based on findings from the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™ Survey, a consumer attitudinal study, as well as upon other of the company’s industrial indicators, including its Retail Monitor and Supply Chain Insights analyses. Additional relevant information can be found at CottonLifestyleMonitor.com.


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