Q: So I’m backstage at Mike Costello with Tyson Beckford. How are you?
I’m good, how are you?
Q: I’m so excited because Michael is such a good friend.
Me too. That’s why I’m doing it.
Q: Is it fun to do a show for your friend?
Yeah, because it’s like there are no expectations, and you’re living this.
Q: And he’s so talented.
I’m so respectful of him, his work. I feel like I want to make it great for him. So that’s pretty much why I’m here.
Q: And his mother is here, too.
Oh is she? I met his son yesterday.
Q: And the whole family.
You can’t consider somebody a friend until you’ve met their parents. If they’re still alive, and able to be there.
You can’t consider somebody a friend until you’ve met their parents.
Q: It’s true. Is this the only show you’re doing this week?
Yes. I like to be a part of Fashion Week. I like to go to shows of friends. I miss it. Sometimes I sit there and I’m like, “I want to get up and walk in the show.”
Q: Well, designers, word is out: he misses it!
I do miss it, but designers, I have to be inspired. Michael’s inspired me. So I’m going to do it. I might be fat, and old, but I’m going to do it.
Q: You’re not, as anyone can see! Thank you so much, we can’t wait to see you on the runway.
Yeah, I’m excited to see me, too.
Q: Thank you.
You’re welcome.
With love,
FWO
Q: My favorite designer, Michael Costello; my buddy. How are you?
So good to see you! It doesn’t feel like Fashion Week until you come.
Q: Well, of course I always bring in Fashion Week for everyone. So tell me about this collection.
It’s magical, really. There is magic in the “Midnight Botanical Garden Bash.”
magic in the midnight botanical garden bash …
You can sometimes get bashed for florals in the spring, as not innovative. But you know, this is a darker side of springtime. This is a darker woman who loves to get dirty in the garden. It’s like you’re seeing a flower bloom, and the garden bloom architecture in the dresses. We wanted to captivate you and grab your attention, so you see the story unfold like a flower.
This is a darker side of springtime.
Q: So does it go from dark to light?
It does. You know I always go back to black every — like Amy Winehouse.
So we start out in a really beautiful color. It’s like these beautiful plum, slightly pomegranate colors. It’s really juicy, really tasty. Makes you want to bite into it, the color is so beautiful. And then we see this explosion of beautiful prints and florals, and we have an incredible men’s look in the show, too. Tyson’s back; he’s returned to the runway.
Makes you want to bite into it.
Q: I saw you on Instagram with him.
Yeah, he’s my buddy, so we had our fitting the other night. And I literally had to cut the pants on his body. I was this close to his body hitting it.
Q: Oh, it’s rough.
Let me just tell you my job is difficult.
Q: I’m so proud of you because you opened your first Michael Costello store!
I did. 1538, North Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, California.
Q: I mean this is huge news!
This is huge. This is such a big part of what I’ve been wanting to give back to everyone for so long.
Q: And such a new designer, wow.
We just never felt we were ready. But a really good friend of mine, Rosa, said to me, “When are you ever ready?” And I said “You know what? You just sparked the fire, and I’m going to do it. Let’s just do it.”
Q: People like Beyoncé, Gwen Stefani, they’re ready to wear your designs. So I think everyone else in the world is ready, for sure.
Yeah.
Q: Is the stuff we’re going to see today going to be in the store?
Yes.
Q: …and available online?
Give me about 7-10 business days and we’ll get it done.
Q: Wow. That’s amazing! And people get it online, too, after the show?
They can, for sure.
In September 2013, Diane von Furstenberg launched a video that made very little noise. The video — by a company called Clicktivated — was for DVF’s Spring ’14 “Oasis” collection.
(A non-clickable version is still available at the DVF Facebook. The clickable version is embedded below — as long it remains on the hosting server, anyway.)
Was this video the birth of “see now, buy now” shopping? Short answer: We don’t know. (Sorry for the letdown.) But it’s the earliest “big name” clickable / shoppable video we know of.
(And totally separate aside: before Karlie Kloss was DVF’s main girl, there was the insanely gorgeous Daria Werbowy. And if you want to see more of the NCompletelySFW shoot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, click here.)
Was this the birth of “See Now, Buy Now” shopping? Short answer: We don’t know.
Now there’s a host of companies in the “see now, buy now” space, from Shoppable to Cinematique, to companies we know very little about like Wirewax and ClickableVideo.eu.
The Insanely Beautiful DVF Girl Daria Werbowy (in what may have been fashion’s first large-scale “shoppable” video)
Each offers a different range of features: some are clickable. Some are not. Some are best on mobile; others on desktop.
Some are clickable. Some are not.
But why the sudden boom?
It all traces back to changes in fashion week itself. And that change can, in turn, be traced back to a pivotal moment in the world of fashion: the first prominent live-streaming videos of fashion week.
It can all be traced to the first big live-streaming video of fashion week.
And for that, you can thank London.
In February 2010, Clara Mercer, Marketing Director of the British Fashion Council, announced that they would launch the “first LFW Digital Schedule, live streaming the shows from Somerset House to the London Fashion Week site.” The move was pioneered by a digital broadcast agency called Streaming Tank.
In February 2010, London Fashion Week launched the world’s first “digital” schedule.
Burberry – “Leader of the Pack”Burberry was swift to take advantage of the technology, live streaming a star-studded 3D show. (So perhaps it’s not surprising that Burberry was the first widely-reported brand to embrace a full-scale “See Now, Buy Now” model in 2016.)
It’s worth mentioning that while London was rolling out a full schedule of live-streaming shows, Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein were hosting live streams of their own in New York. And it was around this time the “democratization of fashion” phrase started finding new life.
It was around this time the “democratization of fashion” phrase found new life.
Whereas this term was once applied to broader (but no less revolutionary topics) as the emergence of ready to wear, in 2009 it was live streams of previously inaccessible shows like Alexander McQueen that led writers to start applying the term to a new kind of revolution.
(Yes, in 2009 it was considered “revolutionary” for sites to be posting images of fashion shows almost immediately after each show! Now, of course, there are excellent sites like NowFashion who do nothing but.)
The Original 2009 NYFW Live Stream Schedule (click to enlarge)
By September 2010, New York was on board, in a big way. Although it was a smattering of the total schedule, the shift to fashion week as a consumer-facing proposition had begun.
Around this time, sites like our own FashionWeekOnline.com (then called LiveRunway.com), began hosting and organizing the live streams. (There were other excellent sites as well, such as CatWalkLive.TV and FirstComesFashion.com.)
By September 2010, New York was on board, in a big way.
In 2012, growth of the live streams was accelerated by partnerships like those between Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and Rightster.com. Rightster.com allowed third-party websites (including bloggers of every conceivable size and audience) to embed the live streams.
Not long after, came the backlash.
Many designers bemoaned the loss of the “exclusivity” element, and — in New York — the loss of the intimacy and camaraderie that were part of the shows at Bryant Park in the ’90s. While it’s easy to blame a sense of entitlement or snobbery, the fact is that the “Big 4” fashion weeks were created primarily as industry events designed for two groups: the press — whose job was to write about collections — and store buyers, who needed to be able to see the clothes in real life, and even touch the fabric, in order to place orders.
The recoil came in December 2013. Although the headlines generally exaggerated the situation, the fact is that a perceived “glut” of bloggers was indeed one of several complaints from designers. And as a result, IMG Worldwide (who ran “MB Fashion Week New York”) responded by limiting attendance.
As it turns out, the new push back toward exclusivity didn’t last long.
Which is where we are now.
Although “see now, buy now” shopping is nothing new, actually embracing fashion week — as something to directly reach the consumer — is. And it seems to have reached some sort of critical mass in 2016.
There are hold-outs, to be sure. A number of French fashion houses seem opposed to the idea. And they’ve found support in the Fédération Française de la Couture du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode (a very long name for an organization, to be sure).
Video from Shoppable.eu
But with big brands like Tom Ford, Burberry, and Rebecca Minkoff on board, it’s becoming harder and harder to turn back the clock.
And if adding little clickable icons seems like only a small thing, in the grand scheme of things it’s not so small: because the attendant change to “in-season shows” affects the very structure of the fashion calendar itself.
The change affects the very structure of the fashion calendar itself.
No matter what happens, “see now, buy now” is what’s happening now.
And here at FWO — as always — we’re just happy to take you along for the ride.
With love,
FWO
Q: We’re backstage at Michael Costello with Michael’s secret weapon, Charlotte Welch, his stylist forever. How are you, Charlotte?
I’m so happy you’re here; you’re my favorite backstage host!
Q: This is my favorite show always.
Thank you, that’s a huge compliment.
Q: Tell me about the collection?
This collection took us a long time. We needed a year to come back to Fashion Week, and for this season we went for something really different. We tried to see some things that we don’t usually use, like flowers, and a botanical idea. So we visited some places in L.A. and in California, and really got inspired by the architecture of blooming. That’s kind of how this collection came up.
We were inspired by the architecture of blooming.
Q: When you step in[to the creative process], are there arguments, or is it an easy collaboration? I mean, Michael’s so sweet.
He’s so sweet but yeah, these are his babies. So when I come in, there are a lot of arguments, but at the end of the day we know that’s work, and we’re just trying to make each other better. So we definitely hammer it out with each other, especially when we get closer to showtime.
Q: And then preparing make-up — do you participate in that at all?
Absolutely! He really wants me to help bring the girls to life. We test a lot before the show, so we’re making sure we’re getting the right color palette, and that we’re communicating the right things.
Q: We can’t see what’s coming down the runway. And soon, I hear, there are going to be more Charlotte bags coming? Charlotte also designs the most beautiful bags.
Yes, next season I’ll have more bags. This collection took up so much time. But I’m going to get back into the drawing room as soon as this season is over.
Q: Yes, please!
Thank you, thank you so much for coming.
Q: Always …
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Learn Morehouseofborel.com
With love,
FWO
TRANOÏ introduces TRANOÏ PARFUM, in partnership with BARNEYS
Olfaction — as Marcel Proust surely knew — is one of life’s most mysterious, intimate, and personal explorations, able to achieve depths that can often only be described as “ethereal” … and often touching the spiritual.
For those like myself who are fragrance obsessed — who like to “A/B” geranium essential oils, or try and find out who in the room is wearing Santal 33 by Le Labo (hint: this NYFW, lots of people) — the launch of TRANOÏ New York: Parfums (September 17 – 19 in Chelsea, at The Tunnel) will come as a welcome surprise.
Fornasetti
TRANOÏ New York: Parfums will present a carefully curated selection of more than 40 niche brands such as Arquiste, Parfumeur, Costume National, Fornasetti Profumi, and Mad et Len, to name a few.
They’re partnering with Barneys New York for an exclusive preview at the Madison Avenue store on Friday, September 16th.
FWO had the exciting opportunity to speak with Armand Hadida (Artistic Director of TRANOÏ and founder of L’Eclaireur — the world’s most exciting fashion “chain”) and David Hadida, CEO of TRANOÏ.
Q: The initial launch of TRANOÏ Paris: Parfums was a great success. Why do you think there’s been such a growing demand for “rare” or “niche” fragrances? Do you think people are becoming exposed to some of these fragrances for the first time? I still remember the first time I smelled something by Profumum or Parfumerie National, and suddenly realized most “department store” perfumes smelled the same.DAVID HADIDA: There’s indeed this desire in the market to be unique and stand out in a certain way.
With TRANOÏ New York: Parfums, we want to emphasize uniqueness specifically. Another important factor in launching the Parfums show in NYC is the element of discovery for buyers at the the show.
Retailers were asking us for something different, and lifestyle concept stores and small luxury boutiques have become a growing trend. These niche, upscale products fit perfectly within their boutiques.
We want to emphasize uniqueness specifically.
Q: What do you think some of the world’s most “iconic” fragrances are — and why? Or, perhaps, what are the most iconic for you?
DAVID HADIDA: The age of iconic fragrances — of Chanel No. 5 or even Thierry Mugler Angel — is really too commercial of a concept nowadays.
Today, it’s all about rare, artisanal fragrances. It’s the fastest-growing sector of the perfume industry. The object today is to NOT smell like anyone else.
The object today is to NOT smell like anyone else.
Even the idea of having a “signature fragrance” is outdated. Fragrance aficionados today love the process of discovery, and most have a fragrance “wardrobe” to show for it.
Q: I had the opportunity to interview Ensar Oud once: although I’m not certain he’s still in the agarwood business. He sent me some vials of actual oud oil, which were quite fascinating. I’m seeing oud in more and more fragrances. Do you think it’s still a growing trend, or has it passed its prime?DAVID HADIDA: Oud is such a quintessential component in the perfume business that it is almost impossible to un-think it. I wouldn’t say it has passed its prime but there are other and perhaps more interesting ingredients that are defining today’s perfume landscape such as the study of molecules [such as Molecule 01] and lactones.
The study of molecules and lactones are defining today’s perfume landscape.
Q: What are some things you’re most excited about for the upcoming event, September 17 – 19?
DAVID HADIDA: We’re very excited to introduce the Parfums show as a whole, yet to continue the idea of an intimate and high-end boutique trade show where we encourage dialogue and exchange. We brought this strong selection committee with industry experts on board who will discuss the future of fragrance and the importance to incorporate fine fragrances in fashion and luxury lifestyle boutiques.
We will discuss the future of fragrance.
From a fashion point of view, we’re excited to welcome premium brands such as LaQuan Smith, LF Markey, and Som Les Dues, and to have returning designers such as Catherine Osti, Gold Philosophy, or House of Lafayette.
Q: Tell us more about TRANOÏ International Fashion Tradeshows in general. What’s its scope and mission, and what do you foresee for the future?
DAVID HADIDA: With TRANOÏ we want to be more than just an international tradeshow. We offer a strict selection of remarkable designers each season and this makes the show what it is today: a valuable source of truly different, international creativity, and outstanding, high quality talent.
Instead of a bazaar-style presentation of countless denim and streetwear labels, we finely edit the roster, selecting niche brands. Quality is important, price is mostly not an issue for the attending buyers.
We offer a strict selection of remarkable designers each season.
In addition to the New York show twice a year, we show four times a year in Paris with Men’s, Women’s, Pre-Collections & Parfums. We’ve expanded to 3 different locations in Paris in the meantime (La Bourse, Le Carrousel du Louvre, and Cité de La Mode et Du Design as the newest venue) and as we’re growing in New York, we’re also forecasting to move into a bigger venue.
Q: Obviously Armand is founder of L’Eclaireur, one of the world’s greatest stores / small chains. I keep most of my things in L’Eclaireur boxes in my closet (they’re so beautiful to store things in). Do you think many of the designers you carry, names completely unfamiliar to most people who consider themselves “fashionistas” — Cherevichkiotvichk, Isaac Sellam, Guidi, A Diciannoveventitre, for example — are destined for the mainstream? Do they need to be?
ARMAND HADIDA: Glad to hear you’ve been keeping our L’Eclaireur boxes so closely! As for the question: does every brand need to be mainstream? Definitely not. Will some of these brands become breakout stars? Absolutely.
Q: Do you think online retailers like Luckyscent.com and FarFetch.com are helping to drive awareness of luxury items that were once unknown to the average shopper? (People who don’t live in Paris or New York, for example.)
ARMAND HADIDA: Online retailers that showcase artisanal brands are certainly making them more accessible. That said, it is incredibly important for emerging brands to be picked up by brick-and-mortar specialty retailers, too. Nothing can fully replace the in-store consumer experience — when you can try on a garment or test how a scent works with your skin’s own chemistry. Both channels are important.
Nothing can fully replace the in-store consumer experience.
Far from his leather-jacketed creations, Viktor Luna showed us a new side of his design abilities for SS17. His usual punk-fueled fervor of plaid, studs, and leather was absent, but his uncharacteristic collection was hardly an unwelcome addition to his repertoire.
Descending an elegant staircase in the newly renovated Museum of the City of New York, each model gave us a long look. The womenswear was structured yet loose, in hues of bright yellow and red. Each woman had a lace headpiece tied around her head and under her chin: a somber headpiece with subtle textured beauty. And many of them wore long leather gloves past their elbows, reminiscent of surgical wear. Even some of the jackets, white in color, had the look of a doctor’s coat.
Despite the medical overtones, one could also see military inspiration in the double-breasted jackets and blazers, while a clear athletic influence made its way into a yellow gown with racer stripes running down the sides. Another gown, red and floor-length, was accessorized with a sporty bomber jacket.
The menswear seemed interested in this same military style, which manifested itself in a trench coat with fringe epaulettes, the same arresting structure present in many of his famous leather jackets. With the menswear, the sense of medical anxiety was no longer present; the structure of the pieces along with the pops of color, like a yellow trench coat, rounded the collection out with optimism.
Certainly, we are saddened by our lack of fresh leather jackets, but the new aesthetic detour Viktor Luna has taken is different facet of his creative mind that we haven’t yet seen: a new perspective on a familiar favorite.
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See Morehttp://www.viktorluna.comhttps://www.facebook.com/Viktor-Luna-158093470887641/
With love,
FWO
Viktor Luna is no stranger to Project Runway fans all over the world, of course. But he’s also known as a designer worth continuing to watch, here and now. FWO editor Eila Mell sat down with Viktor before his SS17 collection at New York Fashion Week.Q: I’m here with Viktor Luna, my BFF. I’m so excited to see his fashion show tonight. Viktor, how are you?
Very nervous.
Q: There’s no reason! I saw a little sneak peek of the collection and it’s amazing.
The collection is awesome, yes. I am so excited to show it. I can’t wait for everyone to take a look at it, it’s so beautiful.
Q: And can we buy it? Is it going to be available on your website?
It’s going to be available on my website and it’s also going to be available in some of the stores. I pictured them — and I’m sure this is the most sellable collection that I’ve done in a long time, so I’m sure that it’s going to be accessible sometime.
Q: You know I’m a big fan of your leather jackets. Am I going to see some leather jackets tonight?
It’s a departure from leather. I have a leather dress. But I wanted to take it back to the ’90s — all about fabrics, things that we kind of forgot a little bit about, or at least for me. I wanted to just bring it back a little bit to the romanticism of fabrics and layers and textures and colors … and I just wanted to make it more romantic.
I wanted to take it back to the ’90s, all about fabrics.
although Dan Liu insists he is the “least important” member of the staff on the day of his show, clearly the ship runs smoothly due to the meticulous attention the designer pays to every possible detail.
A monitor of the runway backstage allowed us a glimpse of the designer — well-established on the Canadian fashion scene, and now breaching New York’s fashion week for the second time. He’s running to and fro, hands-on with his models. He’s an expressive man with a passionate heart; a sentiment evident in his collection, where light-hearted lace dresses, bright florals, and the happiest of little black dresses sashayed down the catwalk.
A passionate heart is evident in his collection.
The dresses, mostly A-line, reminded me of the flouncy dresses that make you think of yourself as “pretty” for the very first time, spinning in your skirt for your parents. They’re the kind of clothes that make you smile. With an interesting blend of fabrics, Liu creates a collection of lace, beads, and jewels — the very materials the word “pretty” brings to mind.
Detailed, yet wearable cocktail dresses took to the runway as Dan Liu presented his elegant Spring Summer 2017 collection entitled “New Path.” FWO editor Eila Mell went backstage to speak with Dan.Q: I’m so impressed. I’ve covered a lot of shows and I’ve never seen anybody so organized, ready so early and do such a detailed, great rehearsal. Congratulations.
Thank you. I have lot of people’s help, but I always want people as early as possible because we always have –- always have a last minute problem … a hustle. So at least I try to minimize the problem. So like I said to you earlier, I’m actually not important anymore at this stage. The models are more important, so they have to feel good, they have to be ready, they have to focus and start to walk out on the stage and kill the world for me, right?
So they have to be ready, so I try to make everyone ready, everyone happy, everyone confident so that eventually everyone will look good. So everyone will have more time, extra time to do this, do that. So this is what I want because we should appreciate everybody. So that’s why I’m trying to do my part. I didn’t even sleep last night, to just get ready. So in order to help everybody … that will help me, too.
I try to make everyone happy so everyone will look good.
Q: And I was here earlier and I saw Dan was so sweet, he gave his models a great talk and made them all feel wonderful.
Well, to me — because a lot of people don’t understand — to me everyone is equal. You know, it doesn’t matter where you come from, what your nationality is or who you are, everyone is equal, everyone is the same. And from my point of view models deserve the respect, because they are the ones who are beautiful, who are professional, and they suffer a lot to walk down the stage for the designer like me.
Everyone is equal. Models deserve respect.
We have our job. A lot of people tell me, “Oh no, you are the designer, you give them whatever to wear, it’s good. Like the model is beautiful, your dress is beautiful, they must be beautiful.” But that’s not true. Everybody has their individuality, right? Everybody looks different and my dresses are designed for different people, different bodies. So I have to respect them and make them look beautiful. So they know it. They feel it, they know that I respect them, they know that they look beautiful, and when they walk outside it’s better.
Everybody looks different and my dresses are designed for different people, different bodies.
There are a lots of people who say, “No, I’m the designer, you are the model. I give it to you, you wear whatever, you do whatever I tell you to do.” But you can tell from the models’ faces that they are not happy, or they are just taking it as a job.
Fashion from my point of view is so who you are. So if they feel it’s not who they are, and they just walk out for their job, the show will never look good. My dress will never look good.
My dress is not designed for the show; it’s designed for real people. They have to look — you know, when you put it on my dress you have to look confident and beautiful. So the models have to feel beautiful and walk out the stage for me with a feeling that they know they’re beautiful, and they know that I respect them.
My dress is not designed for the show; it’s designed for real people.
Q: That’s wonderful. And this is an exciting show for you because — correct me if I’m wrong — but this is the first time you’re showing your own name?
No, this is my second time.
But don’t worry. You know, in Canada, quite a lot of people know me. In Japan quite a lot of people know me. Quite a lot of people know me in the U.S. I’m building up, right? This is my second show with IMG New York: my first show was in February and I did the first show called “My World,” and this show is called “New Path.” It’s my first spring and summer collection though.
This show is called “New Path.”
The last time I did fall and winter. So and I’m very very honored that I got IMG New York to accept me again.
Q: Yeah, it’s wonderful.
I always try my humble best to not just to show the design, but to appreciate everyone, to show them what I can do for fashion.
Q: We can’t wait to see the show.
Thank you so much. Thank you for coming.
Q: Oh, I’m so charmed. Great to meet you, yes.
So thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Q: Thank you.
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(Photos: Carolina Herrera)Imagine for a moment that you’re one of the world’s top designers. You’ve rubbed shoulders with Andy Warhol and Mick Jagger, and dressed first ladies from Jackie O. to Michelle Obama. And your NYFW shows are known for a certain amount of fairy tale splendor, executed with a “just so” precision.How do you bring that magic to a livestream experience?
For their Spring 2016 show, Carolina Herrera turned to Livestream.com, with phenomenal results.
After disappointing earlier attempts with other vendors, the Carolina Herrera digital team needed to find a solution. “We struggled with the same thing season after season,” said Elizabeth Fuller, Digital Manager at Carolina Herrera. “The stream didn’t go live, or the video quality was poor.
“It’s really important as a designer to always be moving forward, and to be on the cutting edge of technology. We have an incredibly global audience, and livestreaming the show would bring that audience right into the venue.”
“It’s really important to always be moving forward,” says Elizabeth Fuller, Digital Manager at Carolina Herrera.
The Magic of Carolina Herrera
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The result?
The Wall Street Journal named Carolina Herrera’s livestream the best of New York Fashion Week.
The show had more than 50,000 views and gained the brand over 60,000 new social media followers and 51.2M impressions. They had an 83% increase in Instagram followers alone compared to the previous show.
The Wall Street Journal called it the best of the season.
Needless to say, the Carolina Herrera team was thrilled.
Fuller lost her previous fears about livestreaming. “We felt such a sense of confidence with Livestream.com, and from a tech standpoint, we could really depend and rely on it. For us, the best part of working with Livestream, beyond the professionalism, was the quality of the product. The stream was crystal clear and the end result was fantastic.”
The lady behind the brand was also pleased with the final result. “Livestreaming was really important to Mrs. Herrera. It was important to her that people around the world get to experience her beautiful designs with her,” says Fuller. “She was thrilled with the way it turned out.”
We felt such a sense of confidence with Livestream.com.
How Diobox is Transforming the Way Fashion Shows Are Organized
Allen Nasseri is a man with a mission. If you’ve ever organized an event, you know the exhaustion that comes with managing multiple moving parts from multiple touch points, services, even computer applications. Nasseri’s Diobox is set to change all that, with an application that bundles many needed functionalities together, and that actually works.Q: What’s your background? How did you get started in event management, and how did it inspire the creation of Diobox?
By training, my background is in media and technology. At the same time, I’ve been involved with events management in different industries for more than a decade. Before Diobox, I was running marketing and event production at Newsweek and The Daily Beast. We hosted a lot of events in NY, DC, LA, and abroad. They ranged from intimate receptions for our magazine covers, all the way to red carpet events at Lincoln Center with more than 2,500 guests.
The process at all the events was a nightmare, from a logistical point of view, and we had SNAFUs at every stage of the planning (which is standard regardless of the industry). So I decided to leave my job and create a product for solving the mess that is event planning.
I decided to leave my job and create a product for solving the mess.
Event Horizon
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Q: So what does Diobox do, and how does it solve some of the logistical nightmares of event planning?Diobox simplifies the event management process by providing access to five core functionalities in a single platform, covering the entire event life cycle. Having access to these tools help eliminate the use of multiple products for hosting an event. The core functionalities are:
1. Guest list management and guest profiling
2. Emails: invitation sending with real-time delivery tracking
3. RSVP pages that are uniquely customized for each guest
4. Tables and seating assignment with support for waitlists
5. Check-in and door operations with support for plus-ones
Q: What makes Diobox unique from other products?Diobox is the first consumer event product that includes a built-in module for Client Relationship Management (CRM), storing guest preferences and guest activities.
The Diobox CRM also tracks guest history across events and provides meaningful analytics in a “Guest Scorecard” screen.
For example, if the same guest is invited to more than one event, Diobox will automatically reveal the number of invitations, total spend, attendance records, and even “no-shows.” This data provides invaluable insight to the event staff, helping them make smart decisions on the spot.
Q: What other features or advantages does it have?
For one, real-time sync between multiple iOS devices and the web app. You can merge duplicate guests through the import process. There are also “common-sense” permissions and privacy settings. For example, it hides sensitive guest information from the door staff.
There are also “auto-enhanced” guest profiles: using guest email addresses to obtain photos, names, titles, companies, and social links.
And “offline mode” allows users to work without an Internet connection, as Diobox stores all changes locally, and automatically syncs as soon as the device is reconnected –- all without interruption.
It hides sensitive guest information from the door staff.
Q: So who uses Diobox?
Diobox is a relatively new product when it was launched in Q1 2016. It has been used at a number of industries, including nonprofits, nightclubs, fashion, film festivals, and corporate events.
Q: Why did you launch it now?The event software space is crowded, which leaves many customers confused.
There are ticketing platforms, which help with generating revenue and selling tickets. Then there are basic check-in apps, which are used at private events. But these apps are primitive and not very easy to operate. The user is required to upload a confirmed list first, and then use the app for check-in. This import and export process creates a lot of data duplication and data fragmentation. It also requires using spreadsheets and third-party email marketing systems, which makes the problem worse. Finally, we have industry-specific products like FGPS. They include a lot of great features but are quite expensive and not affordable for smaller brands (FPGS is known to charge $400/user/month, with a minimum requirement of 3 users).
Diobox aims to provide an affordable event management solution that is industry independent. We also focused a great deal on the user experience to build a product that is simple and intuitive, while providing advanced features. More importantly, all of these features are built into our iPhone and iPad apps (unlike basic check-in apps). We want our customers to focus on their events without having to learn a new product or worrying about the backend technology.
Diobox aims to provide an affordable event management solution.
Q: How much does Diobox cost?A free version is available for events up to 50 guests. Paid plans start at $79/event and can be purchased on the web app or through an iOS in-app purchase. Subscription plans are also available for unlimited events.
Diobox provides the functionality of multiple products while costing less than any one of them. For additional pricing information and a compare chart, see: http://www.diobox.com/pricing.
To help independent producers, we are providing a 15% discount until the end of Fashion Week in partnership with FWO.
From 3-5 PM each day during New York Fashion Week (September 7-14), La Sirena will offer complimentary wine and cocktails on its patio for Fashion Week presenters, attendees, and fans.
The fashion week lounge is a production of La Sirena, Mario Batali, and Joe Bastianich’s restaurant in Chelsea’s Maritime Hotel.
In the style of Italian aperitivo, mid-afternoon drinks will be accompanied by small bites of food. Passed food items will include sweet corn arancini, late-summer tomato caprese, and pinzimonio skewers. Food and drink will be complimentary during Fashion Week.
Attendees need not RSVP — the food and drink will be offered to all of those on the patio every day during Fashion Week. The event is sponsored by Kartell, Fattoria Sardi, and Pernod Ricard, and will feature Absolute Elyx, Avion Tequila, and Plymouth Gin.
Located on the plaza level of the Maritime Hotel, La Sirena is an elevated trattoria serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. With 120 seats on an open-air patio overlooking Ninth Avenue, La Sirena is a destination for al fresco dining.
The Fashion Week series is a kickoff for the restaurant’s proper aperitivo program, which will be available each weekday after the conclusion of Fashion Week. From 3-5PM, the restaurant will offer small bites of food with the purchase with a glass of wine or cocktail.
The Fashion Week series is a kickoff for the restaurant’s proper aperitivo program.
Aperitivo will highlight the spritz section of the restaurant’s cocktail list, with variations on the classic aperitivo drink including the Improved Spritz with amaro and fresh grapefruit. The program is therefore dubbed #spritzoclock.
The program is therefore dubbed #spritzoclock.
“Late afternoon is the magic hour on the patio,” says Managing Partner Jeff Katz. “Particularly as the summer comes to a close, the weather is perfect for outdoor dining and drinking. And just before dinner service kicks into full swing is the perfect time for a leisurely drink outside.”
“Late afternoon is the magic hour,” says Managing Partner Jeff Katz.
In the middle of the Meatpacking District, the plaza level is an oasis to sit and lounge for a drink, as if one were on the patios of Positano.
The Maritime Hotel is owned and operated by hotelier Sean MacPherson and prolific hotel developer Richard Born.
La Sirena is B&BHG’s first new standalone restaurant in New York in nearly a decade.
B&BHG’s most recent New York undertaking was Del Posto, the distinguished four-star restaurant which opened in 2005 just west of the Maritime Hotel.
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Learn moreHow to AttendLa SirenaMario BataliThe Maritime Hotel
With love,
FWO
Q: And he’s so talented.
I’m so respectful of him, his work. I feel like I want to make it great for him. So that’s pretty much why I’m here.
Q: And his mother is here, too.
Oh is she? I met his son yesterday.
Q: And the whole family.
You can’t consider somebody a friend until you’ve met their parents. If they’re still alive, and able to be there.
With love,
DAVID HADIDA: There’s indeed this desire in the market to be unique and stand out in a certain way.
With TRANOÏ New York: Parfums, we want to emphasize uniqueness specifically. Another important factor in launching the Parfums show in NYC is the element of discovery for buyers at the the show.
Retailers were asking us for something different, and lifestyle concept stores and small luxury boutiques have become a growing trend. These niche, upscale products fit perfectly within their boutiques.
DAVID HADIDA: Oud is such a quintessential component in the perfume business that it is almost impossible to un-think it. I wouldn’t say it has passed its prime but there are other and perhaps more interesting ingredients that are defining today’s perfume landscape such as the study of molecules [such as 
Diobox simplifies the event management process by providing access to five core functionalities in a single platform, covering the entire event life cycle. Having access to these tools help eliminate the use of multiple products for hosting an event. The core functionalities are:
1. Guest list management and guest profiling
2. Emails: invitation sending with real-time delivery tracking
3. RSVP pages that are uniquely customized for each guest
4. Tables and seating assignment with support for waitlists
5. Check-in and door operations with support for plus-ones
Diobox is the first consumer event product that includes a built-in module for Client Relationship Management (CRM), storing guest preferences and guest activities.
The Diobox CRM also tracks guest history across events and provides meaningful analytics in a “Guest Scorecard” screen.
For example, if the same guest is invited to more than one event, Diobox will automatically reveal the number of invitations, total spend, attendance records, and even “no-shows.” This data provides invaluable insight to the event staff, helping them make smart decisions on the spot.
The event software space is crowded, which leaves many customers confused.
There are ticketing platforms, which help with generating revenue and selling tickets. Then there are basic check-in apps, which are used at private events. But these apps are primitive and not very easy to operate. The user is required to upload a confirmed list first, and then use the app for check-in. This import and export process creates a lot of data duplication and data fragmentation. It also requires using spreadsheets and third-party email marketing systems, which makes the problem worse. Finally, we have industry-specific products like FGPS. They include a lot of great features but are quite expensive and not affordable for smaller brands (FPGS is known to charge $400/user/month, with a minimum requirement of 3 users).
Diobox aims to provide an affordable event management solution that is industry independent. We also focused a great deal on the user experience to build a product that is simple and intuitive, while providing advanced features. More importantly, all of these features are built into our iPhone and iPad apps (unlike basic check-in apps). We want our customers to focus on their events without having to learn a new product or worrying about the backend technology.
A free version is available for events up to 50 guests. Paid plans start at $79/event and can be purchased on the web app or through an iOS in-app purchase. Subscription plans are also available for unlimited events.
Diobox provides the functionality of multiple products while costing less than any one of them. For additional pricing information and a compare chart, see: 
The Fashion Week series is a kickoff for the restaurant’s proper aperitivo program, which will be available each weekday after the conclusion of Fashion Week. From 3-5PM, the restaurant will offer small bites of food with the purchase with a glass of wine or cocktail.
