Wednesday afternoon I headed up to the twelfth floor of Times Square to have a look at the Spring / Summer 2008 collection from Puma. The show included new shoes in the Alexander McQueen, Black Label, and Rudolf Dassler lines. The venue was on one of the restaurant levels of Times Square that they brand the Food Forum. These take up the tenth through thirteenth floors and are accessible from the elevator banks close to Gucci. The 798 Unit, a bistro, had been emptied out for the show and there was an antique style couch sitting in the center of the checkered pattern floor. Guests were soon in for a surprise – the invitation didn’t say anything about mimes!
Before the show began I had a chance to walk around and photograph the shoes which were on display. There was a diverse range between the three premium lines.
[photopress:Puma_Alexander_McQueen_shoe.jpg,full,pp_image] [photopress:Puma_Rudolf_Hong_Kong.jpg,full,pp_image] [photopress:Puma_sneakers_black_label_H.jpg,full,pp_image] [photopress:Puma_sneaker_Rudolf_black_l.jpg,full,pp_image] [photopress:McQueen_Puma_sneakers_Hong.jpg,full,pp_image]The show featured several skits that included two mimes. Old music would play and they would come out to perform shoe-related skits. On a few occasions they helped the models (Rosemary and Carl Ng below,) with their shoes.
[photopress:Rosemary_HK_model_Carl_NG.jpg,full,pp_image]Puma smartly used a combination of models and local celebrities in their show. Two of the models were actors.
[photopress:Hong_Kong_actors_Puma.jpg,full,pp_image]This technique guarantees Puma more press than if they simply used models. It also allows media editors to include coverage from the event in other sections besides fashion.
Cara G. trying not to smile at me!
[photopress:Hong_Kong_model_Cara_G.jpg,full,pp_image]
