Was one of two designers working for MKG who co-collaborated on designing 'District 1937' for Ray-Ban on May 15th, 2014. We transformed SIR Stage 37 into a factory workshop-inspired space allowing guests to interact with the five materials used to manufacture a new line of Ray-Ban sunglasses: denim, leather, steel, titanium and velvet. Along with artists installations, activations and live musical performances, guests could also customize a pair of Ray-Bans in the REMIX Lounge. This event was nominated for Best Product Launch by BizBash at the 2014 Event Style Awards.
The facade of the building was transformed with an enormous logo applied with spray chalk and a non-traditional step and repeat made from stacked branded boxes.
Guests entered the event through the loading dock and were greeted with a large neon logo, a vinyl decal lockup, branded boxes, fly-posted campaign imagery, and the five materials that the new line is crafted from. 'District 1937' font is a custom font of my own design.
Inside the factory space we created five material vignettes which included sunglass displays, artists and makers who work in the materials, and extensive propping in order to create an immersive experience.
Debbie Harry of Blondie headlined the event. She's shown here in the denim vignette in front of a comissioned piece from denim artist Ian Berry.
The denim vignette included art from denim artist Ian Berry displayed on a custom built and distressed wall structure. Section was propped extensively with rented bolts of denim, thrift store jeans, rented professional sewing and denim cutting machines, and well and numerous other rented and purchased props.
Denim sunglass display is designed to look like a thick stack of denim about to be cut by a motorized pattern cutter. Glasses are recessed into cut layers of denim and Ray-Ban's "never hide" tagline is hand drafted on the top layer of denim.
The leather vignette included art from leather artist Mark Evans displayed on a custom built and distressed free-standing wall structure. Section was propped extensively with leather scraps, vintage tools, and numerous other rented and purchased props.
Leather sunglass display was designed to be a finishing table, with glasses displayed in articulating black vice grips highlight with magnifying lights and surrounded by leather scraps, paint brushes, and dye. "Never hide" was spelled out on the table's surface with messily applied dye.
The steel vignette included art from kinetic artist Anne Lilly displayed on plinths atop a black tarp on the floor. Guests were encouraged to interact with the sculptures which were surrounded by a staged steel workshop including details like a half-drank pot of coffee and custom built storage shelves fly-posted with campaign imagery.
Steel sunglass display was crafted out of a sheet of laser-cut steel which was then origami folded into a dynamic shape and displayed on a custom wall-flat. Glasses protruded out of glasses sized cutouts & the glasses blanks were displayed on the shelf underneath.
The velvet vignette featured Brooklyn-based screenprinters Kayrock, who printed flocked customized Ray-Ban illustrations live for guests to take home.
This detail shows some of the velvet propping, which was meant to evoke a Jimi Hendrix vibe.
The titanium vignette was designed to look like an architectural panel workshop / instillation site. Construction equipment surrounded partially built titanium sweeps which were underneath a titanium 'chandelier' of pannels.
Titanium sunglass display was a wall mounted array of soldering clamps with magnifying glasses on a wall-flat fly-posted with drafted pages and campaign imagery.
Maker Pat Daugherty also inhabited the space and custom anodized titanium guitar picks using a unique voltage based system that allows for different colors with the turn of a knob.
Bars were fly-posted in campaign imagery and served cocktails created specially for the event.
Located on the mezzanine level was the 'REMIX lounge' which included a large custom structure built from industrial piping which allowed guest to interact with the REMIX site on iPads and build a custom pair of glasses that they would later receive via the mail. Area also included an additional bar and gif photobooths by PHHHOTOBOOTH.
Debbie Harry performing in front of a custom built Ray-Ban sign.