USA: Fashion designer Marc Bouwer uses the internet during New York fashion week to showcase his collection

Record ID: 198158

  • Title: USA: Fashion designer Marc Bouwer uses the internet during New York fashion week to showcase his collection
  • Date: 30th August 2008
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF LYDIA HEARST AT MAKEUP DESK (2 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 14th September 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA5R4ZGZWKPQJWX5G66G3WJ8190
  • Story Text: Opting for technology over the tents, fashion designer Marc Bouwer turns to the internet to showcase his collection in these tough economic times.
    The models pranced down the runway, the photographers were furiously snapping away but unlike most fashion shows the room was devoid of an audience. That's because fashion designer Marc Bouwer was taping his runway show to premiere on the Internet more than a week later. Cost and reach is what drove him to bypass the tents in favour of the net.
    "We can contain it here and we can put it out to a wide audience, virtually stream it for millions of people worldwide to sit front row and see the show. That's what you want to do, you want to get your brand across and with technology why not do this? This is a whole new way of showing," said Bouwer.
    The collection, which features red-carpet worthy gowns in bright colours with flowing trains and sunny one-piece swimsuits, was inspired by the 1970s. Bouwer imagined goddesses by the swimming pool, he said.
    "The girls that I am basing this on are icons from the seventies like Veruschka, Ursula Andress, Raquel Welsh - all these beautiful, sexy women who weren't afraid to be sexy but they were really beautiful," said Bouwer.
    Bouwer's gowns have long been a favourite of celebrities. His garments have graced the bodies of Angelina Jolie, Beyonce Knowles, Charlize Theron and more but the star of the show was model Lydia Hearst. Hearst is the heiress to the Hearst fortune and great-granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst. The model recently won the "Supermodel of the Year" award at the Michael Awards in New York City.
    "Lydia Hearst just epitomizes goddess but she's very pretty," said Bouwer.
    "She's sprite, she's nymph-like, she's not overtly sexy and that's what I wanted these girls to just exude a sexiness but very pretty at the same time because that's what makes them tangible and more accessible -something to attain to."
    The 23-year-old model is the daughter of Patty Hearst who was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army in 1974 and later joined their cause and robbed a bank in their name. She said her mother is very supportive of her career choice.
    "My mother actually did a couple of runway shows when I was younger. She did Zang Toi and Thierry Mugler, which was my inspiration for getting into modelling when I was a younger age," said Hearst.
    The Mark Bouwer Spring 2009 collection will launch on www.marcbouwer.com on September 8th at noon.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register