Tourist Attractions Emerge as Big Draws for Fashion

The concept of fashion PR campaigns mingling with must-see tourist destinations has surged in recent years.

One watershed moment occurred in 2011, when the signature designs of renowned British couturier Alexander McQueen were brought to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exhibition, titled “Savage Queen,” featured an estimated 100 ensembles and 70 accessories that served as a retrospective of McQueen’s storied, 19-year career. The exhibit drew fashionistas the nation over to an otherwise unlikely location.

After a two-year renovation, The Met’s Costume Institute on May 8 reopened as the Anna Wintour Costume Center. Comprised of renovated galleries, a conservation laboratory, an expanded study facility, and a fashion library, the Costume Institute is now a collection of more than 35,000 relics that represent fashionable dress, regional costumes, and accessories from across five continents and seven centuries. Equipped with the latest video, sound, and wireless technology, The Costume Institute remains on the cutting edge of providing visitors the latest in fashion industry trends.

Another tourist attraction to catch the fashion bug is the Brooklyn Museum. From October 2013 to February 2014, this historic attraction hosted Jean Paul Gaultier’s “From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk,” and in so doing so, became the only east coast venue to host the first international exhibition dedicated to the famed designer. Visitors were wowed by the 140 haute couture and pret-a-porter ensembles. Many pieces were exhibited on custom mannequins, featuring interactive faces created by high-definition audiovisual projections. Other attractions included stage costumes, sketches, photographs, accessories, as well as excerpts from films, and documentation of runway shows, dance performances, and concerts.

The Brooklyn Museum followed this with its exhibit “Killer Heels: The Art of the High Heeled Shoe.” Curated by Brooklyn Museum’s Curator of Exhibitions, Lisa Small, the exhibit offered a historical perspective on high heeled shoes, featuring more than 160 contemporary and historical designs. The exhibit also featured newsreel clips from the 1920s and 1930s, as well as a commissioning of six short films.

Fashion PR campaigns also now make an appearance in the world of wax beauty, thanks to New York’s Madame Tussauds continual focus on the world of fashion. Visitors to this historic phenomenon have long enjoyed seeing lifelike figures of Elvis Presley, Jimmy Fallon, Pharrell Williams, Scarlett Johansson, and countless others. As it relates to fashion, none may be as impressive as the museum’s current figures of Jennifer Lopez and Taylor Swift, both of whom now make mesmerizing fashion statements. JLo now dons a Fall 2012 Blumarine dress, which received rave reviews from the press during her time as a judge on American Idol. The attraction also captured the sassiness of Taylor Swift by replicating the popular cheerleader outfit from her “Shake It Off” video. The marketing pitch was that the outfit, which is easily recognizable to teens, would be an easy sell for this particular demographic.

Our firm has recently seen an influx of tourism attraction leads worldwide that are looking to position themselves strongly with original fashion angles. Our sales department has reported receiving at least one major RFP monthly from separate travel attractions or representatives worldwide.

That influx has led us recently signing the legendary Moulin Rouge of France. The Moulin Rouge’s landmark voyage to the United States is part of this year’s Best of France celebration in Time Square, taking place on September 26-27. The event will bring thousands of tourists together for an unrivaled cultural spectacle. During the festival, a dance troupe will perform “a taste of Moulin Rouge”, a condensed eight minute performances, paying homage to their world famous Féerie and Cancan.

Over the years, Moulin Rouge has become the most famous cabaret in the world, internationally known for its French Cancan, immortalized by Toulouse-Lautrec in 1891 with his first advertising poster, as well as its salacious stage shows, elaborate costumes and original music.

The French extravaganza will also host a widely anticipated fashion show exhibiting the iconic costumes that have played key roles in the Moulin Rouge’s storied history. The PR focus offers a strong fashion-based push for the media to recognize historic cabaret’s lavish costumes, majestic dances, and sensational French energy are all fashion statements within themselves. This is a prime example of how worldwide tourist attractions are now emerging as fashion public relations focal points.

The flair of fashion is something that will never get old. Trends come and go, and fashion will always find a way to maintain relevance. One component that is becoming very clear is that new runways of tourist attractions may clearly be a hot and catchy mainstay.

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Monique Tatum is President and CEO of Beautiful Planning Marketing & PR.