Giveon and Alana Haim at The Vanities Party
In anticipation of the upcoming 2022 Oscars, we celebrated young Hollywood in style with BACARDÍ and Vanity Fair at The Vanities Party. VIP guests across the entertainment industry sipped on signature BACARDÍ Premium rum cocktails including the BACARDÍ Oscars Punch and BACARDÍ Ocho Old Fashioned. Notable attendees included Giveon, Olivia Culpo, Alana Haim, plus many more familiar fresh faces.
Let Awards Season begin!
H&S team members at a BACARDI event in Miami
Members of the H&S team spent a rum-tastic week in Miami with the BACARDÍ familia! From making piña coladas together to enjoying a Miami Heat game at the BACARDÍ Ocho Lounge to living it up on a private boat cruise, this week was an unforgettable bonding experience!
This month at H&S we are celebrating Black History Month by creating the Change Maker Series on our Instagram highlighting black trailblazers within the food, fashion, travel and spirits sector. We’ve also loved hearing from each other about how we are all taking the time to celebrate Black history and culture through various activities. See below for what we are excited to dive into this month!
This year, in honor of Black History Month, I will expand my investment in Black-owned business by becoming a customer of one new company per day. Want to join me? Check out the Black Business Green Book launched by agency partner and civil rights advocacy group Color of Change.- Veronica Rodriguez-Greene
This Black History Month I plan to pay my tribute by trying out an array of different black hair styles. My natural hair has always been true to my identity so I hope to embody different era’s of black culture through my hair this month! - Breanna Toney
My goal during Black History Month is to continue educating myself on the historical injustices, misrepresentations and complacency that still perpetuate racial inequality to this day, as well as learn how I can turn that knowledge into action. I'm currently reading The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones and next on my list is Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson.- Sydney Mishkin
To celebrate Black History Month, I’m planning on watching a few films and TV shows that help me learn more about events and experiences that are ingrained in Black history. A few must-watches on my list are “The Death And Life of Marsha P. Johnson,” “Just Mercy'' and “When They See Us.” - Caroline Sink
For Black History Month, I'm planning to prioritize reading a few novels by Black authors centered on the Black experience throughout different time periods, starting with Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge.- Madison Cassidy
For Black History Month this year, my friends and I are going to an event in Brooklyn where black, woman & queer vendors, artists, musicians are getting together every Saturday this month! I'm actually trying to help my friend get a booth so she can sell her art! - Usha
This Black History Month I plan on spending it reading works from some of my favorite black writers; Also, buying into more black-owned fashion brands and supporting black businesses.- Taj White
This year to celebrate Black History Month, I plan to not only educate myself weekly on new influential black figures that have impacted society that I may not have known prior. I also plan to only purchase items from black-owned businesses and brands for the whole month.- Brianna Hairston
This Black History Month, I’m making an EXTRA effort to read more books by Black authors. Octavia Butler, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Jasmine Guillory are a few of my favorite writers! - Tanisha Parker
Last Friday, Wilson opened their second permanent retail space in the heart of SoHo, NY. The 6,400-square-foot store offers a multisport assortment of goods as well as Wilson Sportswear (the brand’s newest athleisure collection) and even has an indoor park — the Thomas E. Wilson park to inspire all-day game play. So run over to 594 Broadway for the ultimate sports-inspired shopping experience.
Rum’s out, sun’s out New York City! Bacardi treated the big apple to a warm and sunny “Winter Summerland” in the heart of Times Square infusing the holiday season with island flair via 27 digital billboards featuring BACARDÍ, a Stop-and-Shop Merch Truck, a fleet of decked out pedicabs, and a flash-mob of break-dancers and roller-skaters. The pedicabs picked up some notable passengers like West Side Story’s Ana Isabelle and Broadway performer Tristan Mack Wilds, who both rocked some BACARDÍ swag of course!
H&S recently celebrated the opening of the OMEGA San Francisco Boutique with notable ambassadors and friends in attendance. Models and OMEGA Global Ambassadors, Cindy Crawford and her daughter Kaia Gerber; and Olympic-winning athletes Noah Lyles, Dalilah Muhammad and Mondo Duplantis all gathered to celebrate the brand’s iconic watchmaking. Following the opening, OMEGA hosted a star-studded gala with appearances from TV stars Justin Hartley and Antoni Porowski; musician Nick Jonas and more to mark the brand’s arrival in the Golden Gate City.
Our team has been working tirelessly the last few months as we have been signing new clients, planning amazing activations, and evolving as an agency. We spent the end of last week at our annual two-day company retreat, where we focused on team building and participated in dynamic training sessions. On Day 1 at Arlo Hotels, we learned how to manage tough conversations with Chrisa Zindros Boyce and took part in DE&I systematic transformation training led by . The next day, Michelle Silverthorn we put our laptops away and explored Central Park during an exciting Scavenger Hunt with Secret NYC. As an agency team filled with ambitious, resilient, and creative problem-solvers, it’s important to take time to regroup and connect as a team, acknowledge all our hard work and better ourselves – all while having fun together!
H&S celebrated the return of James Bond with OMEGA in Los Angeles! Daniel Craig, James Bond himself, surprised VIP guests during a private screening of No Time To Die, followed by an intimate cocktail party to commemorate the long-standing partnership between the Bond film series and OMEGA. The cocktail soiree was a star-studded affair with OMEGA President and CEO Raynald Aeschlimann, US Brand President, Arnaud Michon, Global Ambassador, Alessandra Ambrosio and Friends of the Brand, Justin Hartley and Julia Michaels cheers-ing with Bond’s signature martini.
H&S ended Fashion Week with an Unexpected Surprise with the Teletubbies and Tinky Winky! From meetings with VFILES and shopping in Soho to chatting backstage with his mentor Christian Cowan and ending the night with an iconic dinner at GITANO - Tinky Winky could not have had a more fun and fabulous filled Teletubbies NYFW adventure.
Though Kristen Stewart clearly isn’t a chameleon for Princess Diana, she’s built a lot of hype of playing the title role in the new film Spencer.
Employees are excited about a hybrid combination of remote and in-person work. As the COVID-19 delta variant surges and the holidays approach, a flexible workplace will be key for keeping employees around and happy.
The age of branded logos and patterns and prints may be ending sooner than we think. Gen Z is popularizing “unbranded” luxury goods, especially jewelry, as the new hot items. The Real Real has seen a massive jump in sales of items without big designer labels, or any labels at all, and it begs the question; is anonymity the most valuable thing nowadays?
Recent menswear runways have been filled with proudly flamboyant, Hot Boy Summer-ready looks. But are men on the streets ready for them?
Instagram is removing the Story Swipe Up feature and replacing it with stickers to bring you to an external website. This will still only be available for those with 10K+ followers, or those granted verification.
The New York Post has always been known to push the bar a bit (or more than a bit). Cindy Adams sits down to gossip with The Cut about why she does what she does, and has done it for so long and has no plans to quit.
This history piece about Black leisure in the U.S. shares that during Jim Crow, Black vacationers found joy in Black-owned resorts throughout the United States. Morgan Jerkins chases the last glimmers of history in these vital spaces of rest and escape.
Disney has released a line of adaptive Halloween costumes for kids with disabilities. Some of the new costumes include a Marvel Studios’ "Black Panther" Adaptive Costume, a "Star Wars: The Mandalorian" Adaptive Costume and Cinderella’s coach wheelchair cover set.
Trippy trips & expensive journey’s; the “new luxury” vacations look like all-inclusive magic mushroom retreats. According to Data Bridge Market Research, the psychedelic market is projected to reach $10.7 billion by 2027, up from $3.8 billion last year.
This is fun – a fake Netflix that has all the details of the real streaming platform but showcases the fictional shows and movies that exist within actual tv shows and films.
JetBlue had its first transatlantic flight from New York to London! The airline has been planning this for over two years. You can read more here about this editor's experience - the seats offering more legroom and the ice cream sandwich dessert seem to make for a delightful flight!
A big fear when ordering items online is receiving an item that does not look like the item ordered. The Olivia Rodrigo fanbase recently received “Sour” album merch that looked nothing like what they had ordered.
New Zealand plans on keeping its borders closed until 2022 following the countries "elimination strategy" to continue avoiding outbreaks.
Scandinavian style is so smart and clean. These emerging trends from this past week in Denmark, especially “dopamine dressing,” have been a big fashion week prediction as we hit a post-pandemic new normal.
While the Olympics are not a beauty pageant, that doesn’t mean athletes don’t have a reason to express themselves in their looks!
Art communities are popping up in cities and places that you wouldn’t typically expect. The latest one? Aspen, Colorado. The past couple years it has become so much more of a destination for skiers and art types alike.
Schitt Creek's Daniel Levy is publishing a book called, "Best Wishes, Warmest Regards." This means that fans can stop mourning the loss of the hit TV show after it’s been completed for over a year.
Influencer marketing spending is on the rise in the U.S., and even predicted to reach $3.69 billion in spending this year. Travel restrictions and budget strains meant less money for influencer marketing in 2020, when the category grew just 14.4%. 2021 was a big year for influencer marketing and this trend will most likely continue to tick upward.
H&S client Wilson has launched into the sportswear space in collaborating with Dreamville, J.Cole’s label. Dreamville’s involvement in the Chi-League Powered by Wilson brings more eyes to the game as the label will spice things up with entertainment components, heightening player interest, curating halftime performances, surrounding entertainment & activities, and creating custom uniforms.
For the first post-pandemic NYFW season, it looks like the hottest accessory is lining up to be a practical and very necessary one–a vaccination card.
Vanity Fair reimagined Y2K Hollywood film classics with the rising stars of today and it’s well-worth the viewing! Very clever way to repurpose content of old with stars of new.
American Airlines has started providing free access to TikTok as part of its in-flight entertainment options. AA Managing Director of Premium Customer Experience and Onboard Products Clarissa Sebastian said, "customers play the lead role in helping us better understand what content they want during their inflight experience and TikTok is one of the platforms they love on the ground." Interested to see if this is adopted by other airlines.
OMEGA Ambassador Caeleb Dressel wins gold and sets an Olympic record in the 100 meter Butterfly semi-final! Proud fans and agency over here.
This Olympics has been different than anything we’ve experienced in our lifetimes before, and the H&S team is so glad that it is shining a light on mental health and taking care of yourself first. We’re proud to see Simone, Naomi and all other athletes speaking out about this when they need to.
This article discusses the 18-year-old Sunisa Lee’s recent gold medal win, as well as being the first Asian-American to win gymnastics all around with a gold medal. Simone Biles, just like the rest of the U.S. Gymnastics Team, provided her with words of empowerment and encouragement.
After 25 years of production PBS beloved show Arthur gets cancelled. Kathy Waugh, the show’s creator says that production was finished two years ago and that the show should make a comeback due to its popularity.
Magazine editors are exiting the media world to head where the cultural trends are happening at a much faster rate: tech.
Gawker is back. The media outlet that frequently scrutinizes other members of the media, as well as New York (and the world’s) elite, has relaunched under Bustle Media Group. They took to their platform here to share some humorous, but honest, reactions to them re-launching five years after their initial fold.
Louis Vuitton gets its game face on! The luxury brand’s latest foray into gaming aims to engage 3 billion players and crack a market worth some $176 billion.
A great and true street-style Instagram account can be hard to come by these days in the noise of social accounts. The page @watchingnewyork really does capture actual, real New Yorkers just living life and being stylish, and it's so fun to see people express themselves after the year and a half we had in sweatpants.
While the drama on the Gossip Girl reboot might be a little “mid,” the outfits are truly on point and is reflective (at times) of Gen Z’s perspective on fashion. This New York Times article explores the contrasting fashions from the original series while discussing how the fashions on the reboot “tell a much bigger story about trends overall” and “reflect a more intersectional worldview.”
Coca Cola is the latest brand to enter the “metaverse.” They’ll be creating a series of NFT “collectibles” inspired by nostalgic Coca Cola merch. Proceeds will go back to the Special Olympics.
H&S client OMEGA was featured on the Outer Banks star Chase Stokes in V Man this past month! He looks stunning donning OMEGA’s classic timepieces. Read the entire story here!
H&S is excited to announce that our CEO Elizabeth Harrison has been announced as an honoree for the PR News Top Women in PR Awards! We are so proud of Elizabeth and the company she continues to grow and the culture she fosters.
“What motivates me to be a changemaker is our culture. We provide the opportunities, resources, and encouragement to our staff to work flexibly, be adaptable, seek out the unexpected, and push the boundaries of traditional work ‘culture’ in a way that inspires our experience makers to think past the ordinary.”
The Olympics are here and been a recurring topic for quite some time now, given their year delay. However, there are still honest discussions to be had about the treatment and expectations of black female Olympians, and the New York Times creates some good conversations around this as we kicked off the games on Friday.
We’re intrigued to see where HBO Max’s new miniseries White Lotus will go over the next few episodes. The series starts with a tease - one of the characters you see will die - but the how and who and when of it all is only to be uncovered over the course of the episodes.
Over the weekend, the second season of AppleTV’s Ted Lasso premiered. To support the show, AppleTV partnered with a coffeeshop in Los Angeles, Go Get 'Em Tiger, to recreate the iconic "biscuits" that Lasso bakes each morning for his boss, handing them out with a coffee order this past week. Overall, this partnership just “fits” and is a great example of leaning into key elements of a show and finding a space for them to live in real life with surprise-and-delight moments.
Netflix is opening a 170,000 square foot studio facility in Bushwick this September. It will be a massive space that will produce films and TV.
LVMH will acquire 60% stake in Off-White by Virgil Abloh, making him one of the most powerful Black executives at the most powerful luxury goods group in the world. He’ll also be taking on a bigger role to work across the groups Wine & Spirits categories.
Glossier is once again extending their product line. Although they had some bad press at the beginning of the pandemic last year, they’ve been making a great effort towards being a more inclusive, diverse brand. This announcement was huge as bronzers are such a high-demand beauty product, especially in the summertime!
Wilson Sporting Goods Co. celebrates the grand opening of its first-ever retail location in its hometown of Chicago. Located in the Gold Coast neighborhood, the new Wilson store “kicked off” at 932 N. Rush Street with executives, Wilson Advisory Staff members and influential Chicagoans present. H&S is proud to help Wilson launch into their first step with brick-and-mortar locations.
The store celebrates 108 years of history in Chicago and follows the launch of Wilson’s first ever Sportswear line earlier this summer. The store offers a curated assortment of sporting goods, inclusive of Wilson’s high-performance equipment across various sport categories such as tennis, baseball, football, basketball, and golf. The new athletic-lifestyle sportswear collection for both men and women will also be available.
This physical expression of the brand will also feature Wilson heritage catalog content and historical relics to top the list of unique store features creating a museum-like in-store environment, and features a distinct, leather-inspired Wilson signature scent along with technological elements to further provide an elevated shopping experience for guests.
Team H&S is happy to see that the reboot of “Sex and the City” is introducing three women of color into the cast of “And Just Like That,” as well as a non-binary character. We’re not surprised by the lack of diversity shown in the show, but are glad to see they’re showing actual representation the second time around.
An interesting discussion about how tensions have arisen between friends during the pandemic. It also quotes the hosts, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, of the podcast Call Your Girlfriend, as the pair are also the authors of the book Big Friendship.
There’s a new term circulating to describe, and in part shame, women. Women have complicated relationships with each other. The majority of them are positive and uplifting, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t hard and at different times in life. Calling another woman a “pick me girl” is hurtful and carries more weight than one might think.
Olivia Rodrigo visited the White House this week and met with President Biden and Dr. Fauci to record videos to encourage young people to get vaccinated. This was an amazing collaboration and a brilliant idea. Kudos to Olivia for using her platform to spread such a great message!
The rise of Moderna is such a fascinating tale that maybe someone will write a book on it one day? The biotech giant has reached a $100 billion market cap. But after Covid, the challenges get even bigger.
The Olympics are happening this year, but the games will look very different from previous years, as spectators are banned from the events. Japan has recently enacted a state of emergency due to effects of the Coronavirus, so cutting back on spectators will be adherent to new regulations put in place.
Good read in The Atlantic titled “There is no debate over critical race theory.” Sharing insight as to what’s going on with this big argument or “culture war.”
Want to take part in a "cinematic dining experience?” Disney's newest cruise ship will feature a Marvel-themed dinner with Ant-Man where you can expect everything in the restaurant to start changing sizes. Definitely, something to look forward to in the Summer of 2022!
Interesting article about a show that’s getting added to our watch lists. In some ways our society has become more accepting of different body types, but even with a new lens, a woman’s body continues to be heavily scrutinized and judged, and most often, by themselves.
Does what we screenshot on our phones give a better glimpse into who we are as people, more than just our regular photos? The New York Times thinks so.
For anyone who was following the Man Repeller/Leandra Medine scandal last year, this article highlights some major talking points from Leandra’s interview on Omondi’s podcast, The Cutting Room Floor. This podcast episode was heavy and uncomfortable to listen to but is an important reminder about accountability, privilege and self-awareness.
Glossy penned an interesting article regarding what makes a branded NFT really work. H&S works with a few brands that are wanting to dive into NFTs and be a part of the conversation after Christie's big launch earlier this year, but it's always important to remember if it's a brand fit or not!
