Gibson Brands is partnering with SXSW and Neiman Marcus to bring its “New Style of Sound” fashion show to Austin as the official kickoff to SXSW Style on March 11, 2017.
The “SXSW Style Kickoff Party Presented by Gibson Brands” will take over the Vaughn in downtown Austin with a high-energy runway event pairing innovative products from the Gibson Brands family with fresh, spring styles from Neiman Marcus, all backed by beats from DJ Wade Crescent and a live performance from Erika Wennerstrom (Heartless Bastards). The exclusive evening will also feature live sets from buzzworthy artists including Emily Wolfe, Band of Heathens, Midland and The Shelters following the fashion show.
“’New Style of Sound’ is about celebrating creativity from all types of artists, including music, technology and fashion, and fits perfectly at the intersection of all the areas spotlighted by SXSW,” said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Brands. “We’ve been hosting activations at SXSW in different capacities for years. It continues to be THE place to be in all these creative areas and we really wanted to go big with this year’s Gibson Experience, including the marquee moment of the SXSW Style Kickoff Party.”
'SXSW and Rock and Roll are synonymous with irreverent Texas style!' said Ken Downing, Senior Vice President, Fashion Director of Neiman Marcus. 'Collaborating with Gibson to create the ULTIMATE Rocker wardrobe to kickoff SXSW STYLE brings together the eclectic, if not eccentric spirit of Texas, Music and legendary Neiman Marcus for an outrageous fashion experience.'
Debuting earlier this year at the annual CES technology convention in Las Vegas, Gibson Brand’s “New Style of Sound” will take on a whole new look and feel as it comes to SXSW and partners with Neiman Marcus for the first time. The fashion show will feature models from Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles showcasing Gibson guitars and headphones from Onkyo and the Philips Audio Lifestyle division of Gibson Brands, all expertly paired with the latest styles from Neiman Marcus. Kathryn Knox, Stone Sevyn's creative director, will produce and style the event, and fashion show and lifestyle maestro Wade Crescent will curate the evening’s soundtrack along with a fashion show mix produced by Akira the Don.
The full schedule for the SXSW Style Kickoff Presented by Gibson Brands is as follows:
5:00 PM - Event begins with Happy Hour
5:30 PM - Erika Wennerstrom
6:00 PM - Gibson Brands and Neiman Marcus “New Style of Sound” Fashion Show
6:20 PM - Band of Heathens
7:10 PM - Emily Wolfe
8:00 PM - Midland
8: 40PM - The Shelters
The SXSW Style Kickoff Party presented by Gibson Brands will be one of many highlights of the Gibson Experience coming to Austin throughout SXSW 2017. Kicking off March 4, Gibson Brands will begin its SXSW adventure with its Road Trip to Austin, documenting the experience of an up-and-coming band making its journey to Texas on a Gibson tour bus. Sponsored by the Philips Audio Lifestyle division of Gibson Brands, the Texas Film Awards press conference will return to the Gibson Brands showroom in Austin on March 10. Additional Gibson-related events throughout the week include Gibson Acoustic’s sponsorship of the first-ever SXSW International Songwriters Camp and Epiphone’s sponsorship of the annual Luck Reunion at Willie Nelson’s Ranch on March 17, among many others.