At the start of a new year, every blog and magazine publishes articles & lists with headlines like, “The 12 worst fashion moments of 2012” or “12 trends that wont last to 2013.” I was thinking about doing that type of post, but do you really need me to tell you that I hope the leggings-as-pants thing will not carry over to 2013?! I have decided to call 2012 “The Year of Collaboration.” Pattern showed that collaboration was possible among industry professionals and could actually work – to grow the industry as a whole – in Indianapolis. Sure, there are some people who might say that such a title is a bit of a stretch, but I feel that the collaborative effort we made in 2012 was leaps and bounds beyond previous years. Agree or disagree? Never fear, you can leave your thoughts in the message center below.
Three events really highlight the collaborative effort of industry professionals in Indianapolis:
1: Pattern magazine
In February of 2012, Pattern launched a beautiful 104-page fashion magazine to kick off the year. The magazine truly highlights the competitive industry talent that calls Indianapolis home. I selected this example because not only does Pattern have an incredible team of Editors directing this publication, but they also have pulled together a diverse contributing team. Writers, stylists, and photographers were all given the opportunity to contribute to the publication.
The second issue was released in the fall and featured a different selection of contributors to highlight the diversity of the community. Yes, the publication highlights Pattern, but – just as importantly – it gives the opportunity for different disciplines to be professionally promoted in print format. With the ability to produce the publication both in print and online, the reach is far more than what one person could do for themselves as a brand, or as an industry.
2: Fashion’s Night Out
The city of Indianapolis officially participated in the one-night-only global shopping party known as Fashion’s Night Out. Pattern was able to secure the city’s and the Mayor’s support to officially list Indy as a participating city in this global event. The support of the city, combined with the amazing effort of industry professionals from a range of affiliations, made the inaugural city-wide event a HUGE success.
Due to the collaborative effort, official event sites were located literally all around Indianapolis: from Simon Malls’ Circle Centre and Fashion Mall-hosted events to The Arts Garden, Indianapolis International Airport, and other locations. This event would not have been as big of a success if it wasn’t for the collective effort, resources, skills, and energy of persons too numerous to name. The one sentiment heard many times from patrons of the event was that it was nice to finally have energy and buzz centered around fashion in the city.
3: Yelp + Pattern = Totally Bazaar
Towards the end of the year, Pattern participated for the first time at Yelp’s holiday bazaar at City Market. Pattern hosted a fashion lounge in The Platform (the newly renovated West Wing). It was the perfect space to interact with some of Indy’s local brands that have been involved with the Pattern community.
The Yelp and Pattern collaboration was a great example of how two established organizations can work together to create an exciting event that adds to the culture of the city and still promotes the many local brands unique to Indianapolis’ own backyard.
The three featured events that Pattern participated in all showed the same thing: Collaboration. A collaborative effort doesn’t just have to promote one brand or person. Collectively producing an event that adds to the overall culture of Indianapolis is something that the city and your brand need. I only hope that in 2013 this collaboration continues to grow – and that new collaborations happen. Remember, industry professionals: we have to keep challenging ourselves and raising the bar for ourselves and Indianapolis.
