QVC Pats Self On The Back For Its Fashion Week Coverage From New York

QVC put out a press release Tuesday crowing about its Fashion Week programming.

We were actually impressed with QVC’s efforts, from its pop-up shop in Rock Center to its “reporters” roving all over the city.

Here is QVC’s spin:

QVC CELEBRATES RECORD-SETTING NEW YORK FASHION WEEK

WEST CHESTER, Pa. (September 21, 2010) – QVC celebrated its largest New York Fashion Week presence with live programming from its first NYC pop-up location in Rockefeller Center featuring a consumer shop and broadcast studio.

Designed to offer consumers the ultimate QVC shopping experience, the pop-up store showcased a selection of QVC’s most exciting brands. From September 10 – 15, products ranging from fashion, beauty and jewelry to home and electronics were featured and the store served as a location for personal appearances by a selection of QVC’s favorite personalities and brands. The store also enabled shoppers to play with QVC’s latest interactive shopping platforms, from its smartphone and iPad apps to desktop and TV widgets.

The QVC pop-up store opened its doors to the public on Friday, September 10 at 6 PM (ET) to mark the second annual Fashion’s Night Out (FNO). QVC’s President and CEO Mike George and President of U.S. Commerce, Claire Watts were joined by Isaac Mizrahi and Kristin Chenoweth for the pop-up shop’s ribbon-cutting celebration. Just minutes before, Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour visited to sign copies of the September issue with Saturday Night Live’s Seth Meyers.

Even QVC CEO Mike George popped up for the network's programming from Rock Center

As the exclusive multimedia retailer for FNO, QVC made the event accessible to more than 98 million U.S. homes with its largest ever broadcast and multimedia event. Live from the NYC pop-up location with special programming throughout the city, the broadcast – Fashion Night’s Out SM – Live from Rockefeller Center – featured the successful debuts of K-DASH by Kardashian and Janie Bryant MOD. Some of QVC’s most popular designers unveiled their latest collections for the fall ’10 season.

“We were thrilled to bring Fashion’s Night Out to our customers live from NYC,” said Watts. “Our viewers really responded to the unique insider experience we were able to provide.”

Customers were invited to “Keep on Shopping” with Isaac Mizrahi immediately following the FNO broadcast at 12 AM (ET). Live from his New York studio, Mizrahi introduced his Today’s Special Value® (an item offered at an exceptionally low price – good for that given day, until 11:59 PM (ET), unless it sells out sooner). The ISAACMIZRAHILIVE!™ quilted lamb leather jacket sold out with only 45 minutes of presentation time. QVC aired two additional live remotes from Mizrahi’s studio at 2 PM (ET) and 6 PM (ET) featuring new fall items from his lifestyle brand.

In addition to the successful FNO and ISAACMIZRAHILIVE! broadcasts, QVC also gave viewers a front row seat at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week – Live from Rockefeller Center on Saturday, September 11 at 10 PM (ET) and Wednesday, September 15 at 10 PM (ET). Live from the NYC pop-up location, QVC kicked off the September 11 show with its first-ever eight-minute runway show. Fashions featured on the runway were then presented during the broadcast, including Anonymity by Julie Chaiken and new designs from some of QVC’s premier designers, including Lori Goldstein, Dennis Basso, Isaac Mizrahi, Bradley Bayou, Marc Bouwer and Janie Bryant.

Iconic Hollywood stylist Rachel Zoe also returned to unveil her latest collection and debut her first faux fur Today’s Special Value® on Wednesday, September 15. QVC posted a sellout with more than 25,000 units ordered. In addition to the Today’s Special Value offer, several other items from Zoe’s collection sold out, including a faux fur toggle coat with wingcollar, feather print scarf with twistedfringe, wrap shawl with fringeand patch pocket vest with sequin trim.

“Our Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week broadcast continues to resonate with our viewers,” Watts adds. “Once again, we were able to deliver accessible fashions from esteemed and emerging designers, direct from the industry’s most respected event.”

Once again, QVC lent its support to the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in its fight against breast cancer. QVC offered Vogue-designed Fashion’s Night Out CFDA T-shirts on air, on QVC.com and at its pop-up location in New York City. During the September 10 broadcast, Vogue’s Sr. Market Editor, Meredith Melling Burke, appeared on QVC to talk about the Vogue-designed T-shirt. Since its debut, more than 4,000 have been ordered. Net proceeds from the sale of this T-shirt, sold exclusively through QVC, benefitted “Fashion Targets Breast Cancer,” the charitable initiative of the CFDA Foundation, Inc.

Heads Up TriState QVC Shoppers: The Network Will Be ‘Popping Up’ In Rock Center During Fashion Week

The Kardashians' K-Dash collection will debut on QVC during Fashion Week

As we’ve previously reported, QVC is really expanding its participation and presence at New York Fashion Week. The home shopping channel put out a press release on the event Tuesday, and it is kicking off the week by debuting its Manhattan pop-up location — as well as launching a clothing line by the Kardashians.

We wrote about the pop-up store and K-Dash, too, when QVC CEO Mike George mentioned them during a second-quarter conference call. The pop-up location will be in Rockefeller Center, and it will serve as a consumer store and a fully functioning broadcast studio.

QVC’s growing role in Fashion Week reflects its growing clout in the fashion industry, as it attracts high-profile designers who have been struggling in a market where most consumers are keeping their wallets shut.

The QVC pop-up store will open its doors to the public this Friday at 6 p.m. to mark the second annual Fashion’s Night Out, or FNO, event. QVC celebrates FNO as the exclusive multimedia retailer.

QVC claims it will have one of its largest broadcast and multimedia events live from the Big Apple pop-up location with special programming throughout the city.

The three-hour broadcast – Fashion Night’s Out SM – Live from New York is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. and feature the debuts of K-DASH by Kardashian and “Mad Men” costumer designer Janie Bryant’s MOD collection. In addition, some of QVC’s popular designers, including Marc Bouwer, Bradley Bayou, Pamela Dennis, Lori Goldstein, Mara Hoffman, Melania Trump and Isaac Mizrahi, will unveil their latest collections for the fall season.

As part of FNO, QVC is once again lending its support to the Council of Fashion Designers of America in its fight against breast cancer. QVC will offer the Vogue-designed Fashion’s Night Out CFDA T-shirts on-air, on QVC.com and at its pop-up location in New York City.

On Friday Vogue’s senior market editor Meredith Melling Burke is scheduled to appear on QVC to talk about the Vogue-designed T-shirt. Net proceeds from the sale of this T-shirt, sold exclusively through QVC, will benefit “Fashion Targets Breast Cancer,” the charitable initiative of the CFDA Foundation.

“We are thrilled to be celebrating Fashion’s Night Out,” QVC president of U.S. Commerce Claire Watts said in a canned statement. “The expansion of our presence in New York to include the pop-up location as well as offer access to such an impressive event is something we expect our viewers will respond to with equal excitement.”

The pop-up store is also scheduled to be open to the public Sept. 11 to 15. The store will showcase a selection of QVC’s most exciting brands. Products ranging from fashion, beauty and jewelry to home and electronics are scheduled to be featured. Additionally, the store will serve as a location for personal appearances by QVC personalities and brands.

In addition to the unveiling of its pop-up location, QVC will be returning to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to present Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week – Live from New York, scheduled for Saturday at 10 p.m. and next Wednesday at 10 p.m.

During the shows, which will be broadcast live from the NYC pop-up location, QVC is scheduled to debut Anonymity by Julie Chaiken as well as showcase new designs from editorial stylist Lori Goldstein and some of its premier designers, including Dennis Basso, Isaac Mizrahi, Bradley Bayou, Marc Bouwer and Janie Bryant. Iconic Hollywood stylist Rachel Zoe is also scheduled to return to unveil her latest collection.

“Our collaboration with IMG Fashion has proven to be more rewarding each year, affording us the opportunity to take our viewers inside Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week,” Watts adds. “We are confident that presenting a variety of esteemed brands during such a widely supported event reinforces QVC’s place in the fashion industry.”

Following the kickoff on Friday, the QVC pop-up store is scheduled to be open to the public Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday from noon to 7 p.m.; Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and next Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

QVC Revs Up ‘Makeover Day’ To Support Dress For Success, With A $250,000 Donation As Well

We’ll be busy at a conference in Chicago Thursday, so we’re going to miss QVC’s National Makeover Day.

QVC’s 24-hour event is “geared toward helping its customers make over their homes, looks and lives,” according to the home shopping channel’s press release.

But we can’t make too much fun of it, since it’s all for a good cause. QVC is working with its vendors to raise awareness for Dress for Success Worldwide, an international non-profit dedicated to helping disadvantaged women achieve economic independence. All will be making a collective contribution of $250,000 to the organization.

As part of “National Makeover Day,” QVC is giving six women from Dress for Success personal life makeovers – including a beauty makeover from Bobbi Brown (our fellow Montclair, N.J., resident), a financial makeover from Suze Orman (who lives in Chester, N.J.) a hair makeover from Chaz Dean (we’re not impressed with his Wen product so far) and a fashion makeover from Bradley Bayou and Gretta Monahan.

“Dress for Success helps disadvantaged women create their own life makeovers,” Joi Gordon, CEO of Dress for Success Worldwid, said in a canned statement. “Thanks to QVC, on May 20 people across the country will meet six of our most incredible success stories – women who have changed their lives and now are poised to achieve their dreams.”

The transformations will be revealed live on QVC, with the experts sharing how QVC’s customers can achieve similar results from the comfort of their homes.

“We wanted to create a day devoted to helping women create positive change in their lives,” Claire Watts, QVC’s president of U.S. Commerce, said in a statement. “It’s not just about changing your look – it’s about changing your outlook. We are thrilled to join forces with our vendor community to raise awareness for Dress for Success. Over the years, the organization has impacted the lives of so many women. We’re honored we can play a part in helping them to continue these important transformations.”

News Flash: Philadelphia Inquirer Discovers That QVC Sells More Than Cubic Zirconia

The Philadelphia Inquirer Sunday broke the big scoop that high-end designers have made their way to QVC because of its “sales clout.” Yes, the consumer press finally got a clue.

We did a huge blog on that topic for Thanksgiving, and have written many other blogs about why big-name designers like Badgley Mischka, Vivienne Tam, Robert Lee Morris, Judith Ripka and Stephen Dweck — whose wares can be found at shops like Neiman Marcus — now have lines for QVC and HSN.

The story, by Inquirer fashion writer Elizabeth Wellington, is headlined “Fashion Fete’s Eyes on QVC: Sales Clout Turns Heads in New York.”

The story talks about QVC telecasting live from Fashion Week in Manhattan again this year, and how “the seller people used to go to for Grandma’s holiday sweater” is now “a major industry player” in the fashion world.

That’s because designers have discovered a rather simple fact, one that snobs who look down their nose at home shopping channels, have yet to grasp: You can make a hell of a lot more money selling thousands of items an hour on QVC than selling just a few costly items in a brick-and-mortar store.

The story quotes Doug Howe, QVC’s chief merchandising officer, as well as the QVC vendors celebrity makeup artist Mally Roncal and fashion designer Bradley Bayou.

Roncal told the Inquirer she once sold 20,000 eyeliners in eight minutes on QVC (we use her mascara).

Bayou is quoted as saying he was skeptical when QVC first approached him. He hopped on board.

“When you show couture, you sell maybe 10 to 20 pieces (a season), but when you show on QVC, you can sell 1,000 pieces in an hour,” Bayou told the Inquirer.

The newspaper also reported that QVC rival HSN, those sly pusses, will have a breakfast in New York to show off its new spring fashions in a couple of weeks.

QVC Is Pumping Up The Volume For Fashion Week, Debuting Five New Designers

QVC will kick it up and introduce five new designers to the network during its Fashion Week telecasts from Manhattan’s Bryant Park starting this weekend.

QVC will debut designers Thuy, Mara Hoffman, Erica Davies, Pamella Roland and Christian Francis Roth. Celebrity makeup artist Mally Roncal will be responsible for the models’ makeup at the home shopping network’s runway shows.

And QVC veterans Isaac Mizrahi, Rachel Zoe, Marc Bouwer, Lori Goldstein, Erin Fetherston, Chloe Dao, Pamela Dennis and Bradley Bayou will be on hand.

Joining forces with IMG Fashion, QVC’s runway broadcasts will mark the largest amount of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week programming produced by the network to date. QVC’s shows from Bryant Park are scheduled to air Saturday from 10 p.m. to midnight and next Wedneday from 10 p.m. to midnight.

Additionally, for the first time ever, QVC will bring the energy of Bryant Park to Studio Park, its headquarters in West Chester, Pa., with two live broadcasts scheduled for Sunday 11 p.m. to midnight and next Tuesday from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.

There will also be a special Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week edition of PM Style next Monday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

“QVC has become a powerhouse for launching fashion collections from some of the industry’s leading designers and stylists. We’re thrilled to welcome back and introduce such an impressive roster of talent and are extremely confident that our customers will love the beautiful, accessible array of fashions and accessories they will be launching with us at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week,” Claire Watts, QVC’s president of U.S. Commerce, said in a canned statement.

QVC is also joining leaders in the fashion industry to support the Council of Fashion Designers of America with its “Fashion for Haiti” initiative. QVC will sell “Fashion for Haiti” T-shirts on-air, on QVC.com and at its shows at Bryant Park that will benefit the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, which is supporting immediate, high-impact relief and long-term recovery efforts for the victims of the earthquakes.