In 2005 “The Gates,” designed by the famous artist Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude, filled Central Park’s 23 miles of pathways with 7,500 saffron colored portals. Echo was asked to make a scarf to coincide with The Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibit of Christo’s drawings of this project.  Sarah Frank, one of Echo’s senior designers, created a magnificent scarf that was technically difficult to achieve. The scarf has 22 screens showing an actual Christo drawing, a sketch of the elevations and an astonishingly close reproduction of the actual fabric. We are very proud to have been asked to produce this scarf, and know that in some way we were all involved in a part of history and this once-in-a-lifetime project.

Christo has just received clearance to pursue his next project, tentatively titled "Over the River."  His works often need government approval due to the local environmental, economic and aesthetic impact.  This is an intentional side effect, he said in a recent New York Times article: "Every artist in the world likes his or her work to make people think. Imagine how many people were thinking, how many professionals were thinking and writing in preparing that environmental impact statement.”

 "Over the River" will be an installation suspended over 5.9 miles of the Arkansas River in Southwest Colorado. As with "The Gates" Christo will use panels of fabric, in this case 8 panels in blue.  Some of the reasons for concern as a result of the installation would be the effects on the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep native to the area, as well as potentially hazardous tourism access via a narrow canyon highway. Christo's sketch of the final work is below and his site provides a great virtual tour of a recent exhibit of more drawings from this new project as well as from his drafts for "The Gates." 

Echo attended the 2011 Accessories Council ACE Awards last night at Manhattan's famed Cipriani.  Each year, the Council chooses honorees based on their influence and innovative contributions to the world of fashion and accessories.  This year the list included Marie Claire for Magazine of the Year and Nicole Richie for Influencer of the Year.  We were happy to spend some time chatting with Nicole - she's seen here in the picture below with Echo's account executive, Margaret Ricci.  Echo is also very proud to be a supporter of the Accessories Council.  Echo CEO Steven Roberts has been a board member for many years, sharing the honor with other industry leaders from such brands & retailers as Coach, Saks, Valentino, Bloomingdale's, Collection XIIX and Kate Spade to name a few.

There's a surprisingly positive trend forming now out of the social media phenomenom called the Flash Mob.  Have you seen the commercial where huge groups of people happen to all be in the same place at the same time and spontaneously burst into song or dance? It wasn't coincidence but the results are infectious! The first flash mob I heard about was at a London Train station where unsuspecting business commuters were shocked out of their post work dolldrum and treated to a huge spectacle of a throng of dancers bouncing in unison. I love the happiness and the positive message!

Diner en blanc is french for dinner in white and it works on the flash mob idea but without the menance and commotion.  Think of it as civilized fast food - on the go. The idea started in Paris where successful al fresco dinners happened simultaneously outside the Louvre and Notre Dame in 2010.  It went on to manifest in Amsterdam, Quebec, Munich, Berlin and is now set to happen somewhere in New York city on August 25, 2011.   Social media is the key behind the flash mob: information is spread through Facebook and Twitter and can be spontaneous (as in it's earliest incarnations) as to the location and the time, but now the idea has grown and is becoming a bit more sophisticated, a tad more civilized with this dinner by requiring a dress code and manners.  Most flash mobs are unlimited as to who can participate (i.e. the definition of 'mob' )- if you're connected, you're in, but this NY event is RSVP only, limited to 1,000 people and is scheduled for a specific date. And that is all we know.  The location and the time of day will not be announced until that date. The idea is that simply due to the size of the group of participants and the suddeness with which they appear and disappear, the authorities may choose not to pursue permits.  Also, as evidenced in the title, the other prequisites involve dress code: Wear white and dress your table in white.  It's reminiscent of the Great Gatsby era (the attire, the decorum) mixed in with modern day 2011 technology. We may have all these new ways to communicate (text, cell phone etc.) but the simple, pure art of conversation and dining in civilized attire is timeless (and timely because you have to eat fast and get out fast!)

Color or even lack of color has always been a great unifier and when we see everyone dressed in white hats, dresses and suits waving white sparklers, white balloons bobbing and drifting above their heads, white candles glowing, the clink of silverware on white china, the effect, mixed in with the common goal, is powerful enough to keep control of such a large group of people gathering in a public space.  Some people spend a lot of time expressing their individuality with fashion, or with the color of their hair, in efforts to distinquish themselves, but there is something fascinating about seeing 1,000+ people come together in one color, unified in that experience, no matter what their size, shape or color is.  I can't wait to see the beauty of the scene when it happens in New York city. It's so exciting to guess where it will happen! 

So if you're in New York, you might want to keep a white hat or scarf with you at all times - just in case, and a white table cloth and champagne, oh, and a table and you'll probably need chairs.... yikes. I think we need a diner en blanc app.  (in white, of course.)

This past week, bloggers from all over the U.S. and Canada traveled to a rainy New York city for 3 days of presentations, events and tours at Blogfest 2011.  Echo's partner in fabrics, trims, rugs and wallpaper, Kravet, put together a whirlwind schedule for a select number of top home and lifestyle bloggers to view home and interior design collections, visit design studios and the offices of great publications like Architectural Digest and Elle Decor.  We attended the Sweet Endings party last night at the New York Design Center and had a wonderful time catching up with friends and meeting new ones.  We didn't get pictures of everyone unfortunately but would love if you have any you want to share to please post links here in the comments! All the best, Jen (@echodesigngroup) and Meg. 

Dress for Success Worldwide, an international nonprofit organization that helps disadvantaged women achieve economic independence, is launching its 2011 Something To Share campaign with a signature scarf designed by Makeup Artist Bobbi Brown.  The Echo Design Group is producing this limited-edition cotton Mediterranean blue ikat scarf which will debut at the non-profit’s gala in New York City on April 5. The scarf will serve as an icon for the annual campaign, currently in its fourth year, which encourages people to share their time, talent and resources to better their community. All proceeds from the sale of the scarf will be donated to Dress for Success Worldwide. 

“There’s no place I’d rather be than at the beach—it’s my happy place and a constant source of inspiration for everything from makeup colors to the Something to Share scarf I designed with Echo,” said Bobbi Brown, who is also a member of the Dress for Success Worldwide board of directors.  “For ten years, Bobbi has lent her support to Dress for Success, so we are grateful that she was also able to share her talents with this year’s scarf design and our Something To Share campaign,” said Joi Gordon, CEO of Dress for Success Worldwide. “This year’s campaign is certain to be a great success because of the support of Bobbi and Echo Design.”

This exclusive scarf, retailing for $42, will be available for purchase April 15th at www.echodesign.com.  Additional retail locations will be announced in the coming months. Dress for Success affiliates will also sell the scarf with proceeds supporting the local organizations. 

Since 2008, Dress for Success has partnered with top designers through its Something To Share campaign to create unique scarves to generate funds and awareness for the organization. Past participating designers have included Sean Combs and Tommy Hilfiger. This is the second year that Echo Design Group has participated in the campaign.

“We are thrilled to work with Bobbi Brown on this very important initiative and to once again support the Dress for Success organization,” said Lynn Roberts, Vice President of Communications, The Echo Design Group.

About Dress for Success
Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 110 cities in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, the UK and the West Indies. To date, Dress for Success has helped more than 550,000 women work towards self-sufficiency. Visit www.dressforsuccess.org to learn more.

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Echo is very excited to be participating in the 14th annual Dining by Design event being held March 17th - 21st at Pier 94 in New York city.  The event is a fundraiser for DIFFA - Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids - which brings together fashion and interior designers, architects, floral and landscape artists and design schools to create stylish dining installations.  Echo's table installation includes our Seychelles fabrics collection we designed & produced at Kravet, used as the frame and on seat cushions; silk scarfs as napkins and a new spring scarf hung as a piece of art on the wall.  This year, DIFFA will be honoring Margaret Russell, editor in chief of Architectural Digest, for her work in shaping the Dining By Design event into what it is today.

We are proud to be a part of this event and to help support such a worthy cause.  As of today March 18th, the event is open to the public so we encourage you to explore all the different installations and see the amazing design trends. You can also shop the silent auction.  A $25 ticket includes admission to the Architectural Digest Home Design Show as well.   Enjoy!

Last week, Ralph Lauren celebrated 10 years of innovation with a stunning presentation outside the New York and London flagship stores.  Using 4D digital mapping, the presentation showed images of running horses, Polo players, models and some of their classic accessories likes ties, handbags, belts and fragrances, projected 5 stories tall onto the building's facade, moving, breathing as if they were real.  The building folded into itself and then was reconstructed; chandeliers appeared and faded up into the sky; enormous neckties draped over the building as if hanging from the roof.  All of this together with a perfect soundtrack so completely presented the look and feeling of this iconic brand.  Bravo!

The Official Ralph Lauren 4D Experience - New York from Ralph Lauren on Vimeo.

On Friday Sept. 10 Echo will be celebrating Fashion's Night Out at several stores in New York, New Jersey, San Francisco, Santa Monica and Chicago. Stop by the stores below to see our stylists for scarf tying tips, styling recommendations and to see our new line of fall accessories!

FNO is a global event started by Anna Wintour last year in efforts to encourage shopping and boost the industry during the recession. What's also really neat is that this year's festivities not only already seem destined to out-do 2009 a thousandfold with parties, celebrities, runways, etc. but the side effect is that the gap between consumer and designer is shrinking - and integrating art, performance, music and film into the mix. In Paris, the FNO kickoff event at Chanel included 3-D glasses for visitors to view the most recent couture show, and in NY designer Jonathan Adler sat down to a pottery wheel at Barneys!

Bloomingdale's
59th Street NY 6-9pm
Union Square San Francisco 5-8pm
3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica 5-8pm

Lord & Taylor
39th Street New York 12pm-3pm

Macy's
Herald Square New York 5-8pm
State Street, Chicago 5-8pm
Water Tower Place, Chicago 5-8pm
Union Square San Francisco 5-8pm

Nordstrom
Short Hills New Jersey 5-8pm

Here's a list (by state and by country) of all the events happening for Fashion's Night Out!

Connecticut College's Class of 1950 got together last month to celebrate their 60th reunion.  Since their class colors are red and white, everyone proudly wore Echo's red and white striped scarf ring.  Please note in the photo below, Echo's chairman, Dorothy Roberts, second from the right! Congratulations to Mrs. Roberts and to the whole class of 1950!