Hollywood Block Party
It was convergence of Cali surf, art and music culture at the sixth annual “Billabong Design for Humanity” event. The street-style block party on the New York Street backlot of Paramount Pictures drew some of the biggest names in Hollywood, action sports, and music, including celebs Sophia Bush, Kristen Bell, Lea Michele, Darren Criss and Matthew Morrison, as well as surfers Kelly Slater, Keala Kennelly, Erica Hosseini, Taj Burrow and Ryan Callinan.
There was something for everyone, including art exhibitions, DJ dance parties, organic-food trucks, and indie bands, including The Joy Formidable, The Lumineers, Walk the Moon and Imagine Dragons.
The highlight of the evening was the Billabong fashion show, featuring the surf brand’s Spring ’13 swim collection. “Everyone’s getting the first sneak peak tonight,” said Women’s Design Director Mandy Robinson. Many of the styles were customized especially for the runway. “I was inspired by Guatemalan and Peruvian textiles,” said the designer of the colorful collection, made in a mix of ethnic patterns with plenty of tassels and fringe.
While it’s somewhat early to present a Spring collection to the masses, Robinson said the event is the perfect platform for Billabong. “We chose to [show the collection] here because we feel like this is our backyard and this is where our consumer is. This allows us to have 5,000 people come and see it,” she added.
It’s also the perfect opportunity for Billabong to give back to the community. This year’s annual fund-raiser generated $111,000 in ticket sales, benefiting The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation. A T-shirt collection was created in collaboration with the foundation, and a percentage of proceeds will benefit the cause. “I love the work that they’re doing with sustainable agriculture, promoting our local family farms and also teaching our younger generation the importance of eating healthy,” Robinson said. Select looks from the Billabong runway collection will also be available to purchase online and in-store with a portion of the proceeds from each sale going to the foundation. For more information, go to www.billabong.com or www.designforhumanity.com. —N. Jayne Seward
