Boyds "La Dolce Vita" and "La Bella Vita"
Over seventy years ago, Boyds opened its doors in Philadelphia, quickly becoming one of the city’s most well-known fashion landmarks. Today, Boyds is known not only in and around Philadelphia but is nationally and internationally acclaimed as the finest in luxury clothing and accessories. Described by Examiner.com as a store that “you would only find in a museum, with gorgeous exhibits of superlative designer collections,” Boyds carries the most luxurious designer brands including Lanvin, Zac Posen, Salvatore Ferragamo, Dolce & Gabbana, Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, Tory Burch, Roberto Cavalli, and Missoni, just to name a few. From the store’s trademark royal blue awning to its ivory and glass doors and marble-lined foyer, Boyds is a place unlike any other in Philadelphia.
In 2007, Boyds hosted the “La Dolce Vita” event, an invitation-only, private event sponsored by the Italian Trade Commission. The evening’s theme was “The Sweet Life,” and the entire store was transformed to pay homage to Italian style. Outside, a display of Maseratis, Lamborghinis, and Italian motorcycles lined the front of the store, conveying a feeling of luxury and quality craftsmanship even before guests entered the store. Upon opening the doors to Boyds, the 850 attendees were greeted by Italian-speaking models wearing selected Italian designers, plasma screens running continuous thirty-minute Peroni ad loops that were recreations of the “La Dolce Vita” film, and a gelato bar provided by Capogiro Gelato Artisans. Additionally, Boyds featured demonstrations by a custom shoemaker from Andrea Santoni and the store’s own in-house tailors. Hors d’oeuvres were provided by Chris Scarduzio of Mia, and guests enjoyed cocktails by Bluecoat Gin and Ketel One Vodka, Peroni beer, Winebow wine, and grappa and single-malt whiskey.
The 850-person guest list comprised of Boyds’s top customers, local VIPs and celebrities, trendsetters, fashion influencers, and press. These VIPs included Italian dignitaries, local athletes, media personalities, and Philadelphia’s fashion elite, who all gathered for what promised to be the event of the spring fashion season.
Cashman & Associates was hired as the Special Events agency for the Boyds “La Dolce Vita” event and was charged with conceptualizing and executing the event. First, Cashman created a unique invitation for “La Dolce Vita,” which provided an overview of what the event would showcase. Cashman also coordinated a red-carpet for the media in which photographers were allowed to take pictures of the VIP guests as they entered the store. These photos were then distributed to various blogs, websites, and print publication such as AroundPhilly.com and Philadelphia Style Magazine.
Additionally, Cashman & Associates created and executed a time and action schedule for the day before and of the event. Along with coordinating the deliveries of beverages, lighting, food, cars, and models, Cashman staff was on hand throughout the entire day of “La Dolce Vita” to ensure that the event went smoothly from start to finish. Cashman also handled all press coverage of “La Dolce Vita,” including multiple mentions of the event on WIOQ “Q102”’s “The Booker Show,” the Evening Bulletin’s “Society of Philadelphia,” and Philly.com.
The “La Dolce Vita” event was such a success in 2007 that Boyds decided to host another similar event in 2010 as part of the ten-day series of fashion and style events called The Philadelphia Collection 2010. Titled “La Bella Vita,” Italian for “The Good Life,” this event was also held in partnership with the Italian Trade Commission. Again, “La Bella Vita” was a private, invitation-only event that celebrated life, fashion, and all things Italian. The Italian motorcycles and cars were back, as well as the Italian-speaking models and luxurious upscale clothes from noted Italian designers. At “La Bella Vita,” guests sampled exquisite pasta made on-site during live demonstrations, along with signature lemon-drop cocktails and Italian cuisine from Sena Family Restaurants. Cashman coordinated another red-carpet where reporters and photographers were able to photograph the VIPs’ arrivals, and these pictures were circulated on popular websites such as Phillymag.com, SusanScovill.com, and Philly.com. The “La Bella Vita” event at Boyds was also mentioned in nearly all of the hundred media hits generated for The Philadelphia Collection, guaranteeing exposure for the iconic Philadelphia store and its relationship with the Italian Trade Commission. Cashman also created and followed a detailed time and action schedule for the day before and of the event to ensure that the entire event would run smoothly. Cashman & Associates planned and executed all aspects of “La Bella Vita,” and the event turned out to be as successful, if not more, than “La Dolce Vita” in 2007. Cashman & Associates is excited to work with Boyds in the future to execute events like these for many years to come.
