Press Relaese:
O’NEILL’S 4th ANNUAL “GENERATION NEXT” FASHION AND MUSIC EVENT, IN ASSOCIATION WITH TEEN VOGUE, RETURNS TO THE STAGE, OCTOBER 15th
Signature Design Program and Fashion Show Competition Highlights Local Students’ Creativity Alongside O’Neill’s Spring ’12 Collection
Interactive Event at Avalon Hollywood to be Hosted by TV Presenter and Fashion Journalist, Louise Roe, Includes Live Musical Performance by EVEREST
Irvine, Calif. (October 6, 2011) – O’Neill Clothing, the original California surf, snow and youth lifestyle brand, today announced the complete details of its 4th annual “Generation Next” design competition and music event, in association with TEEN VOGUE, taking place on Saturday, October 15th at 6:00pm at Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles, Calif.
The evening will be hosted by fashion industry insider and television presenter, Louise Roe, a cast member on MTV’s hit show, “The City,” and most recently serving as co-host for MTV International’s red carpet coverage of the 2011 Movie Awards, VMA’s and EMA’s; and E!’s live coverage of the Royal Wedding.
Joining Roe as part of the evening’s schedule will be rock band, Everest (Warner Bros. Records/Vapor Records). Tickets are on sale now at WantTickets.com for $10 in advance online or $15 at the door.
Marking the completion of a six-month program based at O’Neill’s headquarters in Irvine, Calif., five students from local Southern California high schools will present their original dress and handbag designs on the runway, featuring an O’Neill Swim fashion show with international supermodel and O’Neill brand ambassador, Elyse Taylor.
Sponsored in part by Paul Mitchell, who also provides all the hair and makeup for the runway shows, and streaming live on O’Neill’s Facebook fan page, www.facebook.com/oneillgirls,
this year’s event promises to be the biggest and most exciting yet.
“O’Neill’s Generation Next is a really unique opportunity for young girls with an interest in fashion design to learn what a career in this industry is all about,” said Kari Johnson, vice president of design and marketing for O’Neill Girls.
“They go from creating a concept to bringing it to the runway in six months, so they truly get a comprehensive, hands-on learning experience that we hope benefits them as they look to their future.”
“This program is such a great outlet for these talented finalists to get their first taste of the apparel and design worlds,” added Toby Bost, CEO of O’Neill Clothing. “It’s really fun to see their sketches, ideas and dedication turn into a final look on the runway. I know the audience will be blown away with what’s in store.”
Each 2011 Generation Next participant is competing for an expanded Grand Prize package, which includes:
-$5,000 education scholarship
-New O’Neill wardrobe
-Design internship at O’Neill
-Exposure in TEEN VOGUE
-Winning design to be incorporated into upcoming O’Neill collection
The Grand Prize winner will be determined by text message votes from the audience and webcast viewers on the evening of the event, and judges from O’Neill and TEEN VOGUE.
Generation Next 2011 launched in February, and initial submissions from TEEN VOGUE’s “It Girls” were narrowed down to five finalists: Ashley Wong (Hacienda Heights); Grace An (Murrieta); Jody Lee (Agoura); Madeline Hartnett (Fullerton); and Nahal Yashar (Beverly Hills).
The Generation Next program provides young designers with the tools and expertise to bring their designs to life by teaching the fundamentals and execution of apparel and graphic design, merchandising, manufacturing and marketing. In addition to working with an O’Neill mentor on a runway look, each finalist is tasked with building a group of peers to assist with promotional activities, model casting, runway production and overall vibe for their part of the final event. To help generate support, O’Neill visits each finalist’s high school in the weeks leading up to the show to help lead a pep rally, where each girl promotes her participation in the event.
In addition to her television work in the U.S. and U.K., the evening’s host also writes a style column for MSN News, called ‘Front Roe,’ and has written for ELLE, Vogue.com, In Style, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and was just announced as the new fashion columnist for one of the UK’s most popular glossy magazines, Company. She has been a guest host or judge on Britain’s Next Top Model, The Nate Berkus Show, GMTV, Project Catwalk, Style Network’s How Do I Look, 10 Things I Hate About Me, and Make Me a Supermodel.
See page 2 for more on this year’s event…
To further expand Generation Next’s online audience this year, O’Neill has teamed up with entertainment news site, HOLLYWIRE, to feature exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews and video footage from the various steps leading up to the runway show. Readers can see what the design process is all about, learn about the finalists, and get a sneak peek of their designs and inspirations at www.hollywire.com.
For additional information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=248470175188701
About O’Neill Girls
O’Neill Girls is dedicated to and inspired by the adventurous and free-spirited young female. Driven by O’Neill’s heritage as the original California surf brand since 1952, O’Neill Girls stays true to its roots, while offering a unique fashion perspective that is modern and fresh. Featuring a range of styles for all seasons both on and off the beach, O’Neill Girls includes a blend of effortlessly cool prints, dresses, tees, denim, fleece, jackets, accessories, swimwear and wetsuits.
Featured in hundreds of magazines and available in more than 85 countries around the world, O’Neill Girls reflects its personality through innovative collections, signature events, and exceptional athletes. With talented team riders including surfers Malia Manuel and Sage Erikson, the brand continues to push the envelope of performance and is committed to providing today’s most advanced and authentic youth lifestyle products. Connecting fashion, surf and youth culture, O’Neill Girls introduced “Generation Next” in 2008 with TEEN VOGUE, an annual high school design program to foster tomorrow’s fashion talents and create inspiration for future product lines. For more information, visit www.oneill.com and www.facebook.com/oneillgirls.
About TEEN VOGUE
TEEN VOGUE-a publication of Condé Nast, a division of Advance Publications, which operates in 25 countries-is the number one source of fashion and beauty news for style-conscious teens and 20-somethings everywhere. In the United States, Condé Nast publishes eighteen consumer magazines, two trade publications, and 27 websites that garner international acclaim and unparalleled consumer engagement. The TEEN VOGUE brand brings the sophistication and authority of VOGUE to a new generation of savvy young women who desire to be on the cutting edge of fashion, beauty, and culture. Launched in February 2003, TEEN VOGUE publishes ten issues a year and has a circulation of more than 1 million readers.
