Exhibitors at FN Platform pulled out all the stops to highlight their latest shoe styles and forthcoming products.
When the three-day convention concluded on Wednesday in Las Vegas, some of the participating brands that showcased their footwear with creativity and flair were recognized with a fitting prize — The Glass Slipper awards for the best booth spaces.
UBM Fashion Group president of footwear Leslie Galin presented the prizes to winners in three categories. Below, representatives from the footwear brands talked to Footwear News about the inspiration behind their booths.
Most Innovative Booth Interior
WINNER: Hunter
Style: Hunter’s booth was an explosion of striking red — the walls, floor and product shelves — along with contrasting white tables and seats.
Inspiration: “We wanted something that was clean. The graphics are the exposed Hunter logo — that’s what you see on the floor. It’s really here to expose and expand the lifestyle of the brand — not just footwear, but the outerwear, umbrellas and backpacks. This is a walk into the world of Hunter, from top to bottom.” — Gail Marback, director of sales
Watch on FN
RUNNER-UP: Tidal
Style: Minimalist, white and clean.
Inspiration: “My brother and I started our company last year and built our own factory in New York. It’s really beautiful and feels like a pharmaceutical facility, so we wanted the booth to be the same — for it to be progressive and feel like what our product feels like.” — Tommy Gibb, co-founder
Best New Exhibitor Booth
WINNER: Katy Perry
RUNNER-UP: Backyard Footwear
Style: The shoe brand, which is made for playing badminton, peppered its display with nods to the sport, including birdies, racquets and grass.
Inspiration: “This is our first season in the U.S., so we’re trying to go with a heritage look and feel and grab elements of what’s known as the backyard in Copenhagen — what we would call in the U.S. ‘a courtyard’ — an area in between buildings where kids would play. So we pulled elements of grass, cement [blocks] and the Danish red from the Danish flag. We have the sign ‘Good to finally meet you,’ which is our tagline, so finally, we’re able to say hello to the U.S. market.” — Doug Reffue, U.S. distributor
Most Creative Use of Exhibit Space
WINNER: SAS
Style: SAS presented its products with an airy, rustic-like ambiance, featuring plants, fabric spools and wood paneling.
Inspiration: “Our thought process was a mix of our heritage with a lot of traditional elements that are in the booth that have represented our brand since in its inception and are our focus areas. And we wanted to mix some of what’s new in our line. It’s a balance of where we’re from and where we are going. A lot of our heritage is built around comfort, handcrafted shoes and products of the highest quality. When you look at the booth and see the elements — the spools, the wood, the texture — it’s all meant to show how organic our brand is and how hard we work to maintain our images as rustic, handcrafted and high quality.” — Mike Foster, wholesale
RUNNER-UP: Creative Recreation
Style: Sleek and minimalist, Creative Recreation took a trendy lounge-like approach to its booth’s design, including flat-screen televisions that highlight brand ambassador Nick Jonas, flashy lighting and towers that showcase products.
Inspiration: “We’re a lifestyle brand and try to design things day into night. It’s about the whole lifestyle image, and Nick Jonas is one of our ambassadors. This is focusing on the footwear, but it’s minimalistic and cool at the same time.” — John, representative
