During the opening of the Manila International Auto Show, each participating car brand is given its 15 minutes of fame in front of the invited media and VIP guests. This is to showcase what’s new in their product lineup or brand.
Circus acts, celebrities, revolving stages, and even live tigers have been part of one of the biggest and most expensive marketing spending in the automotive industry. In other words, “wow factor” is the term in mind as each brand tries to outdo each other.
Usually, brands will fight for the time slot just right after the ribbon-cutting ceremony because it is when attendance is still at a high.
But this year, the biggest booth in the show, Mazda, opted for a 5 p.m. show. Its launch was the 2015 product collection plus a 20-piece fashion show by rising star Mark Bumgarner.
People might think that his sister, international racecar driver Michele Bumgarner (who happens to endorse Mazda), is the reason Mazda opted to collaborate with Mark.
But the former racer-turned-fashion designer has dressed numerous fashionistas such as Heart Evangelista, Maggie Consunji, Liz Uy and Phoemela Baranda.
His structured yet feminine, simple but impactful creations have carved him a niche in the ever-changing and populated fashion industry.
The new Mazda 2 and MX-5, together with the Mazda 3 and 6, and the upgraded CX-5 and CX-9, bearing the brand’s Kodo or “soul of motion” ideology, were translated into a stunning sea of red, black and grey.
After the vehicle lineup had been unveiled, top models strutted the catwalk with couture pieces for a night out of town or a black tie event.
So, some people might think why would Mazda, a car known for its zoom-zoom, go for a showcase vavavooom?
Well, I would say, why not? As Stanley Tucci’s character Nigel in “The Devil Wears Prada” says, “(Fashion is) greater than art because you live your life in it.”
On the other hand, car enthusiasts would swear that cars are the greater art because they marry both technology and design to give you a creation that not only makes you mobile but also reflects your taste and stature in life.
Bumgarner said: “Fashion and car culture have always been intertwined. Both have always been reflective of each other’s progress or change.”
He added: “Cars sometimes, if not always, act as another layer of clothing. When you go out of the world in this sense, cars and fashion are two of the most revealing things that a person could have.”
For Steven Tan, president of Berjaya Auto Philippines, “Fashion and cars had always mingled. Mazda’s Kodo-Soul of Motion is the design language of the new generation of Mazda products. Fashion is a language a lot of people can relate design and glamour with.”
Collaborations with a fashion house are not at all foreign. In fact, there are several: Hermes and Bugatti, Victoria Beckham and Range Rover, Zac Posen for Nissan Infinity, etc.
Fashion houses created limited edition vehicles. On the other hand, BMW had Louis Vuitton making customized luggage.
So does it work?
Well, we can have never-ending arguments on why men spend so much on cars and women buy purses or handbags that cost like cars.
Why? Fashion collaboration is done for glamor and prestige. We buy the creation because we feel that this is reflective of us, of what we like, of what we represent and of what we enjoy.
We dress the way we do because we want to show everyone a glimpse of who we are.
We drive the car we think is a summary of what we do and what we represent.
It all boils down to design and brand personality: If the design didn’t matter, then we all wouldn’t mind running around dressed in brown sacks and driving around in a box.
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