John Varvatos Eyewear - Milan Spring/Summer 2011

Blake Kuwahara of Focus Group West collaborated with John Varvatos for the design and direction of a few eyewear pieces that were recently scene on the runways in Milan.  

close up images available after the jump

Menswear S/S 2011: Focus Group West Heads to Milan

 Neil Barrett Show - Menswear S/S 2011

Check out some of the behind-the-scene action from Milan Fashion Week.  FGW hit the town and snagged some of the best seats in the house.  Also check out our design blog: The Aesthetic Omnivore for more coverage of the John Varvatos and Neil Barrett shows.

The Red Carpet at Dolce & Gabbana's 20th Menswear Anniversary Event

 Blake Kuwahara & Thomas Ferguson at the John Varvatos entrance

Blake Kuwahara, John Varvatos, & Thomas Ferguson - Milan, 2010

Thomas Ferguson & Blake Kuwahara pre-show at Neil Barrett S/S 2011

Blake Kuwahara backstage at the Neil Barrett Show    

 Thomas Ferguson backstage at the Neil Barrett Show

Who Is: Thomas Ferguson - Part 1 and Part 2

Our interview series continues with Thomas Ferguson of Focus Group West.

The Place: Los Angeles lunch spot, Tart Restaurant

Clad in a casual dark jeans/t-shirt look (and great sunglasses) Thomas looked like a celebrity incognito as we dashed into the restaurant of his choice for a quick drink and some nachos. It’s obvious that Thomas has great taste and an understated sense of style that always seems just right for the occasion. I found myself wanting to drill him on trends, movies, music, and of course, what I was wearing. Refraining from the latter (just to be on the safe side), we got into a great conversation about his work with FGW, history in eyewear, and on what he finds inspiring.

DP: Since everyone in LA seems to be a transplant, I always ask interviewees: What brought you out to Los Angeles?

TF: Well, coincidentally, this actually is my 10th year here. I celebrated over the weekend. It’s been a long and interesting 10 years. I moved out in creative pursuits and stumbled upon a part-time job, working for a small eyewear company doing PR and things took off from there. I ended up becoming a licensed Optician and became an assistant manager at a large chain dispensary. Within no time, I found myself as full-time manager with my own store. Next thing I knew, I was moving on to REM to venture into the wholesale side of the business and found myself drawn to the creative aspects of design and development. One thing lead to another and 10 years later here we are.

DP: How did you end up doing what you are doing?

TF: I started working as a design assistant for Blake about 4 years ago.  It was for the launch of Carolina Herrera Eyewear and John Varvatos Eyewear for Base Curve (a luxury division of the REM Eyewear in Los Angeles). After an intense year of design assistant work and Blake’s mentoring, I took on some of my own projects, some private label, and started developing product from there. I then became the Manager of Product Development for REM, became the lead designer of Lucky Brand Spectacles and Sunglasses, continued working on private label brands, as well as with John (Varvatos, that is) and Mrs. Herrera.

DP: So you and Blake must work well creatively.

TF: He’s been doing this for years and I had the opportunity to learn a lot from him. The respect we have for each other’s opinions makes us a good team in terms of working on different projects together. As a result, when he decided to create FGW, he asked me to take on the role of designer and developer for Focus Group West.

Behind the Lens: FGW Photo Shoot

As most of you know, FGW sponsors an online blog called The Aesthetic Omnivore. Part of the blog is dedicated to creating and showcasing original content in the form of photo essays and fashion editorial spreads. As part of the original content for our blog and to art direct our new Focus Group West brochure, we teamed up with our architect John Lum and a San Francisco-based photographer Philip Harvey for our first Focus Group West Fashion Shoot.

Check out some behind-the-scenes shots from shoot day:

Thomas (FGW) fitting (model) Khrystyna with eyewear.

Blake and Becky (FGW) collaborate with photographer Philip Harvey and team.

FGW's Heather talks to (model) Corey while he's prepped by Veronica Sjoen with hair and makeup.

Stylist Deborah Dapalito makes last minute changes on Corey.

Models Khrystyna and Gregory Peralta (from Look Model Agency) hard at work with photographer Philip Harvey and FGW team.

Blake, Heather, Becky, & Thomas - the FGW team hard at work.

Getting a first look at some shots of the day.

Gregory with Corey and photography assistant Mark taking in the SF views.

Blake with Becky reviewing the set up of a shot.

And then the long day was over. Deborah and Veronica finally getting a break.

A big "thank you" goes out to everyone who helped make this possible:

Arthur from The Archive - San Francisco
Sheri from Metier - San Francisco
Jeremy from John Varvatos - San Francisco
Ron from Herco Jewelry
Deborah Dapalito (stylist)
Veronica Sjoen (Hair and Makeup)
Grooming Products: MAC , KRONOS , RAW Natural Beauty , & Redpoint
Philip Harvey and photography team
Models - Corey, Dominic, Rebecca, Khrystyna & Greg
Jada and Al - Look Model Agency

Daniel and Stuart for opening their home to the entire group

...THANKS SO MUCH!

Be sure to check The Aesthetic Omnivore often for updated post and for the debut of our original online photo essay, coming soon!

Publicizing Eyewear Brands

RPattz in a custom John Varvatos Sunglass

Insight on Public Relations and promoting eyewear brands by our very own Niki Ostin.

See the full article at The Optical Vision Site

Who Is: Niki Ostin

In the first of an ongoing interview series, we catch up with Niki Ostin, PR Extraordinaire in Focus Group West.

I had the chance to chat with her while she was at her office in Los Angeles. In true public relations style, her familiar charm and friendly personality puts you at ease right away.

Niki moved to Los Angeles about 11 years ago after falling in love with the city during summer internships away from her native Montreal. Her persistence landed her a job at FOX as a PR assistant, which turned out to be the perfect fit. It was during this job she learned the ropes and knew she wanted to continue in the field. Now the head of her own company, she brings a well-rounded expertise to the group. I talked with her about her start, her take on PR, and where she is headed with Focus Group West.

DP: So, every story has a beginning…what’s yours?

NO: After working for FOX as a PR assistant, I went on to do PR for TV shows, Trading Spaces on TLC is one, and for consumer products such as fashion, accessories, and restaurants. The goal was to learn about as many different areas as I could. Then about a year and a half ago, I left my job at the time and I started my own company, PR Lab. Again I did consumer products, mainly working with brands that wanted to get into the entertainment arena that aren’t really entertainment brands so to speak. For example we do eyewear brands, jewelry brands, and getting celebrity product placements. The greatest part is, it’s always interesting, never boring.

DP: Why Public Relations?

NO: It was by chance that I ended up in PR when I was looking for internships, I didn’t even know what department I wanted to go into. I stuck with it because everyday I come into the office and have my to do list and something else always pops up. I don’t get to my list because everyday is completely different and unexpected, in a good way.

DP: Do you prefer working with consumer products versus publicity or promotion?

NO: It was important to me to expand and not pigeon hole myself in one field. For example health care is big one year, and then something comes up the next year, so you want to be able to go where the opportunities are. My clients like the fact that I can work with different types of products in different fields so there are more opportunities for cross promotion. I like to partner my clients together for different events and opportunities. For example award show suites. I can showcase jewelry, things from spa clients, or other types of consumer products to be part of the gift bags, all in one event.

DP: For people who might not know what goes into building a PR plan, what are the steps you take for your clients?

NO: Well once I have a client, the first step is to ask what their goals are. Is it press coverage? Is it to get a celebrity wearing your product? Is it more to do with a launch event? Once we establish their goals, I put together a time line detailing the activities and all of my initiatives on their behalf. We spend a lot of time together, and I get to know both their brand really well and the competition’s brand, because that is so important. Then we move forward based on the categories we established. Usually that means media relations, especially during this economy. It is really important for people to stand out from the clutter and really promote themselves well.

DP: When you meet with a client and you start to get to know their brand, how much of your personal style are you allowed to utilize while creating the plan?

NO: I’d like to insert my personal style and personality, but it is most important to pay attention to what the client wants. I think what is most important is to realize the client is coming to you for a PR plan. They want your council and your advice, so it’s a two way street. You listen to them and they really listen to you as well. You want to make sure the best comes from both parties, because your reputation is on the line too. I really feel strongly about daily communication with my clients, so everyone’s input creates the best outcome.

DP: Thinking about your style and what your clients want, how do current trends affect your plans?

NO: Definitely when people see a product in a big magazine, a key magazine with a high circulation it’s still important for people. When they see a celebrity wearing a specific eyewear style or brand, people ask about it. Celebrity for better or worse, is still a really important component of public relations. Also a credible writer or media source, is just as important in terms of making people aware of different products. It’s always important to be up to date with the different media outlets out there. You have to stay on top of current trends and the media. The press tends to focus on a group of 10 –15 celebrities, so just knowing who is in the media more and following them, when they get married, when they get divorced, when they have babies. In my field you really need to stay on top of what people are interested so you can better serve your client.

DP: Besides staying on top of current trends, what’s happening now that peaks your interest?

NO: Right now I’m into a lot of music. My playlist includes: Santigold, Coldplay, and The Fray.

DP: Now getting to your current business: What is your role in FGW? How did you get involved with the team?

NO: I met Blake and Thomas years ago when I handled public relations for John Varvatos Eyewear and Carolina Herrera Eyewear. They were working together on both brands at the time. We kept in touch, and when they were thinking of launching Focus Group West they approached me about dealing with the public relations portion for their clients. I thought it would be a great idea. I really think this is the way businesses are going to be structured, especially in this economic climate, with consultants and freelancers grouping together for different projects. It’s the idea of getting people with different expertise together in one group to make things more cost effective for the client. That’s how it happened, and I think it’s going to be really great.

In addition to collaborating with Focus Group West, Niki Ostin works with consumer brands including Platinum Guild International and Baxter of California. She looks forward to continuing her work with FGW.