The day was Wednesday, May 31st, a day forecasters predicted would be beset with rain and clouds, but the sun prevailed. Right up until the minute the sun set, the weather was picturesque: a warm, sunny 75 degree setting for avid shoppers and brand enthusiasts. The highly instagrammable New York City flagship of Vera Bradley in SOHO provided all the other aspects of a welcoming and chic boutique, as the home of the first Blogger and the Brand Shop. A twist on the original Blogger and the Brand influencer networking events, Blogger and the Brand Shop saw local influencers working hand in hand with a local boutique to drive engagement, new customers and media attention to what would otherwise be a slow evening of business.
The inaugural shopping event included seven young bloggers in its promotion, Mary Gui of @layersofchicblog, Alexandra Chloe of @alexandra_chloe, Vivien Gutbrod of @iamvivientatham, Bianca Diwa of @thebscene, Melanie Sutrathada of @melaniesutra, Meghan Nicole of @yourdarlingstyle and Tatiana Pujol of @weshopinheels. Their first commonality was a strong sense of aesthetic and confidence in themselves as female leaders, which ran complimentary to Vera Bradley’s mission and active ItsGoodtoBeAGirl social campaign. Combined those young women reached almost 600,000 New Yorkers, encouraging their audience to shop the latest of Vera Bradley with them.
Sip and shop was definitely an accurate assessment of the night’s festivities. In addition to shopping the amazing new styles of crossbodies, saddle bags, totes, satchels and chic rolling backpacks, attendees were delighted by complimentary massages, touch ups and beauty consultations courtesy of the Aveda team at Scott J Salon as well as Prosseco and Rosé courtesy of Domaine Select Wine and Spirits. That’s not including the fabulous goodie bags guests received courtesy of Vera Bradley. The mixture of bubbles, great tunes and better company kept the energy high throughout the night, as noted by fashion blogger Meghan Nicole of Posh Du Jour.
Between the glasses of wine, massages, store-wide specials and perfectly attentive staff at Vera Bradley, guests were made to feel as pampered princesses (and princes) as they walked through the beautiful space taking in the latest Vera Bradley had to offer. The influencers worked in tandem to encourage their friends and followers to purchase the looks, spurring others to follow suit. The gracious discount right after Memorial Day certainly helped those looking for new summer pieces.
Giveaways and raffles were also a part of the evening’s merriment and continued as the night went out. Luxury Travel Curator Celeste Chang was the biggest winner with over $250 worth of goods graciously provided by the Vera Bradley team, including a fun yoga mat, duffle and matching water bottle.
Good times, great laughs and better company permeated the night and in total almost 220 people came and went, many of which stayed until the very end. The first Blogger and the Brand Shop married influencers and boutiques in a way most events don’t, a testament to the power of influencers to drive traffic both online and off.
All photography by Crystal of The Musing Lens.
