One of my favorite times of the year is award season. The Golden Globes, Grammys, Screen Actors Guild and Oscars offer amazing opportunities for our fashion clients to get their products on the red carpet for millions of viewers to see.
The Golden Globes marks the first major awards show of the season. We were thrilled that three gentlemen chose to wear TheTieBar.com, a brand known for offering affordable men’s accessories including ties, bow ties, pocket squares, cufflinks and tie bars.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt of 50/50, Harry Shum and Mark Salling of GLEE all wore Zapwater’s client, TheTieBar.com. All three nominated men selected items that reflected their personal style. Gordon-Levitt selected a red bow tie to give a pop of color, Salling chose a black tie bar and Shum wore a black bow tie.
Their appearances were picked up in numerous media outlets including Racked National, Refinery 29, Just Jared, among others. We can’t wait to see what who will wear The Tie Bar next!
Check back with the Zapwater Blog see who wears what at the SAGs and Oscars!
This January has already been a monumental month in my life. I picked up from my hometown San Diego, CA (and before you ask, yes I miss the weather!) and moved to Chicago on January 4th and started my internship here at Zapwater five days later. Luckily, I have some friends here in the city, so as soon as I landed this internship, I immediately started bugging them for advice about how to prepare for life in Chicago.
Winter clothes were bought, packing was fairly drama-free, my CTA route to the Zapwater office was already mapped out, and I already had dinner plans for the first night I arrived. With some past big city living experience under my belt, I thought I was good to go.
I was wrong.
To preface, I’ve moved quite a few times in my life, so I’m very aware that it takes time to adjust to a new city…it takes time to stop secretly using the “map” application on your phone while walking on the streets (and usually getting lost anyway) until you finally feel like you can call a city your home.
I was quickly reminded that I was still in unfamiliar territory when one of the interns here at Zapwater was in utter disbelief that I did not know what Dominicks is. In retrospect, after learning what it is, that was quite a humbling moment.
With all of that said, I present to you the list of “8 things that no one tells you before moving to Chicago”. WARNING: Some of these may seem obvious to you Chicagoans:
1. The CTA bus tracker APP is something you NEED to download, but you will end up having a love/hate relationship with, as it can be a bit inaccurate. Fine when it’s a few minutes late. Not so fine when you spot it already at the stop and must sprint down the street to catch it (with arms flailing, of course).
2. Learn how the Chicago grid system works and you’ll never be lost. NOTE: The origin point is at State and Madison …something I finally discovered on my own when I was, in fact, standing at State and Madison.
3. You may need just a jacket in the morning and a heavy puffer 5 hours later. Weather.com is essentially obsolete here.
4. North Ave runs east and west…HUH?
5. Pretty much NO ONE who actually lives in Chicago calls it “Chitown”. Any one who does so, chances are they’re also wearing a fanny pack, holding a camera, and/or standing in line to go to the top of the Sears Tower…(I refuse to call it the Willis Tower).
6. It’s no secret that Chicago is a huge sports town- that much I knew. What I didn’t know was that I would need basic knowledge about the Bears, the Bulls, the Cubs, the White Sox, and the Blackhawks in order to be able to participate in even basic conversations.
7. Do not ask “where’s the ketchup?” when you eat a Chicago-style hot dog. You will hear crickets, and you may even be thrown out of the establishment.
8. Midway > O’hare
I learn something new about this city everyday, but imagine I’ll still have many more of those “I feel like a tourist” moments to come. Bring it on, Chicago.
(Zapwater’s Offices, 118 N. Peoria in Chicago’s West Loop)
For this monthly blog post, I wanted to continue sharing the experiences I’ve encountered while interning at Zapwater. To make it interesting, I thought I would pay homage to David Letterman and list my top ten favorite things about being a Zapwater intern.
10. The dogs- The adorable dogs who visit the Zapwater office can always make me smile!
9. The location- For those of you who don’t know, I was raised in a small town of less than 400 people. Needless to say, our home was surrounded by fields and a lot of empty space. I continue to be amazed by the size of Chicago and how everything is virtually at your fingertips. The view of the skyline every evening as I walk to the train station doesn’t cease to amaze me.
8. The environment -The Zapwater office is the perfect mixture of laid back and professional. I enjoy each day I’m in the office because while every employee takes their job, clients and Public Relations very seriously, they don’t take themselves too seriously.
7. The events- One really fun aspect that comes with being a part of the Zapwater team is that I get to do things the general public might not get the chance to do. Since starting my internship in December, I have seen some of the most amazing views of Chicago from suites at downtown hotels, met Top Chef Competitors who hail from Chicago, and was a part of the re-launch of the Fire and Ice Patio at Vertigo.
6. The opportunities- I truly love the opportunities that come with interning at Zapwater. This internship has given me the chance to network and meet new people. For example, I now know important people in the media and this is information that will continue to be valuable to me if I have a career in Public Relations in Chicago.
5. The clients- Working with prominent clients in the Chicago area is something I have become so passionate about. It is really great to see media placements of our clients, and know that they are doing big things that people find interesting and exciting. When you’re passionate about what your clients are doing, it doesn’t seem like work.
4. The tasks- Although sometimes tedious or repetitive, I love each and every single task I’m assigned at Zapwater. Most in the office have probably heard me say at least once that working in an agency setting is what I’ve dreamt of doing ever since I began studying Public Relations, and it’s true.
3. Applying my skills- After years spent in a classroom studying Communications and Public Relations, it is very refreshing to now have the chance to use my knowledge and skills in real world situations.
2. The experience- For anyone who is job searching, you know one vital component employers are looking for is “experience.” Experience in your chosen field and experience in the real world. I am learning so much about Public Relations, especially from an agency standpoint, and I will be forever grateful for the experience interning at Zapwater has given me. I am learning more in these short months than I ever did in a lecture hall.
1. Helping people- I recently attended a Sebastien Grey Event that changed my outlook on life. Our client forged a partnership with the Cara Program, a Chicago-based organization that assists homeless and poverty stricken individuals in finding jobs and forming a better life. Sebastien Grey donated custom-made suits to 50 men of the Cara Program, and these exquisitely dressed men revealed their suits during a motivational session that I was lucky enough to attend. Seeing the smiles on the faces of those men in their beautiful suits, and how they stood taller while wearing them, was an amazing and heartwarming experience that I will never forget.
Usually I am not excited about winter, especially during the months of January and February when Chicago’s weather takes an icy turn for the worst. Below zero temperatures and blizzards definitely make it difficult to enjoy winter in the city. However, this winter I am particularly excited because Jason Wu hits Target in February.
With bold pops of color and a simplistic yet classy design aesthetic, Jason Wu debuts my favorite diffusion line (so far) for Target. Unlike other collections that fans ran to the store for, Jason Wu does not try to duplicate anything from his main line. He instead creates a collection with original designs that stands on its own. Jason Wu debuts classy looks that any woman, including myself, would be proud to wear.
The collection’s prices range from $19.99 to $59.99 and include apparel and accessories. Although I like the collection as a whole I am coveting this black trench coat, priced at only $55. I guess I will have to keep my fingers crossed because the collection only lasts from February 5 through March 6, and looks this hot don’t last long in stores. Wish me luck!
I was recently asked by my apartment building’s management company if they could photograph my apartment for their website. A building engineer had been inside to fix my hot water (or lack there of) and sent a memo to that management that I had done a nice job with the space. My first thought was… Weird. My second thought was… if I agree to this, would you lower my ridiculously overpriced rent?
Needless to say, I can’t deny a photo shoot, and my Missoni tile wall art deserves a little attention, so I agreed. It was brought to my attention, however, that if my apartment was one of the best looking in a 12-story building, I must have some serious design duds for neighbors.
I would describe my interior design aesthetic as “affordable chic,” or in layman’s terms, I could go with the really awesome, stylish sofa, or I could feed myself this year. In short, my apartment is a collaboration of hand-me-downs and clearance items that have somehow managed to look ‘alright’ when placed in the same room.
After working with some of Zapwater’s interiors clients, I’ve gotten a true taste of what impeccable design really looks like. From touring Paul Schulman’s incredible renovated projects, to admiring the classic coolness of Room & Board’s home furnishings, I’ve learned that interior design is an art that only an extremely talented bunch can master.
So while images of my apartment grace an outdated webpage, I’ll let Zapwater’s interiors clients stick to making the headlines.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that our country needs to rethink our eating habits. That being said, grocery stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have gained cult-like followings and countless numbers of fast-casual restaurants that offer great tasting, good-for-you food have exploded onto the scene in Chicago, such as Protein Bar and Hannah’s Bretzel and also, rumor has it that Palo Alto-based LYFE Kitchen will be coming to the Windy City very soon (fingers crossed).
I predict in 2012 that more people will become aware of their food options and demand healthier, organic, clean food options for every meal, forcing existing companies to make changes to their offerings, while allowing smaller businesses and companies that focus on natural and organic foods to break into the market.
There’s a new hot trend in town and its borrowing from the beer world. While wines on tap have been growing in popularity in New York and on the West Coast, unique tap systems are becoming a staple of new restaurants in Chicago with beverages such as Champagne and cocktails on tap as well.
As a way to increase productivity and a more inexpensive method of serving glass pours, more and more restaurants are exploring this option for environmentally friendly reasons too. No more wasted bottles, no garbage, less space for storage, no wasted product, etc. Aside from all of the benefits to this system, there is also the “wow” factor of just serving anything from a tap and presenting it to customers in a cool way. Places such as Public House and Boiler Room currently serve liquor on tap and soon Chicago will see Champagne, cocktails and other liquids being served at new restaurants such as Tavernita and the highly anticipated Trenchermen.
There’s absolutely nothing new about photo blogging. In some way or another, it’s been around as long as the oldest social network. Social users have long considered what their profile picture would look like and Facebook users would snap a shot of every single life moment to put it into a “Photo Album.” We saw the surge of “Myspace pictures,” heard in the news about how incriminating party shots could be for job seekers and students, and found true undiscovered talent on the pages of Flickr. But, 2011 was the re-birth of photo blogging and 2012 will be its year, especially for companies.
While Tumblr has been around for some time now, 2011 brought about not only personal blogging pages, but companies embracing the photo blog phenomenon. Just like the use of any other social media platform by a company, everything was off to a shaky start. By the end of 2011 though, companies are truly using Tumblr in unique ways.
Then there’s instagram and Pinterest – the photo blogging sensations dominating people’s time and encouraging everyone to be a budding photographer. Instagram was one of the most popular apps downloaded in 2011 and it was only available to iPhone users. Imagine the surge when the app becomes available to Android users, shortly. Pinterest, a platform that generated a lot of buzz during this summer and was extremely popular with wedding bloggers and enthusiasts alike, is turning the population into expert virtual scrapbookers.
So great, these platforms are out there, but what does this have to do with 2012, and why is this my trend post? Because 2012 will be the year major companies, small businesses and emerging entrepreneurs realize that photo blogging isn’t just a fade and truly put effort and time into these platforms. Companies will find unique ways to display their products on Instagram, complete short blogs about their company or a recent product launch on Tumblr, or even showcase a few of their favorite things on Pinterest.
I’m not suggesting that these platforms are perfect for every company because they’re not. Certain companies’ products or culture do not lend themselves easily to this social community, and that’s fine; companies should continue to master the platforms that do work for them. But, for those companies that can embrace this trend, 2012 will be the year to do it.
Questions about these platforms? The best way to master them is to hop on and see what your potential customers and potential employees are blogging about. Happy photo blogging in 2012!
I won’t be shaving anytime soon. I’m predicting that this will be the year of facial hair.
Growing my much desired handle-bar mustache isn’t likely (my wife says it would be grounds for divorce). However, I am pretty confident that some stubble, full beards and even stylish staches will be common place in 2012.
I’m going on 9 days unshaven. But don’t listen to me, check out the pictures below to see who else is growing some facial hair.
But just because you capture some growth – doesn’t mean you can stay well groomed. Visit Halo [FOR MEN] when your ready for a slight cleanup.
